Created: November, 1995
Last updated: 29, May, 2005

Automotive museums in Great Britain

Comments, questions:

Another great list should be found at Classic Motor Monthly: www.classicmotor.co.uk/museums/museums.htm.

The Anglesey Transport and Agriculture Museum

Tacla Taid, Tyddyn Pwrpas, Newborough, Isle of Anglesey, LL6 16T

phone: 1248 440 344

open: Easter-Oct 11 -16.30

displaying: Cars, m-cycles, Trucks, Buses

Aston Manor Road Transport Museum

37 Cornet Road, Birmingham, B47 5LP.

WWW: www.amrtm.org

Atwell-Wilson Motor Museum

Downside, Stockley Lane, Calne, Wiltshire SN11 0NF

WWW: www.atwellwilson.org.uk

Automobilia Motor Museum

The Old Mill, St Stephen, St Austell, Cornwall PL26 7RX

Tel: +44-1726-823092

Location: St Stephen is west of St Austell on A3058

Opens: Apr. May and Oet, 10.00-16.00 June Sept, 10.00-18.00

Fifty-vehicle display from 1901-1966 over three floors includes examples of Rolls Royee, Frazer Nash, Riley and Bean and many more besides, not least the unique Skinner Union (Sly) of 1935.

www.3mc.co.uk/automobilia

Bentley Motor Museum

Halland, Sussex

Location: off A22 between Ringmere and Halland, adjacent to Wildfowl Park

Interesting 50-car collection assembled from various private owners, representing the Veteran to Classic spectrum.

Betws-y-coed Motor Museum

Betws-y-Coed, Gwynedd LL24 0AH

Tel: +44-1690-710-760

Biggar Museum Trust

Moats Park Heritage Centre, Kirksdale, Biggar, Strathclyde ML12 6DT

Tel +44-1899-210-50

Birmingham Museum of Science

Millenium Point, Curzon Street, Birmingham B4 7XG

Tel: +44-121-235-1661

Opens: Mon-Sat 10.0017.00; Sun 14.00"17.30, except Christmas Day,

WWW: www.thinktank.ac Boxing Day and Good Friday

The transport section within the city's museum includes an interesting section devoted to 20 or so cars, including perhaps most memorably the Railton Mobil Special Land Speed Record holder.

Black Country Museum

Tipton Rd, Dudley, West Midland DY1 4SA

Booth, Gideon

Rellandsgate, Kings Meaburn, Penrith, Cumbria CA10 3BT

CM Booth Collection of Historic Vehicles

63-67 High Street, Rolvenden, Nr. Cranbrook, Kent TN17 4LP

Collection of Morgan three-wheelers, plus early motoring relics.

Bournemouth Transport Museum

Bradford Industrial Museum

Moorside Mills, Moorside Road, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD2 3HP

Location: Signposted from the Bradford road, A6177 near junction with A608

Opens: 10.00-17.00 Tues-Sun and Bank Holiday Mondays

Ph: +44 (1274) 435 900

The city's industrial museum includes a special display of local Jowett cars plus Scott motorcycles

Braidwood&Rushbrook Museum

McDonald Road Fire Station, McDonald Rd, Edinburgh, Lothian

Breamore House and Museums

Breamore nr. Fordingbridge, Hampshire SP6 2DF

Bressingham Steam Museum & Gardens

Bressingham, Diss. Norfolk IP22 2AB

Tel: +44-1379-681-386

Bristol Industrial Museum

Princes Wharf, Princes Str., Bristol, Avon BS1 4RN

Location: in dockland area adjacent to city centre

Opens: 10.00-13.00 and 14.00-17.00 (except Thursday and Friday)

General industrial museum including two Bristol cars among its Bristol-orientated exhibits.

The British Commercial Vehicles Museum,Leyland

King Street, Leyland, Preston, Lancashire, PP5 1LE

Location: King Street, off Towngate in Leyland, junction 28 on M6

Opens: Apr-Sept 10.00-17.00 except Monday. Oet-Nov, weekends only

Superb collection of trucks, fire engines, vans, buses and even a "Popemobile" make this this the largest museum of its type in Europe. Exhibits regularly changed and regular special displays.

Brooklands Museum

Brooklands Road, Weybridge, Surrey, KT13 OQN

Tel: +44-1932 857381

Location: Just of A3 Cobham turnoff. Junction 10 on M20

Opens: Monday-Sunday 10.00-16.00 (5 pm in summer), closed 23-31 December.

Expanding facility at the historic track recreating "The spirit of Brooklands". Attractions include the famous site itself plus aircraft, motorcycles, plus in the original E.R.A. shed a Brooklands Speed Record exhibition.

WWW:www.brooklandsmuseum.com

The Bugatti Trust Prescott Hill, Gotherington, Cheltenham Gloucestershire GL52 4RD

Location: Adjacent to Precott hillclimb course, off A436 north of Cheltenham

Opens: Normal office hours, plus hillclimb days The

charitable trust with the objective of preserving the works of Ettore Bugatti operates this study centre with a large archive and at least one car on display.

Bury Transport Museum

Castlecroft Rd, off Bolton Street, Bury, Lancashire

Tel: +44-161-764-7790

Caister Castle Motor Museum

Caister on Sea, nr Great Yarmouth, Norfolk

Location: One mile north of Great Yarmouth on A149

Opens: Mid May to September 30, 10.30-17.00 (except Saturday)

Largest private collection in Britain features many fine exhibits including some interesting Americana

Canterbury Motor Museum

Cogan Terrace, Canterbury, Kent

Tel: +44-1227-451-718

Cars (Classis Automobilia & Regalia Specialists)

4-4a Chapel Terrace Mews, Kemp Town, Brighton, East Sussex BN2 1HU

Tel: +44-1273-601-960

Cars of the Stars Motor Museum

Standish Street, Town Centre, Keswick, Cumbria CA12 5LS

Location: Standish Street i8 off Station Street in central Keswick

A 2nd collection was opened by the caretakers of this museum in Edinburgh during early 2003 but it was forced to closed to only a couple of months later.

Opens: 10.00-17.D0, Easter to New Year plus February half-term and December weekends.

www.carsofthestars.com

Clark, Jim Room

44 Newtown Street, Duns. Borders

Tel: +44-1361-883-960

Classic Car Collection Motor Museum

Mill 2, New Lanark, Lanark, Strathclyde ML11 9DB

The Combe Martin Motorcycle Collection

Cross Street, Combe Martin, Devon EX34 0DH

Coors Visitors Center (formerly the Bass Museum)

Horminglow Street, Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire DE14 1JZ

Tel: +44-1283-511-000

Home of the Bass historic transport fleet and a venue for classic car venues.

www.coorsvisitorcenter.co.uk/main.htm

Cotswolds Motor Museum & Toy Collection

Old Mill, Bourton-on-the-Water, Nr Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL54 2BY

Location: 20 miles east of Cheltenham on the A429 Fosse Way

Opens: Mar-Sept 10.00-18.00

WWW: www.cotswold-motor-museum.com

Cars, including a Brookland Riley and an Austin Seven Ulster are but part of one of the most attractive and atmospheric small museums in Britain wherein lies one of the country's largest collections of motoring memorabilia, sympathetically and aceessibly displayed.

The Donington Collection

Donington Park, Castle Donington, Derby, DE7 2RP

Location: Beside Donington race circuit. Take M1 exit 24 follow signs to Ashby on the A453. Eight miles SE of Derby

Opens: 10.00-16.00 daily (later during race meetings)

The world's largest assemblage of historic single-seat racing cars is a remarkable museum built up round the core of Tom Wheatcroft's private collection. From Alfa to Wolf, it's all there in this treat for the sporting-minded enthusiast.

Dover Transport Museum

33 Alfred Road, Dover, Kent, CT16 2AD,

Design Museum

Butlers Wharf, Shad Thames, London SE1 2YD

Including a good automotive section; regular special exhibitions.

East Anglia Transport Museum

Chapel Road, Carlton, Calville, Lowestoft, Suffolk NR32 5AT

Effingham Motor Museum

Effingham Park, Copthorne, West Sussex

Location: Within Effingham Park Conferenee Centre

Opens: As per conference facilities

A private collection displayed about the Park's conference centre, including Delahaye, Alfa and McLaren. Not a museum as such but all cars well worth seeing in between conferences and banquets.

Fire Service National Museum Trust

c/o 9 Marland Way, Manton Heights, Bedford, Bedfordshire MK41 7N

Geeson Bros. Motor Cycle Museum&Workshop

South Witham, Nr. Grantham, Lincolnshire NG33 5PH

Tel: +44-1572-767-280

Glasgow Museum of Transport

Kelvin Hall, 1 Bunhouse Rd, Glasgow, Strathclyde G3 8DP Tel: +44-141-305-2623

Location: in Kelvin Hall which Faces the City Art Gallery and Museum across Argyle Street

Opens: Monday to Saturday 10.00-17.00; Sunday 14.00-18.00; Closed Christmas Day and New Year's Day

This recently moved, expanded and revamped section of the city's Museums and Art Galleries Department mixes traditional and modern museum techniques to good affect. Scottish marques such as Argyll, Albion and Ascot Johnston are among the cars which vie for space with the trains, trucks, bicycles and the reconstruction of Kelvin Street.

Glenluce Motor Museum

Officers Croft, Glenluce, Dumfries and Galloway

Grampian Transport Museum

Alford, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, AB33 8AD

Haynes Motor Museum

Sparkford, near Yeovil, Somerset, BA22 7LH

Tel: +44-1963-440-804

Fax: +44-1963-441-004

Opens: 9.30-17.30 seven days a week

WWW: www.haynesmotormuseum.co.uk

Heritage Motor Centre

Gaydon, Warwickshire CV35 0BJ

Tel: +44-1926-641-188

Opens: 10-6 (cleses 4.30pm: 1 Nov to 31 March)

The world's largest collection of historic British cars. It was opened in 1993 to house the British Motor Industry Heritage Trust's collection of 200- plus cars (all from Rover's family tree) and archives.

www.heritage-motor-centre.co.uk

Highland Motor Heritage Centre

Bankfoot, Perthshire, Strathclyde, Scotland, PH1 4EB.

Hull Transport Museuns

36 High Street, Kingston upon Hull, Humberside

Opens: Monday to Satuarday 10.00-17.00; Sunday 14.S0-16.30; closed Good Friday, Christmas and Boxing Days

Hull city's transport collection majors on an interesting mix of Veterans but there's also an Isetta three-wheeler from the more recent past.

Ingliston Motor Racing Circuit

Royal Highland Centre, Ingliston, Edinburgh, Lothian EH28 8NF

Ipswich Transport Museum

The Old Trolleybus Depot, Cobham Road, IPSWICH IP3 9JD

Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust

Jaguar Cars Ltd

Browns Lane, Allesley, Coventry, West Midlands CV6 2BG

It can only be accessed as part of an organised Browns Lane plant tour (mainly suitable for groups/clubs etc.). Details from Val King, Receptionist/Tour Administrator, Tel. +44-24-762-02058

Kew Transport Museum

41 Burlington Avenue, Kew Gardens, Surrey

www.ktm.itgo.com

Lakeland Motor Museum

Holker Hall, Cark-in-Cartmel, nr Grange over Sands, South Lakeland, Cumbria LA11 7PL

Location: 15 miles south of Windermere off the Ao92

Opens: Easter Sept 11.00-18.00 every day

Levens Hall Steam Collection

Levens Hall, Kendal, Cumbria

Lincolnshire Road Transport Museum

Whisby Road, North Hykeham, Lincoln, LN6 3QT.

Llandudno Motorcycle Museum

Upper Mostyn Street, Llandudno, Gwynedd

Llangollen Motor Museum

Petrefelin, Llangollen, Clwyd, North Wales

London Bus Preservation Trust

Cobham Bus Museum

Redhill Road, Cobham, Surrey, KT11 1EF

Tel: +44-1932-868-665

kevinmcgowan.org

London Transport Museum

www.ltmuseum.co.uk

Manx Motor Museum

Crosby, Isle of Man

Opens: May 21-Sept 11: 11-17.30 every day

The Manx Motor Museum specialises in oddities such as a 1904 Stanley Steamer and a 1965 Peel, the only Manx car, and among the Americana are a 1937 Cord and a 1937 Buick.

Midland Bus Museum

Chapel Lane, Wythall, Birmingham, West Midlands

Midlands Motor Museum

Stourbridge Road, Bridgnorth, Shropshire, WV15 6PT

Location: Betwen Hndgnorth and Stour-bridge on the A458

Opens: 11.00-16.00 (daily July-September, otherwise weekends only)

Superb collection of 100 sports and sport racing cars plus motorcycles in the beautiful setting of the hall's old stable block. The whole spectrum of great cars from AC Cobra to Vauxball 30/98.

Miller, Sammy Motorcycle Museum

Gore Road, New Milton, Hampshire

Moray Motor Museum

Bridge Street, Elgin, Grampian, Scotland

Tel: +44-1343-544933

Location: on A96 between Aberdeen and Inverness, by bridge over River Lossie

Opens: Easter-Oct, 11.0017.C0 daily

A 1957 Tojeiro Jaguar, the last AC Ace and a single seat Maserati plus other notables are among the 20-car, 23-motorcycle collection of Tom and Freda McWhirter, owners of this most northerly museum in the UK.

The Motor House

Christchurch Ski & Leisure Centre, Machismo Lane, Hurn, Christchurch, Dorset, BH23 6AW.

The Motor Museum

Bentley Wildfowl & Motor Museum, Holland, Near Lewes, East Sussex, BN8 5AF

Mouldsworth Motor Museum

Smithy Lane, Mouldsworth, Cheshire CH3 8AR

Tel: +44-1928-731-781

Location: Close to Ashton, six miles east of Chester

Opens: Sundays 12.00-17.00 Easter to October

The austere exterior of the old water softening plant gives little hint of the fine display inside of 36 Veteran, Vintage and Classic cars plus hundreds of small display items, signs and models.

Murrays Motorcycle Museum

Bungalow Corner, TT Course, Snaefell Mountain, Isle of Man

Museum of Army Transport

Flemingate, Beverley, North Humberside, HU17 ONG

Tel: +44-1482-866445

Location: East of town centre on A1079 Hull side of town

Opens: Daily 10.0S17.00; closed Mondavs in Nav & Dee

Car exhibits in this large military museum include two of Field Marshall Montgomery's staff cars - a 1939 Rolls-Royce Wraith, plus a 1941 Humber Super Snipe alongside Jeeps, Land-Rovers and other staff transport.

Museum of British Road Transport

St Agnes Lane, Hales Street, Coventry, CV1 1PN

Tel: +44-1203-832425

Location: Inside city ring road on north of city centre, close to Cathedral

Opens: Every day 10.00-16.30.

www.transport-museum.com

A vast number of exhibits both two and fourwheeled are housed in the Coventry museum where the scope runs from a gaggle of Veterans through to Richard Noble's Thrust 2 and Thrust SSC Land Speed Record holder

The Museum of Fire

Lothian & Borders Fire Brigade, Lauriston Place, Edinburgh, EH3 9DE.

Museum of English Rural Life

The University, Whiteknights Park, Reading, Berkshire

Museum of Police Motor Vehicles

8 Hallcroft, Hutton, Preston, Lancashire PR4 5SS

Tel: +44-1772-612-302

Museum of Transport

Boyle Street, Cheetham, Greater Manchester M8 8UW

Myreton Motor Museum

Aberlady, East Lothian, Scotland EH32 0PZ

Tel: +44-1875-870-288

Location: off the coast road north-east of Edinburgh, between Aberlady and Drem

Opens: 10.00-17.00 (exeept Sunday and in winter)

Predominantly pre-war 50 plus collection of impressive variety where cars are maintained in running and 'original' condition. Motorcycles, cycles and horsedrawns too,

The National Motor Museum

John Montagu Building, Beaulieu, Hampshire, S042 7ZN

Tel: +44-1590-612-345

Opens: 10.00-17.30

Britain's premier motoring museum contains superb, extensive and ever-improving display of more than 250 vehicles record breaking sporting, trend-setting exotic and otherwise. Modern museum technology and additional attractions add to the museum's appeal with cars in action, a monorail, large reference library and the Wheels "journey through motoring history" among other attractions housed in the beautiful 100 acre New Forest setting.

On-line: http://www.beaulieu.co.uk/index.html

The National Motorcycle Museum

Coventry Road, Bickenhill, Solihull, West Midlands

The National Museum of Science and Industry

Exhibtion Rd, South Kensington, London, SW7 2DD

This world-famous technical museum includes a compact transport collection, part of which is in store and part on display at the associated museum at Wroughton. The 25 or so cars to be seen in London include 'JET 1', the Rover Turbine and the 1922 Austin Seven prototype.

http://www.nmsi.ac.uk

The National Tramway Museum

Crich, nr. Matlock, Derbyshire DE4 5DP

Tel: +44-1773-852-565

Biggest national collection of working trams: horse-drawn, steam and vintage electric.

Newburn Hall Motor Museum

35 Townfield Gardens, Newburn, Tyne&Wear

Tel: +44-191-264-2977

The North East Bus Museum

Leam Lane, Wardley, Gateshead, Tyne&Wear

North of England Open Air Museum

Beamish, Durham, County Durham

The Oxford Bus Museum

Old Station Yard, Long Hanborough, Oxford

Railway & Armoured Train Museum on the Web

www.railwaygun.co.uk

Ramsgate Motor Museum

Westcliff Hall, Ramsgate, Kent CT11 9JX

Tel: +44-1843-581-948

www.thanetonline.com/RamsgateMotorMuseum

REME Museum

Isaac Newton Road, Arborfield, Reading, Berkshire

www.rememuseum.org.uk

Royal Scottish Museum

Department of Science Technology, and Working Life

Chambers Street, Edinburgh, Lothian EH1 1JF

Tel: +44-131-225-7534

Opens: Monday to Saturday 10.00-17.00 Sunday 14.00-17.00

The Scottish national collection maintains a transport department with an eclectic handful of cars from an 1895 Leon Bolle to a 1959 Mini.

Sandringham Museum

c/o The Estate Office, Sandringham House, Sandringham, Norfolk PE36 6EN

Tel: +44-1553-772-675

Location: on the A149 six miles north east of Kings Lynn

Opens: Telephone for details

The museum associated with the Royal residence and estate includes several cars including King Edward VII's 1900 Daimler, the first car to be purchased by the Royal Family

Standtoft Transport Museum

Sandtoft, nr. Doncaster, South Yorkshire

Tel: +44-1724-711-391

The Sciene Museum Wroughton

Red Barn gate, Wroughton, nr. Swindon, Wiltshire

Location: South of Swindon off A4361

Opens: May-Sept on selected weekends; phone for details

Wroughton is described as an 'out station' to London's Science Museum and it is home to a number of the museum's four-wheeled exhibits ranging from a 3-litre Bentley to a Vauxhall Victor, displayed alongside aircraft, rockets, commercial vehicles and farm equiprnent.

The Shuttleworth Collection

Old Warden Aerodrome, Biggleswade, Bedfordshire SG18 9ER

Tel: +44-1767-627-502

Location: Near At east of Bedford

Opens: Apr-Sept 9.00-17.00 weekdays 10.0018.00 Sat/Sun Oct Mar 10.00-dusk

The museum named after driver and aviator Richard Shuttleworth majors on the aviation side but the cars ranging from an 1896 Benz to an 1932 Austin Seven, deserve inspection.

Stanford Hall Museum

Lutterworth, Leicestershire LE17 6DH

Tel: +44-1788-860250

Location: on the B5414, exit 20 M1 motorway

Open: Easter-Sept 14.30-18.00 Sat, Sun and Bank Holidays

Primarily a motorcycle museum but including three cars, a 1921 'Garden', 1932 Morgan and 1958 Messerschmitt alongside a fine two-wheeled array

Tameside Transport Collection

Warlow Brook, Frietland, Greenfield, Oldham, Lancs.

The Transport Museum at Wythall

By the Birmingham and Midland Motor Omnibus Trust

Chapel Lane, Wythall, Birmingham, West Midlands B47 6JX

Ph: +44 (1564) 826 471

www.bammot.org.uk

Vauxhall Heritage Centre

Griffin House, Osborne Rd, Luton LU1 3YT

Not normally open to the public, but a working collection of almost 30 Vauxhall opened in 1993.

Vintage Motor Cycle Museum& Workshop

South Wiltham, Grantham, Lincolnshire

West Wycombe Motor Museum

Cockshoot Farm, Charley Road, West Wycombe, Buckinghamshire

Yorkshire Car Collection

Grange Street, Keighley, West Yorkshire BD21 3EJ

Opens: 10am-5pm daily, Easter to 31 October, plus weekends all year.

Cars collected largely by the late industrialist Peter Black, and now crammed into a delightful labryinth packed with memorabilia, paintings, components and even a steam organ. Plenty of oddballs, lots of earlier cars etc.

Ulster Folk and Transport Museum

Cultra, Holywood, Co Down, N. Ireland BT18 0EU

Tel: +44-1232-428-428

Location: Two sites, one at Cultra, Holywood, four miles east of Belfast on Bangor road, the other at the Witham Street Belfast Gallery, Witham Str.

Opens: daily except December 24-26, but times vary according to month (.e.g July/August 10.30am-6pm, but from noon on Sundays).

The only museum in the world to concentrate on the production and use of motor cars in Ireland. Examples from main producers on display, plus history of the Ards and Dundrod TT races.