Museum

The world’s largest museum devoted to Austin cars will soon be auctioned in Denmark. Alongside 47 cars, it also features over 3,000 related items, including books, posters, signs, toy cars, die-casts and other rare automobilia. Stefan Wolffbrandt began the collection in 1985 after he acquired his first car; an 1957 Austin A30, which he saved from the junkyard and restored on a shoestring. This ignited his passion for the brand and he went on to collect further Austin models, in particular A30’s and A35’s, while pursuing his career as a successful rock musician.

The British Transportation Museum in Dayton, Ohio will hold its 13th annual British Car Meet on Saturday May 28, 2016.  The Location will be the same as last year with the Meet at the South side of the building at 32 Webster Street, home of “TOP of the Market Banquet and Event Center” in downtown Dayton. The Meet runs from 9AM to 3PM. Car registration is $15 in before May 21st and $18 after May 21st. Registration will be limited to the first 100 cars.

The opportunity has arisen following the retirement of Steve Kite, who’s been working with Gaydon’s exhibits for more than 25 years, and the subsequent promotion of former apprentice Martin Brown to be the museum’s head mechanic. The Warwickshire museum, which reopened in February following a £1.1m refurbishment, says it’s looking for a skilled mechanic with a background of historic car restoration. For information about the new mechanic role visit the current vacancies page on the museum’s website. ‘This is a rare opportunity for a skilled mechanic with a sound background in historic car restoration and vehicle maintenance to join our workshop team,’ says workshop team leader Paul Gilder. ‘We look after more than 300 historic British cars dating back to the 1900s, so it is a varied role with plenty of marques and models to work on.’ Department: British Motor […]

The British Motor Museum re-opened to the public today, Saturday 13 February, following a £1.1m refurbishment. Formerly known as the Heritage Motor Centre, the new Museum will be visually more exciting with an immersive display of British motoring history, designed to appeal to both current fans as well as new audiences. Also opening today was the new Collections Centre, allowing public access for the first time to an extra 250 cars from the reserve collections of the British Motor Industry Heritage Trust and the Jaguar Heritage Trust. The Museum was officially opened by Managing Director, Julie Tew at 10am along with a live broadcast from Touch FM. Tew said, “We are delighted to re-open the Museum to visitors for half term. We have a packed programme of family events and tours and visitors will be impressed with the changes we have […]

Editor’s Note: Our “expert of the auctions”, Bob Seidler, recently visited the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles and sent in this report. This was only after texting me far more photos than I can run and making me extremely jealous in the process. For all of us car buffs out there, be sure to add the Petersen Automotive Museum to your must-see list.  Over the years, I had heard it was a pretty cool place, and I can now confirm…it is the best automotive viewing experience I‘ve ever had.  While many of us have visited museums where the cars are lined up and little ID plates tell the basic facts, The Petersen takes visitor engagement to a new level.  Lots of detail and the cars are displayed in a manner that you can walk around them.  Most are on […]

Heritage Motor Centre said the British Motor Industry Heritage Trust at Gaydon had gained “designated” status from Arts Council England, confirming its vehicles were of national significance. It shuts for the work from 30 November and will reopen on 13 February. A new £4m Collections Centre, featuring about 250 vehicles, mostly previously unseen, will open on the same day. Heritage Motor Centre, which claims to have “the world’s largest collection of historic British cars,” said visitors would be able to “look under more open bonnets” and enjoy new interactive content including sound and film, following the revamp. The new museum will boast zones telling the cars’ stories in more detail, a new entrance and a new area for education programmes. For more information, check out the official British Motor Museum website.

World renowned, Beaulieu Autojumbles are a must visit for the motoring enthusiast in the UK. With over 2000 stands, groaning with all kinds of vintage and classic motoring ephemera – motoring parts, accessories, automobilia, literature, tools and clothing, there is something for everyone and lots of bargains to be had. This iconic event enjoys the reputation that; “if you can’t find it at Beaulieu, it doesn’t’ exist!” Our videos this week, yes we have two, are of the Beaulieu Autojumble The first is from this year’s Spring event. Whether you’re hunting for that elusive final part to complete your restoration or just want to soak up the atmosphere, join us for the Beaulieu Spring Autojumble. With thousands of stands bursting with automotive related bargains, those with a penchant for automotive eclectica and rummaging for rare parts will be in their element. From […]

Coventry Transport Museum is offering a day of fun and discovery for visitors of all ages to see the newly refurbished iconic city-centre attraction officially re-opened, with a free public show, featuring stunts and supercars, beginning at 1300hrs. If you’re looking for a fantastic FREE day out for all the family, you can’t beat Coventry Transport Museum.  In the heart of Coventry city centre, this huge Museum is home to the world’s largest collection of British road transport, and a visit whisks you away into a world of stories of real people, real passions and real hope. Petrolhead presenter duo Amanda Stretton and Harry Metcalfe will be introducing a car show that will consist of the Trailblazing Cars of the World parade and two stunt shows from supercar stuntsman Terry Grant – famous for holding over 20 stunt related World […]

Are you aware of the British Transportation Museum‘s efforts to raise funds to buy and refurbish a building?  The British Transportation Museum was founded in 1998 by Dick Smith, Mike Edgerton, and Mike Smith as they began to sketch out a museum concept for the education and preservation of British Transportation in America. The Museum is celebrating its 17th Anniversary in 2015. The British Transportation Museum is an all volunteer non-profit 501(c)(3) charitable educational institution established to collect, preserve, and interpret through exhibits the heritage of British built transportation vehicles utilized in the United States. The focus is to foster learning, appreciation, insight and a useful understanding of the role of British transportation vehicles in American life. This involves the collection and preservation of vehicles, parts, photographs, memorabilia, books and any and all articles that illustrate British modes of transportation […]

The British Motor Industry Heritage Trust, based at the Heritage Motor Centre at Gaydon, Warwickshire has been awarded a Round Two grant of £1.45 million from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) for its Museum Collections Centre project, it was announced today. The award is the culmination of more than 2 years work to develop plans for a new building in which to store and display more than 200 historic British cars from the collections of both the British Motor Industry Heritage Trust and its partner the Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust. The £4 million project received initial support from HLF in 2011, and the latest HLF grant, together with match funding from Jaguar Land Rover, The Garfield Weston Foundation and both Trusts, will enable work on this exciting new project to begin in the spring of 2014. The new Museum Collection […]

The Heritage Motor Centre is launching a new show on Sunday 7 July to celebrate a host of British cars including the iconic Mini. ‘The BMC and Leyland Show’ has been launched to incorporate vehicles manufactured by the British Motor Corporation, British Leyland and Rover including commercial and military vehicles. The show is expected to attract up to 80 different marques made over a 100 year period including names such as Daimler, Alvis, Wolsley, Austin, Morris, Riley Standard MG and Land Rover. As well as up to 800 models on show, there will be a large Autojumble and motoring related trade stands. A show highlight will be the opportunity for visitors to see 12 different vehicles from the HMC reserve collection that aren’t normally on display in the Museum. This new show will incorporate the former Gaydon Mini Show and […]

There’s been a great deal of excitement at the Heritage Motor Centre this week as it’s been announced that they have received initial support from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) for a new Museum Collections Centre project. This project will enable people to see the whole collection for the first time in a purpose-built facility that will also include a vehicle restoration and conservation workshop. The Centre has been awarded a first round pass by the HLF along with funding of £51,100 to help them develop plans to apply for a full grant in 2012. The complete project is expected to cost around £2.5 million. If second round funding is awarded and match funding is also obtained, building work on the new project could begin in 2013. Keep an eye here and on their website for future announcements.

Over thirty rare, unusual and beautiful sports and racing cars manufactured in England will be on display at the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum in Pennsylvania from February 20th through March 14th, 2010. Titled the “Best of Britain,” the show is comprised of cars from individual collectors in the mid-Atlantic states and is intended to illustrate why the adjective “British” is inseparable from the term “sports car.” Cars in the show include a 1935 Triumph Gloria Southern Cross that was once part of the Henry Ford Museum, a 1960 MGA Twin Cam Coupe that raced at Sebring, and a 1966 Aston Martin DB6, one of the most potent sports cars of its era. The poster car, a 1933 Squire is the first of only seven ever built, and is considered by many to be among the most beautiful British sports cars […]

A museum dedicated to the MG car has reopened in Abingdon. The MG Museum opened on October 25 on the second floor of the County Hall Museum, in Market Place. The small museum, organized by former MG employee Brian Moylan, ran for a trial each weekend throughout last winter. However, it has now been given a permanent home – with the promise of more space to follow when the museum is revamped. Abingdon Works Centre, the local branch of the MG Car Club, donated £500 towards expanding the exhibition.