15 Million Reasons Why Peter Mullin & Art Center College Of Design Will Influence What You Drive For The Rest Of Your Life

Peter & Merle Mullin with Art Center students and faculty.

Peter Mullin is the guy we'd all like to grow up to be. Gasoline in his veins, money in the bank and a willingness to share that money to make the world a better, more beautiful place.

In case the name doesn't ring a bell, he co-founded the Mullin Automotive Museum in Oxnard, California. He's chairman of the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles. He is also president of the American Bugatti Club.   The son of a chemical engineer, a race fan since boyhood, and a vintage car racer today.

The deep involvement with the museums and Bugatti Club tells you Mullin appreciates classic beauty.  But he's also committed to making sure that beauty and inspirational design are with us long after he's gone.  So Mullin and his wife Merle are donating $15 million to the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California.

Concept Car: Mazda Deep Orange 3

Photos courtesy Art Center College of  Design and Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research

Here's a real sneak peek into the future of cars, as viewed by people who are at the very beginning of their careers.

The Mazda Deep Orange 3 is not only a concept vehicle, it's been designed and engineered from the ground up by students: Fredrick Naaman from the Art Center College of Design and a team of automotive engineering students  at Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR).