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Category: British Motor Museum
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The British Motor Museum will be hosting four nostalgic motoring shows in July, which will include the Wythall Busfest on 1 July, the BMC & Leyland Show on 9 July and the Old Ford Rally and Rootes Heritage Day, both on 23 July.
The Wythall Busfest is arranged in partnership with the Transport Museum Wythall, and will feature over 100 restored, vintage, and modern buses and coaches. 2023 sees the 50th anniversary of the last Daimler bus being built in Coventry, so the organisers are inviting all Daimler buses to come together and celebrate this milestone year.
The BMC & Leyland Show will feature a wide range of British marques produced by the British Motor Corporation, British Leyland and The Rover Group. Hundreds of vehicles will be lined up outside the Museum, from Minis and Morris Minors to the larger Rover 800s, Montegos and Maestros, as well as a variety of vans and lorries. 2023 marks 50 years of the Allegro and 40 years of the Maestro and Montego, and the organisers are inviting all owners of any of those makes to come along and display their cars.
The Old Ford Rally will enable fans to see around 400 classic Fords, aged between 50 – 100 years old. There will be a huge range on display, from Model Ts to the cars of the pre-war austerity years as well as the more luxurious post-war Zephyrs, Zodiacs and Granadas,plus the fan-favourite Anglias, Mk1 and Mk2 Cortinas, Capris, Escorts and Fiestas. Clubs that will be attending include Deuces of Britain, with their collection of 1932 Fords, and the XR Owners Club, who will be bringing over 30 vehicles from their range.
On the day, the Museum will also be playing host to a massive Meccano exhibition, in partnership with the Midlands Meccano Guild. This regular fixture of the show has grown from 25 tables in the beginning, to over 50 tables for this year’s show, holding an impressive collection of Meccano models from all over the country. Modelling fans will love seeing the creations on display, and may even find some inspiration for their next great project.
Taking place alongside the Old Ford Rally, the Rootes Archive Centre Trust will be holding their Rootes Heritage Day, celebrating all kinds of Rootes classics, from earlier Hillmans, Humbers, Sunbeams and Singers to the later Chryslers, Simcas and Talbots. Ticket holders on the 23 July will be able to enjoy both the Old Ford and Rootes shows, as well as entry to the Museum and Collections Centre, all with one ticket.
Tom Caren, Show Manager at the British Motor Museum, stated, “We have a great range of motoring shows for our visitors and enthusiasts to enjoy next month. With so much choice, there’s something for everyone, and this year many of our shows are celebrating milestone anniversaries too!”
Advance show tickets cost £14.50 per adult, £9 per child, £12.50 per concession and £40 for a family. Anyone wishing to enter a vehicle into a show can do so online. Camping is also available at some of the shows. Tickets on the day cost more.
For more information about the shows, please visit the website at www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk/whats-on
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The British Motor Museum has plenty of choice for those looking for a gift or special day out for Father’s Day on Sunday 18 June. Those visiting the Museum on Father’s Day itself, can enjoy the spectacle of 500 vintage and veteran motorcycles at the annual Vintage Motor Cycle Club's Banbury Run. It’s the biggest gathering of motorcycles and three-wheelers produced before 1931 and makes for a wonderful spectacle.
If you’re looking for the ideal gift for an owner of a cherished classic car, then take a look at the Heritage Certificate products. Heritage Certificates are the official ‘Certified Copy of a Factory Record’ for a classic car showing the car’s specification as it left the production line. For more information visit britishmotormuseum.co.uk/archive/heritage-certificates.
You could buy a Gift Voucher for Father’s Day! Treat Dad to a visit to the British Motor Museum whenever suits him the best. Simply buy the Gift Voucher Museum ticket and he can redeem it online ahead of when he plans to visit. Find out more at www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk/book-now
Or if Dad would prefer multiple visits to the Museum, why not treat him to an annual Membership so he can enjoy admiring over 400 British classic cars and attending all the motoring shows? Gift Vouchers are available for Memberships too! Starting from £42 for the year, not only does it include free entry to the Museum and its events, but also special Member only events including ‘Museum on the Move’ where Members get to ride in a selection of the Museum’s cars. Find out more at britishmotormuseum.co.uk/membership.
The Museum’s online shop also stocks a range of gifts from novelty motoring themed items such as ‘Dads Garage’ and ‘Man Cave’ tin signs, to motoring cuff links, hip flasks, mugs, and memorabilia as well as many unique marque products. To find more Father’s Day gift ideas please visit britishmotormuseum.co.uk/shop.
The museum has taken the decision to hold its 2023 entry prices at 2022 rates. 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.
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The British Motor Museum has opened a brand-new exhibition entitled “The Gallery: Auto Art at the British Motor Museum”, which will run until 30 June 2023. The exhibition, which is run in collaboration with Historic Car Art, features a collection of over 30 motoring-related pieces from seven of Britain’s most creative automotive artists and sculptors.
The Gallery showcases five leading artists - Simon Britnell, Neil Collins, Adam Gompertz, John Ketchell, and Andy Shore, who work with a variety of media, including acrylics, oil, watercolour, pen, and pastels. Alongside the evocative paintings, Jonny Ambrose and Gary Smith bring their eye-catching sculptures to the exhibition, artwork created in wood and in bronze.
Historic Car Art has been operating from its rural Derbyshire base since 2004. It has been built over time from a passion for art, cars, automotive history and the racing exploits of drivers and manufacturers, combined with a great interest in how this has all been depicted over the years in both artwork and promotional advertising. Historic Car Art is now a leader in acquiring and supplying original automotive art and vintage posters, building collections for discerning private and corporate clients worldwide.
Rupert Whyte, Director of Historic Car Art, commented, ”It is a pleasure to partner with the team at the British Motor Museum to present just a small selection from our portfolio of renowned automotive artists against the backdrop of the Museum's stunning collections.”
Stephen Laing, Head of Collections at the British Motor Museum, added: "We're delighted to team up with Historic Car Art to bring the work of some of Britain's most talented artists to this new exhibition, a perfect complement to the amazing array of historic cars and automotive archive that can be seen at the Museum."
Access to the exhibition is included with standard Museum admission tickets. The Museum has held its visitor prices for 2023, for even greater value! Museum entry costs 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 go FREE. There is also the option to Gift Aid or donate your entry fee at the time of booking and upgrade your ticket to an Annual Pass in return, at no extra cost.
To find out more information about the exhibition, please visit the website at https://www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk/explore/the-gallery
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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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