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Category: British Motor Museum
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The British Motor Museum is to open a new, groundbreaking exhibition. ‘From Sketch to Street’ will open to the public on 19 July and will run until April 2025. This unique feature exhibition explores the art and engineering involved in historic British car design, while inspiring hope for the industry’s future. 
From Sketch to Street will showcase the creative and technical processes behind iconic and innovative vehicles across Britain's motor manufacturing past through five key themes: interior design, exterior design, functional design, materials, and trim. Visitors will be able to unpick the processes and people behind the cars and see how their own design ideas could shape the future.
Highlights of the exhibition include designers’ initial sketches, items on loan from luxury car brands and even a highly anticipated modern clay model. There will be hands-on interactives, inviting visitors to solve design problems or think about what would matter to them when designing a car. This all comes together to form a memorable opportunity to discover the artistic and engineering visions that bring together beauty and function.
Cat Boxall, Curator at the British Motor Museum said, "We are thrilled to bring this unique and groundbreaking exhibition to the Museum. It will celebrate the rich history of car design and look at the innovative and creative spirit that continues to drive the industry forward. We look forward to seeing what our visitors think as they join us on this fascinating journey and uncover the treasures of this new exhibition.”
Access to the exhibition is included with standard Museum admission tickets. Museum entry is just £43 for a family in advance or £49 on the day, £16 for adults in advance or £19 on the day, £14 for concessions in advance or £17 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. To find out more information about the exhibition, please visit the website at www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk/explore/from-sketch-to-street
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The British Motor Museum will host four nostalgic motoring shows in July. These will include the Wythall Busfest on 6 July, the BMC & Leyland Show supported by Peter James Insurance on 14 July and the Old Ford Rally supported by Peter James Insurance and Rootes Heritage Day, both on 21 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. 2024 marks the 120th anniversary of the Birmingham and Midlands Motor Omnibus Company, famously becoming Midland Red. Visitors can enjoy seeing a historic line-up of vehicles from this innovative company, with examples running on the free services during the day.
The BMC & Leyland Show supported by Peter James Insurance, 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, Montego’s and Maestros, as well as a variety of vans and lorries. 2024 also marks 60 years of the Austin Morris 1800 ‘Landcrab’, and the organisers are hoping for at least 50 models to go on display!
The Old Ford Rally supported by Peter James Insurance, will enable fans to see around 400 classic Fords, aged between 50 – 100 years old. A huge range of cars are expected to be 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.
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 21 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.
On the day, the Museum will also be playing host to a Meccano exhibition, in partnership with the Midlands Meccano Guild. This regular fixture of the show day has grown from 25 tables in the beginning to over 50 tables this year, holding an impressive collection of Meccano models from all over the country. This unique addition is a must-see for modelling fans, who may even find some inspiration for their next great projects!
Tom Caren, Show Manager at the British Motor Museum, stated, “We have a fantastic range of nostalgic motoring shows for our visitors and enthusiasts to enjoy in July! With so much choice, there’s something for everyone, and this year, two of our shows are celebrating special motoring anniversaries too!”
Advance ticket prices are £16 per adult, £9 per child (5-16 years), Under 5s free, £14 per concession and £43 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. For more information about the shows, please visit the website at https://www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk/whats-on or call 01926 895300.
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The British Motor Museum is inviting visitors to step back in time when it hosts the ‘Classic and Vintage Commercial Show’ on 8 and 9 June. The show offers visitors a rare opportunity to reminisce about days gone by and relive the vintage era by seeing hundreds of pre-2003 commercial vehicles, including lorries, vans, and pick-ups.
The ‘Classic and Vintage Commercial Show’ is one of the largest shows of its kind in Europe and features a huge display of vehicles from vans such as Ford Transits, Morris Minors and J Types to lighter lorries from Austin, Bedford, Dodge and Ford Thames, through to heavier lorries such as AECs, Atkinsons, ERFs, Fodens and Leylands. There are models fitted with timber cabs, post-war steel cabs and even post-1960s fibreglass cabs.
2024 marks 100 years of the Morris Commercial Lorries. Visitors can stop by the Morris Commercial Club stands during the event to see a range of these historic knights of the road.
Over the weekend, a large commercial vehicle-related autojumble will be selling vehicle spares, photos, brochures, models, and other items. Inside there will be two sizable Indoor Model Shows featuring over 160 tables showcasing kit and scratch-built models of commercial vehicles and landscapes.
Tom Caren, Show Manager at the British Motor Museum, stated, “This is an unmissable chance to look back at a huge selection of iconic historic heavy vehicles. Whether you’re a fan of commercial vehicles, interested in vintage history or want to see the commercial vehicles that were on the roads in your youth, then this show is for you.”
Camping is available for those that want to make a weekend of it. This includes entry to the show for the driver and one passenger for the weekend. Additional tickets are available to purchase if extra passengers are required. Advance ticket prices are £16 per adult, £9 per child (5-16 years), Under 5 free, £14 per concession and £43 for a family.
To find out more information about the show please call 01926 895300 or visit the website at www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk/whats-on/classic-and-vintage-commercial-show
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The British Motor Museum has launched a young artists competition to celebrate the opening of the new exhibition, ‘The Gallery 2024’. This exclusive contest gives young artists with a passion for automotive art, the chance to showcase their work at the Museum over the summer. There are three age categories for entry: under 11s, 11-16 years, and 17-25 years.
The deadline for entries is Monday 8 July. Entries in all mediums of artwork, including drawings, paintings, sculptures, and digital art are welcomed. The entry form can be found on the Museum’s website.
The competition will be judged by an esteemed panel, including artists John Ketchell and Kate Alger, Rupert Whyte from Historic Car Art, and Stephen Laing, Head of Collections & Engagement at the British Motor Museum. The winning artworks will be displayed in the Museum from Friday 26 July. The winner of each age category will also receive £50 worth of art vouchers, thanks to a generous donation from LifeWithArt.
In addition, and thanks to the generosity of the Museum’s Founder Patron, Peter Mitchell, each winner will have the opportunity to spend half a day with one of the artists featured in the exhibition, getting tips on everything from how to set the scene for their next artwork to how to succeed with art as a career.
Those looking for inspiration for their entry should stop by “The Gallery 2024” during their next visit to the Museum! “The Gallery 2024” is a continuing collaboration with Historic Car Art, which will run until 30 June 2024. The exhibition showcases 19 of the UK’s most talented automotive artists including Simon Britnell, Kate Alger, John Ketchell, Emma Capener and Neil Collins. The artists work with a variety of media, including acrylics, oil, watercolour, pen, and pastels.
Stephen Laing, Head of Collections & Engagement at the British Motor Museum, said, "We're delighted to collaborate for a second year with Historic Car Art to showcase the work of some of Britain's most talented artists and to launch this competition alongside the exhibition. We’re looking forward to receiving some really inspiring artwork from the next generation of aspiring artists”.
Access to the exhibition is included with standard Museum admission tickets. Museum entry is just £43 for a family in advance or £49 on the day, £16 for adults in advance or £19 on the day, £14 for concessions in advance or £17 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. 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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A defibrillator has recently been donated to the British Motor Museum by Heart Health in Business, an organisation that educates businesses on their responsibility for preventing sudden cardiac deaths. The business was set up in November 2022 by Sophie Owen, a graduate currently employed by Jaguar Land Rover. Sophie has successfully campaigned to get a defibrillator installed on her university’s campus, and has previously donated defibrillators to the University of Leicester School of Business and Ashorne Hill.
Sophie was just 17 when she discovered a neighbour trying to resuscitate her dad, Chris, who had collapsed outside the family home, in 2019, aged just 54. Since that sad day, Sophie has become passionate about raising awareness for Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA), defibrillators and CPR, as she does not want anyone else to experience the pain she did just because the right equipment or expertise was not nearby.
As part of the donation, all staff and volunteers at the British Motor Museum are encouraged to partake in CPR training to instruct them on how to use the defibrillator and possibly help save lives.
Sophie Owen, said, “My dad, a keen car enthusiast and Defender 90 owner, loved to visit the British Motor Museum at any opportunity he could - especially to see any JLR products! The Museum helped fuel my dad’s hobby and provided him with joy and happy memories that I now treasure dearly. Starting at JLR in September 2023 I was so excited to spend some of my first days at the Museum and to see exactly why my dad loved visiting so much. It was an easy choice to donate a defibrillator and cabinet to the Museum as a small way of saying thank you for providing my dad and many other families with an experience and memories to treasure”.
For more information about the British Motor Museum, please call 01926 895300, or visit the website at www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk
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