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Category: British Motor Museum
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The British Motor Museum is inviting visitors to celebrate the iconic Land Rover’s 75th Birthday with a host of family activities this May Half-Term from 27 May – 4 June! The Museum collections feature a wide range of Land Rovers, each with their own incredible journeys, from tough wayfarers like the “Pink Panther” used by the SAS to a Range Rover Vogue that was driven by His Majesty the King.
These storied Land Rovers will be at the centre of a new Museum tour hosted by the Museum’s friendly costumed characters roaming the collection as ‘Royal Chauffeurs’. The family tours will take place every day at 11.30am and 1.30pm from the Family Activity station. The ever-popular craft activities are back, where children can make a ‘Land Rover’ out of air-drying dough to take home. These craft activities will take place every day until 3pm (last entry at 2.30pm). Children can also participate in the Colour Creator Trail and enjoy exploring the colours in the collection.
Emma Rawlinson, Lifelong Learning Officer at the British Motor Museum, said, “We would love families to come along and join in with our birthday celebrations! Tickets for attractions across the UK have gone up significantly since last year due to rising costs. However, we have held our visitor prices for 2023. Raising them was simply not a consideration in our 30th anniversary year and we hope families can join us for a great value day out this Half Term”.
Museum entry is just £40 for a family in advance or £44 on the day, £14.50 for adults in advance or £16 on the day, £12.50 for concessions in advance or £14 on the day, £9 for children (5-16 years) in advance or £10 on the day and under 5s are FREE. There is also the option to Gift Aid or donate your entry fee and get an Annual Pass in return, at no extra cost. All family activities are included in Museum admission and run on a drop-in basis, just visit the Family Activity station on arrival to find out what is going on and when. All activities are suitable for 3+ years with adult supervision unless otherwise specified.
To find out more information about May Half-Term activities, please call 01926 895300 or visit the website at https://www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk/whats-on/may-half-term
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The British Motor Museum first opened its doors to the public at its site in Gaydon 30 years ago! Visitors got their first look at the world’s largest collections of historic British cars inside the impressive brand-new building on 1 May 1993. The Museum will be marking its milestone anniversary with a week-long 30th Anniversary Celebration from 14-20 August.
The origins of the Museum’s collections date back to 1975 when Leyland Historic Vehicles was founded to look after vehicles which had been kept for historic or publicity purposes by several individual companies that made up British Leyland Motor Corporation. By 1983, the archive and vehicle collections had grown to the point where it was decided to establish an independent charitable trust to safeguard them, and the British Motor Industry Heritage Trust (BMIHT) was born. The collections rapidly outgrew the Museum at Syon Park, London and the headquarters at Studley Castle. With the help of an £8m investment from Rover Group, a new home was found in Gaydon, Warwickshire – bringing a brand-new visitor attraction to the area.
The building was designed not only to house the cars and extensive motoring archive but also to offer educational and purpose-built conference facilities to ensure its long-term sustainability. The purpose was, and still is, to collect, conserve and share the story of Britain’s motor industry from its inception to the current day, for today’s generation and into the future.
Thirty years on, the British Motor Museum has gone from strength to strength. The collections have Designated Status, recognising their national and international significance. The number of cars on display exceeds 400, with vehicles from the Jaguar Heritage and Vauxhall Heritage collections adding to those belonging to the Trust. The Mezzanine floor, opened by HRH Princess Anne, was added in 2007, followed just 8 years later by a whole new building - the Collections Centre – where the reserve collection is now accessible to the public.
The Museum also has a number of aspirational plans for development over the next few years, from the addition of a hotel to a glass ‘wrap’ around the front of the building and from an EV super hub to an apprentice academy.
Jeff Coope, Managing Director at the British Motor Museum said: “The history of Britain’s motoring industry is the heart and soul of the Museum, and our vision is ultimately to become the global focal point of all Britain’s automotive history and culture. The next 30 years are sure to bring as much, if not more, change than the last 30, and we are excited to be along for the ride.”
To find out more information about the Museum please call 01926 895300 or visit the website at www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk
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The British Motor Museum will celebrate the 100th birthday of the MG at a special event on Saturday 27 May. This event will appeal to anyone who loves MG cars, whether they have owned one in the past, know someone who has one or would simply like to see these iconic cars proudly displayed together. The MG Owners' Club, the Early MG Society, the MG Octagon Car Club, the MG 'T' Society, and the MG Car Club have all joined forces to organise this exciting centenary event.
There will be plenty for visitors to enjoy including a timeline of 100 MGs on display, plus the 1925 ‘Old Number One’, which was the inspiration for the MG sports car. There will also be a Spitfire flypast (subject to weather), MG Specialist traders, souvenir merchandise, MG archive films in the cinema, a Pride of Ownership competition, Sporting Bears charity rides and a series of road runs arriving throughout the day. Visitors can also enjoy entertainment from the Barn-Ettes, a popular vintage singing group. In the evening, there will be a Centenary Dinner with guest speaker, Dr Ian Pogson, which will be ticketed separately via https://www.mgcentenary.co.uk/.
Tom Caren, Show Manager at the British Motor Museum, stated, “We’re delighted to be hosting this special event to celebrate the 100th birthday of the iconic MG with displays, a Spitfire flypast, competitions, charity rides, live music and a special dinner in the evening. A landmark anniversary like this doesn’t come along too often, so please do come along and make the most of a superb and memorable day out!
Vehicle display is just £10, which includes entry to display a vehicle and admission. Tickets for the 3-course dinner cost £49.95 per person. Show tickets cost £14.50 per adult, £9 per child, £12.50 per concession and £40 for a family. All tickets must be pre-booked and include entry to the Museum and the Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust Collection.
For more information about the event, please call 01926 895300 or visit https://www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk/whats-on/mg-centenary
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The British Motor Museum will enable visitors to celebrate two of Britain’s best-loved small cars when it hosts the ‘National Metro & Mini Show’ on Sunday 4 June. This popular show is regarded as the main event of the year for owners of Metros, classic Minis, and modern MINIs to unite to celebrate their cars. Hundreds of these iconic vehicles can be found on display outside the Museum for visitors to admire and reminisce over.
The Museum is delighted to announce that the Concours competition is returning this year, offering visitors the opportunity to see the judges assess the cars against their Concours criteria. The competition is free to enter for vehicle exhibitors, and entry forms are available from the British Motor Museum website. Metro classes include Austin Metros, MG Metros and Rover Metros/100s. Mini classes include 59 & 79, 80 & 2000 (including 2000 Mini classics, not BMW Minis), 2000 Onwards (BMWs) and Custom Minis. There will also be a single "Show and Shine" class that anyone can sign up for on the day.
Hot meals, sweet treats and refreshments are available at the Junction 12 Café, or ice creams and burgers are available outside.
Tickets for the show include entry to the Museum and Collections Centre, giving visitors the chance to see over 400 cars from the collection, including the last Rover 100 produced, which is signed by 1200 people involved in the Metro production, along with the very first Mini ‘621 AOK', the very last classic Mini produced at Longbridge ‘X411 JOP' and the Monte Carlo Rally winning Minis of 1964, 1965 and 1967.
Tom Caren, Show Manager at the British Motor Museum, stated, “The show boasts hundreds of cars, from everyday classics to the weird and wonderful designs and special editions, no matter their age or condition! Popular with enthusiasts, this show is also a great hit with families with plenty of entertainment for our younger visitors!”
Camping is also available on Saturday 3 June for those that want to make a weekend of it. Advance show tickets cost £14.50 per adult, £9 per child, £12.50 per concession and £40 for a family. Anyone wishing to enter their Mini or Metro into the show can do so online for just £9. This includes entry to the show for the driver and one passenger. Additional tickets are available to purchase if extra passengers are required.
To find out more information about the show, please call 01926 895300, or visit the website at: https://www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk/whats-on/national-metro-and-mini-show
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Visitors are invited to join ‘Bessie the Bus’ for her birthday bash at the British Motor Museum this Easter from 1 – 16 April. Bessie is an AEC S-type Bus on long term loan from the London Transport Museum which first went into service on London’s Route 76 roads in April 1923.
To celebrate her first trip, children can make their very own 3D cardboard cut-out Bessie to take home. Mavis the bus clippie, or Jim the bus driver, will be giving fun and informative tours of the Museum ending with a chance to climb aboard Bessie and see for themselves what bus travel looked like 100 years ago! The popular ‘Colour Creator’ Trail will also be returning for the holidays, taking visitors around the Museum to explore the colours in the collection.
Over the Easter Weekend from the 7 – 10 April, younger visitors can also enjoy an entertaining Easter Egg hunt around the collection. Children can pick up an Easter basket and search for eggs that are hidden around the cars.
Emma Rawlinson, Lifelong Learning Officer at the British Motor Museum said “We have lots of fun activities for families to enjoy this Easter! Children love our costumed characters who bring the Museum to life in a friendly and educational way”.
Make a Bessie the Bus takes place every day from 10am to 3pm in the Learning Space. Bessie’s Family Tour takes place every day at 11:30am/1:30pm for around 20-25 mins. The Colour Creator Trail also takes place every day at the Family Activity Station.
The Museum has held its 2022 prices for 2023. Museum entry is just £40 for a family in advance or £44 on the day, £14.50 for adults in advance or £16 on the day, £12.50 for concessions in advance or £14 on the day, £9 for children (5-16 years) in advance or £10 on the day and under 5s are FREE. There is also the option to Gift Aid or donate your entry fee and get an Annual Pass in return, at no extra cost. All activities are included in Museum admission and are suitable for 3 years plus with adult supervision. During busy periods, all family activities may move to a timed ticket basis. To avoid disappointment, please check on arrival with the Family Station, as places are limited and are subject to availability.
To find out more information about Easter activities please call 01926 895300 or visit the website at https://www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk/whats-on/easter-holiday-activities
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