The British Motor Museum claims to be home to ‘the world’s largest collection of historic British cars’. The Midlands has always been the centre of car manufacturing in the United Kingdom and it still is, although there are fewer companies active than in say, the nineteen fifties. The museum tells the story of the birth, decline and rebirth of the motor industry and the cars it produced. It is arranged by major theme, such as motoring history time road, design and concept cars, sport cars, movie cars etc.
MG SA on the Time RoadMG Magnette and Vauxhall VivaWolseley overlooking the Time Road1935 CaravanPart of the Design & Concepts sectionHUE 166 the first Land RoverRover1974 Austin 1300 SRV 5 safety research vehicle2001 TVR T400R GT race car
Address: Banbury Road, Gaydon, Warwickshire CV35 0BJ England
Coventry Transport Museum collection includes around 250 cars, commercial vehicles and buses, 100 motorcycles and over 350 bicycles. It focuses on Coventry’s role in British transport heritage.
Shown here is a sample of the numerous makes that were built in and around Coventry.
1898 Daimler1913 Swift Cyclecar1923 Standard & 1923 Humber Chummy1935 Hillman Aero Minx CrestaLea Francis Hyper
Address: Millennium Place, Hales Street, Coventry CV1 1JD, England
Brooklands is the birthplace of British motorsport and aviation. It was the world’s first purpose-built motor racing circuit. The cars in the museum all raced in period at Brooklands. In addition to the museum, there is the famous Test Hill to see, the remaining sections of the original Brooklands track and the aviation museum.
Exterior of the museum with visiting Aston MartinsBentleyNapier RailtonObvious racing heritageSection of the original Brooklands trackA Talbot on the Test Hill start line
Check the Brooklands Museum website for opening times and other details.
Address: Brooklands Museum, Brooklands Road, Weybridge, Surrey, England
Bicester Heritage is NOT a museum as such. It is a business campus dedicated to historic motoring, based at the former RAF Bicester airforce base. It is home to numerous classic car specialists and is open ‘by appointment only’. Please check the website for opening hours and visitor policy, and if necessary make an appointment. However, Bicester Heritage, and the companies located there, organise classic car events throughout the year, so it is worth checking what’s on and when.
Riley outside one of the restored RAF buildingsAlvis (l) and ACMini Cooper and an ACBelgian Bugatti on a test runClassic car specialists all over the business park
1905: John Marston Limited 1920: S T D Motors Limited 1935: Rootes Group 1967: Chrysler Europe Defunct, marque owned since 1978 by Groupe PSA / Stellantis.
Austin Healey. Austin-Morris Division, BMC, Longbridge, Birmingham, England 1953-1972
Austin-Healey was a British sports car maker established in 1952 through a joint venture between the Austin division of the British Motor Corporation (BMC) and the Donald Healey Motor Company (Healey)
Triumph. Coventry, Warwickshire, England 1923 – 1984
Initially part of Standard Motors Ltd, then Leyland Motors Ltd. and finally British Leyland Motor Corporation Ltd / BL plc. The marque was retired in 1984, but acquired by BMW in 1994.
