James Hetfield is best known for fronting Metallica but his hand built Black Pearl on show at the Petersen Museum might be his greatest creation
Published on Mar 08, 2026 at 11:14 AM (UTC+4)
by Henry Kelsall
Last updated on Mar 05, 2026 at 8:29 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones
James Hetfield is best known as the frontman of Metallica, one of the most iconic bands in the world, but like many artists, he is also an automotive enthusiast, which led to the creation of ‘The Black Pearl’.
His love of cars meant it made sense to build the custom Hot Rod, designed by Rick Dore, and that now resides in the vault of the world-famous Petersen Automotive Museum.
This remarkable car pays homage to vehicles from the 1930s, with a nostalgic, streamlined design.
But it also pays tribute to a European practice responsible for some amazing vehicles.
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Why Metallica star James Hetfield built The Black Pearl
Before he shot to fame, James Hetfield was a member of the Beatniks car club.
He experimented with traditional Hot Rods and their mechanics for his formative years before finding his calling as Metallica’s frontman.
A few years down the line, Hetfield partnered up with design legend Rick Dore to make a vision of his reality.
Hetfield wanted to pay tribute to those epic Hot Rods of the 1920s and ’30s.
He also wanted to realize his own vision of one.
Think of the car as a combination of European coachwork and American heavy metal.
Coachwork was something used by European manufacturers, like Rolls-Royce, to create custom cars.
You wouldn’t believe it, but the car started as a simple sketch, before eventually becoming reality.
It also started as a classic British car from the 1940s, but virtually nothing remains of that original machine.
This is the car used to create the custom Hot Rod
Hetfield and Dore settled on a 1948 Jaguar Mark V saloon to create the car.
Initially, the Metallia star planned to just customize the Jaguar.
But eventually, it was decided to throw virtually everything from the car away.
Only the outer frame rails of the chassis remain from the original car.
Marcel and Luke DeLay were tasked with hand-shaping the raw aluminum and steel sheets to create The Black Pearl.
Despite using a British car as the basis, the underneath of the Hot Rod carries an American heart.
It has a 5.0-liter Ford 302 V8, making 375hp, and a Ford C4 automatic transmission.
The car even has an air-ride suspension and a Mustang II front-end.
Then there is the brushed brass trim that replaces traditional chrome.
In 2019, Hetfield donated his 10-car collection to the Petersen Museum, with The Black Pearl being one of them.
The car remains a crown jewel in an amazing automotive collection at the Petersen Museum.
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Henry joined the Supercar Blondie team in February 2025, and since then has covered a wide array of topics ranging from EVs, American barn finds, and the odd Cold War jet. He’s combined his passion for cars with his keen interest in motorsport and his side hustle as a volunteer steam locomotive fireman at a heritage steam railway.
