Hollywood’s Century-Old Car Bond; Rare Earths Challenge

Jonathan Eisen, curator of the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, traces a more than century-long symbiosis between Hollywood and the auto industry.
From early chase scenes to modern product placement and consulting on restorations, filmmakers and manufacturers have long shaped public appetite for cars and automotive technology.

Cullen Hendrix of the Peterson Institute for International Economics says the United States faces hard choices to build a resilient rare-earths supply chain. Establishing domestic capacity will require coordinated government action across mining, processing, and chemical separation, plus incentives to offset high capital costs, permitting barriers and environmental trade-offs. Options under discussion include subsidies, streamlined permitting, strategic stockpiles and investment in recycling and alloy development to reduce dependence on imported materials.

Industry context remains dynamic: Toyota showcased American car culture at Fuji Speedway, Mitsubishi is retooling its U.S. product plan, EV registrations surged amid tax-credit demand, and Volkswagen has paused some investments as economic uncertainty weighs on production plans. The intersection of culture, policy and materials science will help determine how quickly automakers adapt to supply-chain and electrification challenges.