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  Location within Hampshire | |
| Established | 1952 |
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| Location | Beaulieu, Hampshire, England |
| Coordinates | 50°49′22.7″N1°27′12.8″W / 50.822972°N 1.453556°W |
| Type | Automobile museum |
| Website | www.beaulieu.co.uk www.nationalmotormuseum.org.uk |
The National Motor Museum (originally the Montagu Motor Museum) is a museum in the village of Beaulieu, set in the heart of the New Forest, in the English county of Hampshire.
The museum was founded in 1952 by Edward Douglas-Scott-Montagu, 3rd Baron Montagu of Beaulieu, as a tribute to his father, John, 2nd Baron Montagu, who was one of the pioneers of motoring in the United Kingdom, being the first person to drive a motor car into the yard of the Houses of Parliament, and having introduced King Edward VII (then the Prince of Wales) to motoring during the 1890s.
At first, the museum consisted of just five cars and a small collection of automobilia displayed in the front hall of Lord Montagu's ancestral home, Palace House; but such was the popularity of this small display that the collection soon outgrew its home, and was transferred to wooden sheds in the grounds of the house. The reputation and popularity of the Beaulieu collection continued to grow: during 1959, the museum's "attendance figures" reached 296,909. [1]
By 1964, annual attendance exceeded the half a million mark and a decision was taken to create a purpose-built museum building in the grounds of the Beaulieu estate. [2] A design committee chaired by the architect Sir Hugh Casson was created to drive the project, and the architect Leonard Manasseh was given the contract for the design of the building [2] [3] which was primarily the work of his partner Ian Baker. [4]
By 1972, the collection exceeded 300 exhibits. [5] In a ceremony performed by the Duke of Kent the new purpose-built museum building in the parkland surrounding Palace House was opened on 4 July 1972: [6] the name was changed to the "National Motor Museum", reflecting a change of status from a private collection to a charitable trust and highlighting Montagu's stated aim to provide Britain with a National Motor Museum "worthy of the great achievements of its motor industry". [6] The opening of the museum coincided with the UK launch of the Jaguar XJ12 which made it an appropriate week for celebrating the UK motor industry. [6] The museum is run by the National Motor Museum Trust Ltd, a registered charity. [7]
An unusual feature of the new museum building in 1972 is the National Motor Museum Monorail [6] passing through its interior. This was inspired by the light railway running through the US Pavilion at the Montreal World's Fair, Expo 67.
Today, in addition to around 285 vehicles manufactured since the late-19th century, the museum has a collection of motoring books, journals, photographs, films, and automobilia of the world and is affiliated to the British Motorcycle Charitable Trust. [8]
The "On Screen Cars" exhibit has a display of TV and film cars including Del Boy's Reliant Regal as featured in the BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses , Mr. Bean’s lime green Mini and Doctor Who's Bessie. [9]
Some of the cars used in various James Bond films were displayed in the Bond in Motion – No Time To Die exhibition in 2022. [10]
The exhibit "World of Top Gear" has cars created by former Top Gear presenters Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May.
The museum also hosts a collection of the well-known Rolls-Royce radiator mascots – the Spirit of Ecstasy – also known as the Flying Lady. The collection includes The Whisper, a figurine commissioned by John Walter Edward Douglas-Scott-Montagu, the 2nd Baron to his friend Charles Robinson Sykes who sculpted a personal mascot for the bonnet of his Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost. Sykes originally crafted a figurine of a female model, Eleanor Thornton, in fluttering robes, pressing a finger against her lips – to symbolise the secret of the love between John and Eleanor, his secretary. The figurine was consequently named The Whisper.
Additional attractions include the National Motor Museum Monorail, veteran bus ride, playground, restaurant and a substantial part of the Palace House and grounds, including the partially ruined Beaulieu Abbey. Among the monastery buildings to have been preserved are the domus (now used for functions and exhibitions), and the refectory, which is now the parish church.
The National Motor Museum is one of several attractions on Lord Montagu's Beaulieu estate which are marketed jointly as "Beaulieu". One admission ticket includes the following attractions:
Beaulieu is a village located on the southeastern edge of the New Forest in Hampshire, England. It is home to both Palace House and the National Motor Museum. In 2020, it was named the fifth most beautiful village in the UK and Ireland by Condé Nast Traveler.
Coventry Transport Museum is a transport museum, located in Coventry city centre, England.
The Black Country Living Museum is an open-air museum of rebuilt historic buildings in Dudley, West Midlands, England. It is located in the centre of the Black Country, 10 miles west of Birmingham. The museum occupies 10.5 hectares of former industrial land partly reclaimed from a former railway goods yard, disused lime kilns, canal arm and former coal pits.
L'Aster, Aster, Ateliers de Construction Mecanique l'Aster, was a French manufacturer of automobiles and the leading supplier of engines to other manufacturers from the late 1890s until circa 1910/12. Although primarily known as an engine mass manufacturer the company also produced chassis for coach-works and a complete range of components.
Edward John Barrington Douglas-Scott-Montagu, 3rd Baron Montagu of Beaulieu was a British aristocrat and Conservative politician, best known for founding the National Motor Museum, as well as for a pivotal cause célèbre following his 1954 conviction and imprisonment for alleged homosexual activity, a charge he denied.
Beaulieu Abbey was a Cistercian abbey in Hampshire, England. It was founded in 1203–1204 by King John and populated by 30 monks sent from the abbey of Cîteaux in France, the mother house of the Cistercian order. The Medieval Latin name of the monastery was Bellus Locus Regis or monasterium Belli loci Regis. Other spellings of the English name which occur historically are Bewley and Beaulie.
The British International Motor Show was an annual motor show held by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) between 1903 and 2008 in England.
The Motor was a British weekly car magazine founded on 28 January 1903 and published by Temple Press. It was initially launched as Motorcycling and Motoring in 1902 before the title was shortened. From the 14 March 1964 issue the magazine name was simply Motor. Compared to rival The Autocar, Motor was more informative and more conservative.
Rex, Rex Motorcycles, Rex-Acme, was a car and motorcycle company which began in Birmingham, England in 1900. Rex soon merged with a Coventry maker of bicycles and cars named Allard and then later in 1922 the company merged with Coventry's 'Acme' motorcycle company forming 'Rex Acme'. The company existed until 1933, and, in its heyday, was considered one of the greatest names in the British motorcycle industry.
The Beaulieu Monorail is England's first monorail, linking the National Motor Museum to the Beaulieu Palace House. The monorail line passes through the main museum building, allowing passengers to see the automobile collection from above. Originally installed at a Butlins Holiday Camp, the monorail was moved to its present location in 1974. The cars were originally of a streamliner design but were modified to allow for more passenger space prior to beginning work at Beaulieu. The line was formally opened 29 July 1974.
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Brooklands Museum is a motoring and aviation museum occupying part of the former Brooklands Motor Course in Weybridge, Surrey, England.
Beaulieu Palace House is a 13th-century house in Beaulieu, Hampshire, United Kingdom. Originally part of Beaulieu Abbey, the estate was bought in 1538 by Thomas Wriothesley, 1st Earl of Southampton, following the Dissolution of the Monasteries. It is still owned and occupied by the earl's descendants, the Barons Montagu of Beaulieu.
The Brighton Speed Trials, in full The Brighton National Speed Trials, is commonly held to be the oldest running motor race. The first race was held 19–22 July 1905 after Sir Harry Preston persuaded Brighton town council to tarmac the surface of the road adjacent to the beach between the Palace Pier and Black Rock to hold motor racing events. This stretch was renamed Madeira Drive in 1909 and the event is still held there, normally on the second Saturday of September each year. In 1936 Motor Sport described the event as: "undoubtedly the most important speed-trials on the British Calendar."
The British Motorcycle Charitable Trust (BMCT) is a charitable incorporated organisation dedicated to promoting and supporting the preservation and restoration of British motorcycle engineering heritage. Established as a Registered Charity in 1979, the Trust aims to protect and restore rare British motorcycles and provide access to the public through a network of museums and annual motorcycle heritage events. The Trust also provides support and resources to educational establishments, clubs and private individuals and maintains information on all aspects of British motorcycles.
Michael C. Sedgwick was a British motoring writer.
Brooklands Members (BM) are the official support group for Brooklands Museum in Weybridge, Surrey, England. It is governed by a charitable trust. The BTM's main aims are to financially support and promote Brooklands Museum. Principally funds are raised for the Museum through subscriptions to the BTM and by additional fund raising activities throughout the year such as an annual Classic Car Show & Jumble, a series of popular talks and other events The BTM also fund specific projects such as the restoration of the Pratts petrol pagoda which was opened in October 2010 by Prince Michael of Kent, the replacement of the Test Hill railings and the recreation of the iconic Brooklands Scoreboard. In 2019 the group funded an exhibition at Brooklands for the first time – the First to Fastest exhibition featured the Museum's Vickers Vimy and the Transatlantic air race winning Harrier from 1969.
George Nicolas "Nick" Georgano was a British author, specialising in motoring history. His most notable work is The Complete Encyclopedia of Motorcars, first published in 1968.
The Car Illustrated. A Journal of Travel by Land, Sea, and Air was a British weekly automobile magazine, first published on 28 May 1902.
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