NATIONAL MOTOR MUSEUM – BEAULIEU
Famous Automobiles in the New Forest
Motor cars had been in the blood of the aristocratic Montagu family nearly since the inception of the machines. The 2nd Baron Montagu of Beaulieu introduced the passion for motoring to Edward the Prince of Wales in the late 19th Century as a young man, before his eventual brief rise to the throne as Edward VII, and then driving off with Wallace Simpson. The 3rd Baron, Edward Douglas Scott Montagu, caught the love of shiny and fast cars from his father as an amateur racer and collector. A small collection of cars had been parked on display in front of the family Palace House manor on the Beaulieu estate in 1952, but as the popularity of visiting the New Forest in Hampshire to view the rare vehicles grew the collection was moved into garage sheds on the property. As annual visitors reached the half-million mark by the 1960s, a special purpose museum center was built, opening in 1972 as a charitable trust, in a ceremony presided over by the Duke of Kent and the name officially change to the National Motor Museum.
The car collection at the National Motor Museum of Beaulieu (pronounced ‘bewley”) features over 250 examples of some of the world’s most unique cars, from historic designs, Formula One racing machines of the some of the greats, cars from movies, and world land speed record racers. A new mezzanine gallery has been added for better viewing, with the cars arranged generally by theme area. Here you’ll find one of the cars from the fantasy movies of the 1960s,”Chitty Chitty Bang Bang”. There were six cars made for the film and the Chitty at Beaulieu is one of three driving versions with the license plate “Gen 11”. Also here are racing cars, the 1967 Grand Prix Lotus of Graham Hill, a Ferrari of Michael Schumacher and Tyrell-Ford of Jackie Stewart.
Of special note is the Bluebird CN7 of British world record breaker Donald Campbell, the first car to set a land speed record over 400 miles per hour, and the last of the speed machines to be driven by pistons, until the efforts were taken over by jet cars. The new “Quest to be the Fastest on Earth” interactive exhibit explores the British record holders. Among the historic road cars, the museum holds a definitive collection of classic Rolls-Royce motor cars, and a Mercedes Benz owned by actor Peter Ustinov.
Jack Tucker’s Garage is an award winning replica of a 1930s era auto repair garage inside the museum, duplicated down to the last bolt and nut and filled with authentic automotive artifacts. The Motor Cycle Story features 50 motorcycles and tells the history and social context of the two-wheeler motoring culture. In separate building from the main display the On Screen Cars exhibit houses cars from movies and television, with a James Bond movie car, the Jaguar XKR from “Die Another Day” a Reliant Regal from a British TV sitcom on the BBC “Only Fools and Horses” and a lime green Morris Mini driven by the humorous “Mr. Bean” and the flying car from “Harry Potter”. Another building houses the “World of Top Gear” exhibit with cars created or driven by the popular TV show’s presenter hosts Richard Hammond, Jeremy Clarkson and James May. For modern world entertainment you can take a trip in a space age ride through motoring history in the “Wheels” hydraulic pod. Travel through time, from early man and the first stone-age discovery of the wheel to a vision of what cars of the future might look like.
Visiting the Beaulieu National Motor Museum
The ancestral estate of Lord Montagu at Beaulieu in the New Forest National Park is about 20 minutes from Southampton or 30 minutes from Salisbury. Admission to the National Motor Museum includes all the attractions of the estate, including the Beaulieu Abbey Museum, the Gardens, the Palace House family manor and an exhibit of the Special Operations Executive (SOE) spy training of WWII (see SOE Spy School Beaulieu). The inclusive admission price is £21 for adults, £19.50 Seniors and Students, £12.50 for youth 13-17 and £10.50 children 5-12. If you don’t see everything in one day or stay in the area, you can return for free for 6 days with a pass. One of the unique features of the estate and the motor museum is the suspended monorail which runs through the building and around the estate, rather like a south coast Disneyland. Or you can get around by antique motorbus. Tours of the museum are offered daily at 2:30 pm, covering a range of themes and topics. Tickets can be purchased from Visitor Reception on the day of a visit or with a discount for advance purchase online. © Bargain
Travel Europe
Find best hotel and travel deals in Hampshire on TripAdvisor
Web Info
Beaulieu Motor Museum
These articles are copyrighted and the sole property of Bargain Travel Europe and WLPV, LLC. and may not be copied or reprinted without permission.
SEE ALSO:
BRUNEL'S SS GREAT BRITAIN SHIP - BRISTOL
STONEHENGE - NEOLITHIC MYSTERY OF WILTSHIRE
TANGMERE MILITARY AIR MUSEUM SOUTH ENGLAND
BERKELEY CASTLE - GLOUCESTERSHIRE
