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Category: British Motor Museum

  1. British Motor Museum to be the new home of the Autocar Archive!

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    The British Motor Museum is proud to announce that it will be the new home of the physical Autocar Archive. Autocar is the world’s longest-running car magazine and its archive has been available to access digitally since 2023 through a partnership with Exact Editions.

    Following the completion of that project, a new home has been sought for the physical copies and future bound volumes of its title, which turned 130 years old this week. The Archive at the British Motor Museum was the obvious choice.

    Autocar’s own volumes will shortly join the Museum’s existing collections, one of the world’s largest and most outstanding archives of magazines, photographs, drawings, motoring literature and film covering the motor car and Britain’s motor industry. 

    Following the digitisation and combining of its respective physical archives, some gaps have been identified in the collection. Autocar and the Museum are inviting readers and collectors to contribute to the physical archive to make it whole. In the future, researchers visiting the Museum in person will also be able to search Autocar’s digital archive through a dedicated terminal.

    As part of the launch, Autocar editor-in-chief Steve Cropley and editor-at-large Matt Prior walked the Museum for a special immersive episode of their My Week in Cars podcast, which is published on 5 November on all major podcast channels.

    Stephen Laing, Head of Collections & Engagement at the British Motor Museum said: “Our internationally recognised collections of cars, objects and archive material tell the myriad of stories behind the development of the car; the people who designed, built and sold them; and the growth of the motor industry since its inception. As the world’s longest-running car magazine, Autocar has provided a continuous commentary on the motor car for a century and more. Together we can continue to capture the stories from today and those in the future.”

    Autocar editor Mark Tisshaw said: “We’re delighted to be partnering with the British Motor Museum for this very special project. The Autocar Archive tells the history of the motor car in real time back to 1895 and the digitisation of the archive was a huge moment for the brand in making this accessible to all. There is no better place for our physical archive to reside, being so close to so many of the cars we have told the story of over the past 130 years. We would love to hear from any readers or collectors who can help make the archive a complete one and would urge anyone who would like to contribute to this project to reach out to the British Motor Museum.”

    A complete set of What Car? magazines, Autocar’s sibling title at publisher Haymarket Automotive, has also been donated to the British Motor Museum’s Archive as part of this partnership. What Car? dates back to 1973 and all future bound volumes of What Car? will head straight to Gaydon in the future. If you can help contribute to the physical archive or for more information on what gaps need filling, please contact https://www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk/explore/museum-blog/archive-news-the-autocar-archive

     

    To find out more information about the Museum, please visit the website at www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk

     

     

  2. British Motor Museum shortlisted for a Green Spark Award!

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    The British Motor Museum has been shortlisted as a finalist for a Green Spark Award at the Power of Place: Midlands Museum Awards 2025. The Awards celebrate museums that show commitment to sustainable practices, in any aspect of their work, from sustainable exhibitions to innovative energy management. The Museum was nominated for the development of its Brick Bank scheme, collecting pre-loved LEGO® bricks, collating them into “kits” and donating them to community pantries, allowing the bricks to be used again in loving homes.

    22 of the Midlands’ best-loved museums have been shortlisted for the Midlands Museum Awards across 5 categories, covering everything from inclusive practice to creative collections management. The Museum will find out if it has won this prestigious award at the Power of Place: Celebrating Midlands Museums event at ThinkTank, Birmingham, on Wednesday 12 November.

    Stephen Laing, Head of Collections & Engagement at the British Motor Museum said, “It’s a great honour to be shortlisted for a Green Spark Award, and it’s a satisfying end to the first year of the Brick Bank. The team have worked really hard to get this project off the ground, and it’s been wonderful to see the positive impact it has had, both on the recipients of our bricks and our volunteers. We’re all looking forward to hearing the final results in November!”

    Museum Development Midlands, the organisers, view the Awards as “A celebration of the creativity, innovation and impact of museums and heritage organisations across the Midlands. These awards recognise the people and projects that are pushing boundaries, making a difference, and inspiring their communities.”

    For more information about the Power of Place: Midlands Museum Awards 2025, visit https://mdmidlands.org.uk/power-of-place/power-of-place-midlands-museum-awards

    For more information about the Brick Bank, please visit www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk/learning/the-brick-bank

     

     

  3. British Motor Museum to host the ‘Great British Model Railway Show’!

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    The British Motor Museum will host the Great British Model Railway Show on Saturday 25 & Sunday 26 October supported by some of the biggest names in the industry, including Hornby and Bachmann. This dedicated weekend will feature over 40 model railways, representing all interests and scales, along with specialist traders selling scenic materials, accessories and complete trains sets.

    This event is also one of the biggest model railway shows in the Midlands, run by enthusiasts for enthusiasts. The show includes 40 layouts of various scales, over 30 specialist traders, a modelling skill zone and family-friendly displays for all to enjoy. From modest-size shunting layouts, to titanic masterpieces in miniature, visitors can come along and be inspired! 

    The show is a perfect event for families who are looking for a different and fun day out with the children. Not only can they enjoy looking at the layouts and model trains but they can also explore the Museum, home to over 400 historic British cars. What’s more, visitors can head to the Junction 12 Café for delicious hot meals, sweet treats and refreshments.

    Tom Caren, Shows Manager at the British Motor Museum, said, “This family-friendly  show is hugely popular and enjoyed by so many. You can admire the range of models, browse the trade area to find that perfect train project, and speak to builders about their projects to get some handy tips and advice.”

    Those visiting on Saturday 25 October can hop on the free bus service from Leamington Spa Railway Station to the British Motor Museum. Tickets are available for the show and Museum access, as well as just for the show. Advance tickets are discounted so it’s best to book online before the day of your visit.

    For more information please call 01926 895300 or visit the website at www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk/whats-on/great-british-model-railway-show

     

     

  4. British Motor Museum shortlisted in the 2026 West Midlands Tourism Awards!

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    The British Motor Museum has been shortlisted as a finalist in the prestigious West Midlands Tourism Awards 2026. The Museum has been nominated for an award in the Large Visitor Attraction category and will find out if it has won this highly coveted award at a special ceremony in early 2026.  Forty of the region’s best visitor-facing businesses have been shortlisted across 14 different categories.

    Now in their sixth year, the West Midlands Tourism Awards celebrate the region’s best accommodation; business, cultural and sporting event venues; food and drink settings; and visitor and heritage attractions. They are organised and funded by the West Midlands Growth Company, which leads the region’s Destination Development Partnership. Regional winners will automatically feed up to the national VisitEngland Awards for Excellence, which champions the best in England’s tourism industry each summer.

    Stephen Laing, Head of Collections & Engagement at the British Motor Museum said, “We are delighted to be shortlisted as a finalist in the Large Visitor Attraction category, which is a brilliant testimony and recognition of the entire team’s hard work. 2025 has been a fantastic year for the Museum with the opening of The Rubery Owen Gallery, Beep-Beep, Yeah! and new events like the Summer of Senses laying the groundwork for exciting developments in the future. To win this award would be the icing on the cake and we look forward to hearing the result early next year!”

    Andrew Lovett OBE, Chair of the West Midlands Tourism & Hospitality Advisory Board, said: “The West Midlands Tourism Awards is one of my favourite dates in the diary – an opportunity each year to celebrate and honour the best people and businesses, which make visiting our great region so memorable. Awards provide a big boost to businesses in a competitive market where economic headwinds can be substantial. I congratulate every one of this year’s shortlisted venues – including those running our fantastic independent tourism businesses – and wish them every success on the night.”

    For more information about the West Midlands Tourism Awards visit http://westmidlandstourismawards.com/ To find out more about the British Motor Museum please visit www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk

     

     

  5. Historic car, future stars – four automotive apprentices win rare chance to drive 121-year-old motor!

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    1. Four automotive apprentices win once-in-a-lifetime experience to drive 1904 Thornycroft Tourer – in the world’s longest-running motoring event – later this year.
    2. Competition launched by SMMT and British Motor Museum to celebrate industry’s latest generation of apprenticeship talent – with winners from Aston Martin Works, Bentley, Caterpillar and JLR.
    3. Competition reflects how far automotive skills and technology have travelled in past century – from early petrol engines to the latest zero emission cars.

    Four talented automotive apprentices have won a once-in-a-lifetime chance to drive a 121-year-old car in the Veteran Car Run, the world’s longest-running motoring event, later this year.

    The rare opportunity to get out on UK roads behind the wheel of a 1904 Thornycroft Tourer follows a competition launched by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) in partnership with the British Motor Museum to mark National Apprenticeship Week, with ambitious apprentices sharing personal stories of how automotive heritage has inspired them to pursue a dream career in the sector.1

    The winning four – Matthew Cresswell, Product Design & Development Engineer Apprentice at Caterpillar; Matt Ferley, Panel Shop Apprentice at Aston Martin Works; Connor Heath, Applied Professional Engineering Apprentice at JLR; and Sophie Reynolds, Project Management Apprentice at Bentley – represent a new generation of talent getting to grips with the industry’s very latest skills while understanding the role of past innovation in the UK automotive industry’s success.

    The Basingstoke-built Tourer was a cutting-edge innovation upon its debut in 1904, fitted with a prop shaft instead of a chain drive to enhance its smoothness, helping it finish first in the Veteran Car Run – previously called the Commemoration Run – on several occasions prior to the Second World War.2 More than a century on, technological innovation remains at the core of the industry, with new vehicles now powered by different energy sources, with more than 130 car models now available as zero emission.3

    While there are more than one million electric cars currently on the road in the UK,4 there are just two examples of the Tourer – making it a prized possession in the British Motor Museum’s collection.

    The apprentices now have the chance to learn how to drive the Tourer and its Edwardian-era transmission, steering and braking systems with a visit to the British Motor Museum, before they embark on the 60-mile London to Brighton run on 2 November.

    Stephen Laing, British Motor Museum’s Head of Collections & Engagement, said, “Cars like the Thornycroft represent an era of rapid change in the early 1900s, employing the brightest of minds to design, build and sell the latest in technology, the motor car. How history repeats itself! We’re delighted that some of 2025’s top-level apprentices will be joining us on the unique experience that is the Veteran Car Run.”

    Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive, said, “What’s considered cutting-edge technology has changed dramatically over the past century – with zero emission cars now a familiar sight on our roads, and vehicles that may not even require a human driver likely to arrive soon. What has stayed constant, however, is the automotive industry’s boundless capacity for innovation, driven by a talented and passionate workforce. It is immensely inspiring to see a new generation of apprentices embrace the challenges facing the industry but also retain a keen interest in its illustrious British history.”

    Apprenticeships are a crucial recruitment path for automotive employers seeking to gain raw talent and add in-demand skills to their workforce, particularly given the rapid pace of technological development, with more than 3,200 people having started an apprenticeship in the past two years alone.6

     

    Veteran cars, meanwhile, defined by the Veteran Car Run as those dated before 1905, (see note 5 below) remain a thriving part of the UK automotive landscape, with hundreds of historic models set to join the 123rd edition of the prestigious event this year. The Run began in November 1897 to celebrate the Light Locomotives on the Highway Act, passed the year before, which raised the speed limit for light vehicles from 4mph to 14mph – an early example of how legislative change can unlock innovation such as that seen in the Thornycroft Tourer, and in the years that followed.