Recommended Auto museums

[mattinoz]

My wife and I are planning a European holiday next year, our first visit in that direction, and while she is busy making lists of all the place WE should visit, I'm keen to see some Motor museums, particularly those featuring Rootes cars and other interesting marques.

So I'm hoping this community may be able to recommend some worthy candidates. We are travelling in Aug/Sept time and will be covering Italy, France and the UK but as we are travelling 'self guided' should be able to work any worthy detours into our itinery as needed.
Thanks in advance.
Matt

 

[socorob]

If you get over to the Czech republic, the tatra museum has some interesting things. I think communism killed that company though.

 

[65sunbeam]

Some nice museums in the UK I have been to

Coventry Transport Museum-a few Rootes vehicles on display
Haynes Motor Museum
National Motor Museum(Beaulieu)- Sunbeam land speed record cars
Heritage Motor Centre - mostly BMC cars
National Motorcycle Museum

Try to visit Beaulieu during the Fall Autojumble in September!
If you make it to Germany visit the Auto & Technik Museum in Sinsheim and also the Rosso Bianco Collection which is near Frankfort.
Have a great trip! Eric

 

[alpine_64]

France:
Schlumpf Collection
(now Cité de l'Automobile) is a must.. car lovers meca

Italy:
Ferrari factory tour and Lamo factory tour

UK:
Beaulieu
Rootes herritage centre

Germany:
Mercedes and Porsche museums.
(new museums which are meant to be amazing as much for the buildings as the cars):

 

[Series6]

Mercedes also built a new museum for the UNIMOG in Gaggenau. Lots of interactive displays and (occasionally) you can get a ride in one over a very rugged course.

 

[Ken Ellis]

We visited The Ring in Germany this past spring. Vintage racing for a couple of days, plus sent my son on "the ride of his life" (according him) in a Nissan GTR(?) at speed... bring your Visa card.

(If you book about a year in advance, you can get a ride in specially prepped BMW sedans. Looked like quite a hoot.)

Plus, there's "the Autobahn"... basically nice roads with no fixed limits and stringent road etiquette.

Ken

 

[alpine_64]

Actually, in the Uk i had forgotten the Donnington collection, i am quite sure it is still open, i know they have sold off a few cars this year since the passing of Tom Wheatcrof and they were rebuilding the circuit, but i believe its still open, it has the largest collection of F1 and racing cars not to mention major milestones in automotive design. Merecedes have alos set up something at the old brooklands circuit IIRC

 

[Series6]

Isn't there a Rootes or a Sunbeam Museum? I seem to remember it was discussed on this forum once before.

 

[Nickodell]

The motor museum at Gaydon, in Warwickshire, is a "must see." It calls itself the "greatest collection of antique, vintage and classic British cars," and includes many unique examples, like the only Mini (original series) with "gearless transmission," the very first Morris Mini Minor (as it was originally called), several "last model off the production line," like the Triumph Vitesse, the Rover/BRM jet powered race car, and many others - over 300 in all.

Gaydon is easy to reach, only yards off Exit 12 on the M40 Motorway:

http://www.heritage-motor-centre.co.uk/

On a personal note (apols to members who've read this already a few years ago), the site was originally RAF Gaydon, a nuclear bomber base where I served my last 17 months in the force. It was home to a Vickers Valiant squadron, and my unit, No. 232 OCU (Operational Conversion Unit) training new crews to operate the Handley-Page Victor. We were also put on the front line during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Looking back, it all seems like a dream, but then I have to keep reminding myself that it was half a century ago. Sigh.

The main museum building sits where the runway used to be, and I flew over that piece of real estate many times. They have a tiny movie theater there, and could be persuaded to show you a short 16mm film of Victors taking off over where you are now sitting, if they still have it.

 

[Alpine 1789]

If you find yourself near Coventry, the Jaguar Heritage Museum is always worth a visit: http://www.jdht.com/html/Trust/jdht_collection/collection.html

 

[puff4]

There's a nice little automotive museum in the town of Burton on the Water in the UK, a lovely town to visit all by itself. It's very eclectic, and the selection and diversity of products is really intriguing.

http://www.cotswold-motor-museum.co.uk/

They even have an Alpine, albeit an older one...

http://www.cotswold-motor-museum.co.uk/motor/page.php?page_id=62

 

[Nickodell]

Bourton-on-the-water used to have a fasinating miniature village. It was an accurate scale model of Bourton itself, down to the scale model of the miniature village itself (scale model of a scale model). I haven't seen it in 60 years, so I can't swear that it's still there

 

[puff4]

Bourton-on-the-water used to have a fascinating miniature village. It was an accurate scale model of Bourton itself, down to the scale model of the miniature village itself (scale model of a scale model). I haven't seen it in 60 years, so I can't swear that it's still there

It's still there, and yes, it is really cool, with the houses being about as tall as a small child. The model village can be found at the south end of the village, behind the "The Old New Inn". The Auto Museum is at the north end of the village, on the other side of the stream, an easy 5 minute walk away.

Below is a photo of the model village, but that's not my kid... it's just a pic I found on the internets...

And, as you noted, the amusing bit is that since it is a model of the village, and since the village has the model within it, there is, therefore, a model of the model village within the model village itself... and since there is a model of the model village within the model of the model village... well, you get the point... the recursive model villages end up with a final model of the model village which is something the size of your little thumb-nail!

I did indeed take my sons there when they were younger, and it left such an impression on my youngest son that when years later it came time for him to make a Pinewood Derby car for Cub Scouts, he remembered it and decided to create a Pinewood Derby car depicting a Pinewood Derby... and of course, that meant he had to include within that a Pinewood Derby of a Pinewood Derby of a Pinewood Derby... etc... so, after teaching him how to bend wood with steam, the following was the result:

I have very disturbed children.
​

 

[tony perrett]

If you do visit the Museum at Bourton-on-the-Water, the Wellington Aviation Museum at nearby Moreton-in-Marsh is interesting. Don't you think that we have some quaint names for our towns here in UK ?

 

[Nickodell]

IDon't you think that we have some quaint names for our towns here in UK ?

If you think Bourton-on-the-water is amusing, we used to live near Lower Piddle (Worcestershire). There was also an Upper Piddle, and Piddle in the Hole. (Piddle is an old English word for stream.) Before our family moved to the Midlands, our local railways station was Bo Peep Junction (as in "Little Bo Peep has lost her sheep.")

American tourists are often puzzled by British road signs. Many towns in the Cotswolds of the Midlands have the name "Chipping" in them: e.g. Chipping Campden and Chipping Norton. I recall an account of a couple sitting at the side of the road studying a folding map. A friendly cop stopped to help, and the guy says to him "we're lost. The last sign we saw was "Loose Chippings," but we can't find it on this map. The cop patiently explained that the sign indicated that the road had just been resurfaced with tar and stone chips.

This one was in Readers Digest many years ago. An American couple were arguing about the pronunciation of the town they had driven into; Leicester. "It's 'lye-cester'" says the guy. "No, no. It's 'lee-chester'" argues his wife. To settle it, they go into a restaurant. "Young lady," says our hero, "please slowly and distinctly pronounce the name of this place."


"M a c d o n a l d s."

 

[puff4]

Don't you think that we have some quaint names for our towns here in UK ?

Yeah, it's hard to beat "Peasedown St John". We in the local LBC club used to amuse ourselves by making up new names, like "Boil-on-the-Bum".

But you haven't got a monopoly on silly names... I think Pennsylvania takes that one with "Blue Balls", "Intercourse" and "Climax", which, by no odd coincidence, happen to be in close proximity.

 

[Series6]

I always wanted to visit Moose's Jaw in Canada....

 

[mattinoz]

Well thanks everybody for your contributions, I now have a list that is sure to please the itinerary planner... not!. It's clear there has a lot of reminiscing going on here so I'm please to have you all share those with me and others.

 

[ceecpa]

My wife and I visited Beaulieu two years ago and found it fascinating. We recommend it.

We flew into Bristol then worked the Quinton Stages Rally in Wales, then to Tintern Abbey, Stonehenge, and Beaulieu.

Britain is a marvelous place.

 

[harryholbay]

If you are in the uk in September 2011 its worth having a look at the Chelsea Auto Legends show, every dream classic you ever thought of in the grounds of the historical Chelsea hospital in central London (built by sir Christopher Wren)

www.chelseaautolegends.co.uk