The St. Louis Art Museum's 'Roaring' exhibit, which opened after a five-year delay due to the pandemic, is nearing its July 27 closing date. Featuring 12 vintage cars and over 160 items, the show explores the intersection of French automobiles and fashion between 1918 and 1939, highlighting the era's artistic and mechanical innovation. Nearly 70,000 visitors have attended, making it the museum's most popular attraction since 2018's 'Sunken Cities.'
The exhibit matters because it reframes the automobile as a canvas for artistic expression, showcasing both custom-built 'super elite cars' like the 1938 Talbot-Lago Teardrop Coupe and mass-produced 'coachbuilt cars' transformed by French artisans. By linking automotive design with high fashion, 'Roaring' offers a unique lens on the cultural renaissance of interwar France, drawing significant attendance and demonstrating the museum's ability to attract broad audiences with interdisciplinary, design-focused programming.