The Heritage Motor Centre houses the world’s largest collection of British cars
Much of yesterday was spent on the roads, with a 280-mile round journey along the A12, M25, and M40, to pay a visit to the Heritage Motor Centre, in Gaydon, Warwickshire. Avoiding the showers, being warmed in the car by the sun, and being stuck in a traffic jam were all parts of the day’s events, on the longest journey I’ve taken the Polo on in quite some time.
Just off junction twelve of the M40, and eight miles from Warwick, the Heritage Motor Centre is home to the world’s largest collection of British cars. From the first production Mini of 1959, to the latest Aston Martin V8 Vantage, the museum is a bursting treasure trove of landmark old, new, and vintage British cars.
1980s Metro 6R4 had little in common with the car on which it was based
Motorsport icons are present, too, from the trio of red-liveried, all-conquering 1960s Mini Coopers (including the legendary Paddy Hopkirk’s Monte-winning car), through to the be-winged and be-scooped Metro 6R4, which had very little to do with a Metro at all. Even a rally version of the ‘70s wedge that was the TR7 is on display.
The centre opened in the early 1990s, and the car collection housed within it is cared for by the British Motor Industry Heritage Trust. Formed in the 1970s when a new division of the former manufacturer British Leyland was set up to care for and document the company’s collection of historic vehicles, other maker’s vehicles bolster the collection, including examples from Ascari, Ford, Jaguar, and Rolls Royce.
The museum includes many interesting and innovative technical exhibits
Though carrying a sizeable bias towards the former British Leyland companies such as Austin-Rover, Morris, Rover and BL itself, the cars that play a large part in BL’s history are conspicuous by their absence. I noted no Austin Princess, no BL Maxi, and no Morris Marina. Even the Allegro isn’t represented. Whether or not there aren’t many surviving examples who knows, but maybe the fact that they were among the most ridiculed of the British motor industry tells its own story of their no shows.
No matter, though, as there is still plenty to see. My favourites included that first production Mini; the Metro 1.3 HLS as shown at the 1980 British Motor Show; the various Mini replacement concepts; the Rover SD1 estate conecept; and the Triumph Dolomite by Italian designer Michelotti (which strangely resembled a Fiat 131), who also done some work on updated Mini concepts.
The first-ever production Mini from 1959 is one of the star cars at Gaydon
I’d been to Gaydon in 2006, but the £1.7m refit benefits the museum well, and among the 250 vehicles on display are three informative exhibitions, with many interactive elements to please the kids. If you’re also of a certain age, it’s also fun to walk around remembering those days when ‘my dad/granddad had one of those.’ And, as the cars date from vintage years to the present, there should be something to please everyone.
So, maybe not a whole day’s worth of reminiscing, but the Heritage Motor Centre certainly provides enough for a rainy and windy Sunday afternoon in April. You’ll find the best of the British motor industry laid out in front of you, proving that maybe, just maybe, we could once make well-engineered products to rival the best.