If you’re a car enthusiast, or looking for a great day out with the family, a visit to a car museum is always a brilliant day out.
Diving back into motoring history, whether that’s motorcycles or cars, shows how far we’ve come along the automotive road.
But where’s a car museum near me? Good question. We’ve sorted out 10 of the best car museums that we think are worth a visit:
Located in the New Forest, Hampshire, the Beaulieu car museum has a stunning selection of more than 250 vehicles, ranging from F1 cars and land speed record breakers to a brilliant collection of Austin cars. Also look out for items like the recreated 1930s Jack Tucker garage and relive a bygone era. A great day out for motoring enthusiasts.
Website: www.beaulieu.co.uk
The Caister car museum is located on the east coast near Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, in a spectacular setting. It’s home to a large private collection which includes many fine and rare veteran, vintage, classic and touring vehicles, along with motorcycles. Look out for the 1893 Panhard et Levassor and the very first Ford Fiesta off the production line.
Website: www.caistercastle.co.uk/motor-museum
Bubblecars or microcars – whichever you want to call them – were the products of automotive austerity in the early fifties through to the sixties. If you’ve ever travelled in the back of one you’ll know it’s a mighty uncomfortable experience. But bubblecars did provide motorised transport for not much money. And the Bubblecar Museum has a brilliant collection of more than 50 of them. Go and marvel at the microcar collection.
Website: www.bubblecarmuseum.co.uk
Head down to Sparkford in Somerset to see the Haynes museum, home to over 400 motor vehicles from the advent of motoring in the late 1800s, through those great periods of motoring in 1950s and 1960s, to supercars like the Jaguar XJ220. There are 17 exhibition areas giving a great insight into the history of motoring.
Website: www.haynesmotormuseum.com
The Gaydon car museum in Warwickshire offers a family friendly walk through the history of motoring, with plenty of interactive exhibits that both adults and children can enjoy. Look out for the Jaguar Zone with its fine display of Jaguar sports and racing cars owned by the Jaguar Heritage Trust.
Website: www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk
If you’re looking for a car museum in London, then head straight for London’s vibrant Covent Garden where you’ll find the Transport Museum. It has a great collection of buses, trams and trains for you to explore the heritage of London and its transport system.
Website: www.ltmuseum.co.uk
As well as being an area of outstanding beauty, The Lake District in Cumbria also has a motoring museum. While it has an extensive range of motor cars and motorcycles that are worth seeing, it’s the museum’s association with record breakers Sir Malcolm and Donald Campbell that sets it apart. Highlights include full sized replicas of the 1935 Blue Bird car, 1939 Blue Bird Boat K4 and 1967 jet hydroplane Bluebird K7. The museum also features a rather lovely art deco inspired logo.
Website: www.lakelandmotormuseum.co.uk
If you’re in the Midlands, then a trip to the Coventry motor museum is a must for all motoring fans. The museum houses one of the largest collections of British road transport in the world, with some 300 cycles, 120 motorcycles, and over 250 cars and commercial vehicles. The museum also houses both the Thrust land speed record breakers – and there’s your chance to relive the Thrust record breaking runs with with a 4D simulator. Strap in!
Website: www.transport-museum.com
If you want some automotive history in Scotland, then head for Elgin in Morayshire where you’ll find the Moray Motor Museum and a car museum that ranges from a 1936 Jaguar SS100 to a beautiful 1951 Frazer-Nash. There are seasonal opening hours so check before you go.
Website: www.moraymotormuseum.org
This Surrey museum gives a double dose of transport – both motoring and aviation. As it’s based on part of the former Brooklands banked racing circuit, there’s a big accent on motorsport. But some great cars to see. And there’s the majestic Concorde too.
Website: www.brooklandsmuseum.com
This entry was posted in Fun Car Stuff on by Charlie Strand
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