It is not unusual for me to come to an event at a major UK museum, such as this one, the British Motor Museum at Gaydon, and be so engrossed in the outdoor event that I never find the time to venture into the museum itself, reassuring myself that the museum will be there for another day whereas the event won’t. Whilst that is true, the reality is that this museum, like most others continues to evolve, so whilst the core and many of the displays do remain constant, there are always new things to see and more to learn. So whilst on site for the “Fiats and Friends” event in early August 2024, I did make sure that I went into the main building, even if, shamefully, I ran out of time to visit the more recent building which houses much of the Jaguar-Daimler Heritage Collection and the Reserve Collection that simply won’t fit in the main set of displays.

The British Motor Museum at Gaydon celebrated its 30th anniversary last year, having first opened in 1993. Its roots go back a further 10 years to 1983, when the British Motor Industry Heritage Trust (B.M.I.H.T.) was established to ensure the preservation of an important collection of vehicles and archived owned, at that time, by British Leyland. BL agreed to transfer the unique vehicle and artefact collections from Austin, Morris, MG, Riley, Wolseley, Standard Triumph, Jaguar and Rover, into a series of charitable trusts, under the umbrella management of the B.M.I.H.T. The trusts included the Austin Rover Group (later, Rover Group) Heritage Trust, the Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust and the British Motor Industry Heritage Trust. When Ford acquired Jaguar cars in 1990, the Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust collection was moved to the Jaguar Browns Lane facility in Coventry, and the Rover Group Trust gifted its collections to the B.M.I.H.T. Syon Park in London was home to some of the Trust’s vehicles until 1993, while the rest were stored at Studley Castle in Warwickshire, together with the archive collection. Funded by the Rover Group and other sponsors, a new, spacious museum at Gaydon, called the ‘Heritage Motor Centre’ (and set within 65 acres of landscaped grounds) was opened in 1993. This move enabled the Trust’s collection of more than 25 vehicles and a vast quantity of archives to be brought together and made more accessible to the public. At the time that it was built, the purposed-designed museum sat in a rural area, just a mile or so off the M40 motorway, but with very little passing traffic. With plenty of space on site, the museum quickly became not just a destination in its own right, but one that was very popular for hosting Car Clubs and larger events. More recently, it has acquired new neighbours with both Aston Martin and Jaguar Land Rover opening up facilities next door which have grown massively in size over the years. With the collapse of the MG-Rover Group in 2005, remit of the collection was widened to cover cars that extended beyond MG-Rover and all its predecessors in title, and as it grew, so some pruning of the collection was called for, with a few duplicates sold off. Even so, there were far more cars than could ever be displayed, and whilst some were crammed into a storage facility, others were just abandoned outside, as visitors frequently observed and commented. More space was clearly called for, and so since 2004 the Trust, whose declared mission is to collect, conserve, research and display for the British nation, motor vehicles, archives and ancillary material relating to the motor industry in Great Britain has raised funds for a variety of projects, including major redevelopment of the Museum. A new mezzanine floor to provide additional exhibition space opened in 2007, but that was not enough to cope with ever growing demands for display space. Hence the recent works costing £5.1m, culmination of a 5 year program, which saw a significant set of alterations to the existing display space and the construction of an additional building called the ‘Collections Centre’ building to house and display the reserve vehicle collection of the British Motor Industry Heritage Trust and the Jaguar Heritage Trust, 250 cars in total. The museum was closed for several weeks at the end of 2015 and reopened in mid February 2016. I had made a number of visits over the years, but never seemed to do justice to what was on display. In October 2020, with a full, and what turned out to be an exceedingly wet day available, I was able finally to put that right, and a comprehensive report on what I found has already been published here. Museums continue to evolve and change, though, so a return visit will always elicit new things. In 2021 that included the addition of some cars from the Vauxhall Heritage Collection, and I did take the time to see these on a visit in September of that year. Shamefully, although I’ve been to the site a few times since then, I’d not been inside to what else has changed. Time was limited even on this occasion, so this report only contains some of what was on display at the time, but it does include cars which had not been here before including one which had only arrived in the museum a few days earlier, as well as some which don’t appear to have moved at all for literally years.

FORD DISPLAY

This was a new display, containing a few of the cars that are part of the Ford Heritage Collection. Until recently stored where the public could not access them, in Dagenham, the entire collection has been moved to a new site in Daventry and work is underway to open this up for us all to go and have a look. The timetable for that keeps shifting, and so as an appetiser, there were a few cars shown here in the first part of the building that you come to having passed the entrance desk.

1956 Ford Zodiac: A luxury variant of the Ford Zephyr, the Zodiac first went on sale under the name of Zephyr Zodiac in 1954 with the Zodiac Mk II being introduced in 1956. Together with the Consul Mk II, the cars were known as “the Three Graces”. They were all eventually replaced by the Cortina and Granada from 1972. Although many features were retained from its first incarnation, like the two-tone paintwork, whitewall tyres and gold-plated badges on the boot, the Zodiac MK II was given some additional elements to distinguish it from the other variants. These included a front grille that extended across the front of the car, wraparound rear windows and stylised tail fins at the rear. This gave the car a distinctly glamourous American feel which dated quickly as new fashions took hold in the 1960s. Production ceased in 1962 and it was replaced by the restyled Zodiac Mk III in the same year.

1973 Ford Capri Ferguson 4 x 4: Production of the Ford Capri began in 1968 and was launched the following year at the Brussels Motor Show. It was marketed as “the car you’ve always promised yourself” and 400,000 units were sold in its first two years. It proved highly successful and evolved through three versions. Production of the Mk III finally ceased in 1986. A four-wheel drive Capri was developed with motorsport in mind by Ford’s Competition Department. Just before the Capri’s launch in 1969, two prototypes were sent to Harry Ferguson Research (HFR), the company founded by Harry Ferguson to develop a four-wheel drive system which manufacturers could fit to their standard production vehicles. Ferguson’s company was eventually taken over by his son-in-law Tony Sheldon in 1960. Although the Capri 4×4 was never put into production, it didn’t stop other companies from using similar technology; in 1973 this car, which had been imported from Germany, was modified by Coventry based FF (Ferguson Formula) Developments Limited. The conversion, which included an anti-lock braking system, automatic gearbox and Broadspeed engine blueprinting, cost the original owner £1,637.94; almost as much as they had paid to buy the standard Capri!

Ford Granada 2.8i Ghia: Ford introduced a new Granada in 1977 and it was produced until April 1985 following a mild facelift which paid attention to drivetrain noise, vibration, and harshness in 1982. It was a development of the previous car, the main differences being the use of the “Cologne” V6 engine in 2.0, 2.3, and 2.8 ltire forms replacing the older “Essex” unit (which had never been offered in the Cologne-built Granadas), and the introduction of features such as air conditioning and, for the top-priced 2.8-litre versions, fuel-injection. In mainland Europe, a 1.7 litre V4 was originally available. By the time of its introduction, UK Granada production had been quietly abandoned “for some time”; UK market Granada IIs were imported from Germany. A relatively small number of vehicles were also produced with an Indenor four-cylinder diesel engine in 1.9-, 2.1- and 2.5-litre capacities. Most of these went to taxi operators, and few survive. The smallest 1.9 was quite underpowered and was soon replaced by the somewhat more powerful 2.1, which was presented as the “Granada GLD” in March 1979 at Geneva. By 1982, this was replaced by the more capable 2.5. Fuel-injected 2.8 models were originally offered with an ‘S’ pack or GL trim. In 1979, both versions were replaced by the 2.8i GLS. Today early injection models are particularly rare. The UK only received four door saloons and a commodious estate, but there was a two door saloon as well, offered to those markets who still wanted such a configuration. Although most surviving Granada Mark IIs feature the body-coloured post-facelift (1981) grille, the earlier cars came with a simple black grille regardless of body colour.

Ford Fiesta XR2: Ford updated the Fiesta in August 1983 with a revised front end and interior, and a bootlid mirroring the swage lines from the sides of the car. The 1.3 L OHV engine was dropped, being replaced in 1984 by a CVH powerplant of similar capacity, itself superseded by the lean burn 1.4 L two years later. The 957 and 1,117 cc Kent/Valencia engines continued with only slight alterations and for the first time a Fiesta diesel was produced with a 1,600 cc engine adapted from the Escort. The new CTX continuously variable transmission, also fitted in the Fiat Uno, eventually appeared early in 1987 on 1.1 L models only. The second generation Fiesta featured a different dashboard on the lower-series trim levels compared to the more expensive variants. The recently launched XR2 model was thoroughly updated with a larger bodykit. It also featured a 96 bhp 1.6 litre CVH engine as previously seen in the Ford Escort XR3, and five-speed gearbox rather than the four-speed gearbox which had been used on the previous XR2 and on the rest of the Fiesta range. The engine was replaced by a lean-burn variant in 1986 which featured a revised cylinder head and carburettor; it was significantly cleaner from an environmental viewpoint but was slightly less powerful as a result with 95 bhp.

Ford Sierra Sapphire RS Cosworth: The Sierra RS Cosworth model. a very sporting  version of Ford’s upper-medium sized family car, was built by Ford Europe from 1986 to 1992, the result of a Ford Motorsport project with the purpose of producing an outright winner for Group A racing in Europe. The project was defined in the spring of 1983 by Stuart Turner, then recently appointed head of Ford Motorsport in Europe, who had realised right away that Ford was no longer competitive in this area. Turner got in touch with Walter Hayes, at the time the vice-president of public relations at Ford, to get support for the project. Hayes had earlier been the driving force behind the development of the Ford GT40 that won Le Mans in 1966, and the Cosworth DFV engine that brought Ford 154 victories and 12 world championships in Formula One during the 1960s and 1970s. Hayes found the project very appealing and promised his full support. Turner then invited Ken Kohrs, vice-president of development, to visit Ford’s longtime partner, the automotive company Cosworth, where they were presented a project developed on Cosworth’s own initiative, the YAA engine. This was a twin cam, 16-valve engine based on Ford’s own T88 engine block, better known as the Pinto. This prototype proved an almost ideal basis for the engine Turner needed to power his Group A winner. Therefore, an official request for a turbocharged version (designated Cosworth YBB) capable of 180 HP on the street and 300 HP in race trim, was placed. Cosworth answered positively, but they put up two conditions: the engine would produce not less than 204 HP in the street version, and Ford had to accept no fewer than 15,000 engines. Turner’s project would only need about 5,000 engines, but Ford nevertheless accepted the conditions. The extra 10,000 engines would later become one of the reasons Ford also chose to develop a four door, second generation Sierra RS Cosworth. To find a suitable gearbox proved more challenging. The Borg-Warner T5, also used in the Ford Mustang, was chosen, but the higher revving nature of the Sierra caused some problems. Eventually Borg-Warner had to set up a dedicated production line for the gearboxes to be used in the Sierra RS Cosworth. Many of the suspension differences between the standard Sierra and the Cosworth attributed their development to what was learned from racing the turbocharged Jack Roush IMSA Merkur XR4Ti in America and Andy Rouse’s successful campaign of the 1985 British Saloon Car Championship. Much of Ford’s external documentation for customer race preparation indicated “developed for the XR4Ti” when describing parts that were Sierra Cosworth specific. Roush’s suspension and aerodynamics engineering for the IMSA cars was excellent feedback for Ford. Some production parts from the XR4Ti made their way into the Cosworth such as the speedometer with integral boost gauge and the motorsport 909 chassis stiffening plates. In April 1983, Turner’s team decided on the recently launched Sierra as a basis for their project. The Sierra filled the requirements for rear wheel drive and decent aerodynamic drag. A racing version could also help to improve the unfortunate, and somewhat undeserved, reputation that Sierra had earned since the introduction in 1982. Lothar Pinske, responsible for the car’s bodywork, demanded carte blanche when it came to appearance in order to make the car stable at high speed. Experience had shown that the Sierra hatchback body generated significant aerodynamic lift even at relatively moderate speed. After extensive wind tunnel testing and test runs at the Nardò circuit in Italy, a prototype was presented to the project management. This was based on an XR4i body with provisional body modifications in fibreglass and aluminium. The car’s appearance raised little enthusiasm. The large rear wing caused particular reluctance. Pinske insisted however that the modifications were necessary to make the project successful. The rear wing was essential to retain ground contact at 300 km/h, the opening between the headlights was needed to feed air to the intercooler and the wheel arch extensions had to be there to house wheels 10” wide on the racing version. Eventually, the Ford designers agreed to try to make a production version based on the prototype. In 1984, Walter Hayes paid visits to many European Ford dealers in order to survey the sales potential for the Sierra RS Cosworth. A requirement for participation in Group A was that 5,000 cars were built and sold. The feedback was not encouraging. The dealers estimated they could sell approximately 1,500 cars. Hayes did not give up, however, and continued his passionate internal marketing of the project. As prototypes started to emerge, dealers were invited to test drive sessions, and this increased the enthusiasm for the new car. In addition, Ford took some radical measures to reduce the price on the car. As an example, the car was only offered in three exterior colours (black, white and moonstone blue) and one interior colour (grey). There were also just two equipment options: with or without central locking and electric window lifts. The Sierra RS Cosworth was first presented to the public at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1985, with plans to release it for sale in September and closing production of the 5,000 cars in the summer of 1986. In practice, it was launched in July 1986. 5545 were manufactured in total of which 500 were sent to Tickford for conversion to the Sierra three-door RS500 Cosworth. The vehicles were manufactured in right hand drive only, and were made in Ford’s Genk factory in Belgium. Exactly 500 RS500s were produced, all of them RHD for sale in the UK only – the biggest market for this kind of Ford car. It was originally intended that all 500 would be black, but in practice 56 white and 52 moonstone blue cars were produced.To broaden the sales appeal, the second generation model was based on the 4 door Sierra Sapphire body. It was launched in 1988, and was assembled in Genk, Belgium, with the UK-built Ford-Cosworth YBB engine. Cylinder heads on this car were early spec 2wd heads and also the “later” 2wd head which had some improvements which made their way to the 4X4 head. Suspension was essentially the same with some minor changes in geometry to suit a less aggressive driving style and favour ride over handling. Spindles, wheel offset and other changes were responsible for this effect. Approximately 13,140 examples were produced during 1988-1989 and were the most numerous and lightest of all Sierra Cosworth models. Specifically the LHD models which saved weight with a lesser trim level such as manual rear windows and no air conditioning. In the UK, the RHD 1988-1989 Sierra Sapphire RS Cosworth is badged as such with a small “Sapphire” badge on the rear door window trims. All 1988-1989 LHD models are badged and registered as a Sierra RS Cosworth with no Sapphire nomenclature at all. “Sapphire” being viewed as a Ghia trim level that saw power rear windows, air conditioning and other minor options. Enthusiasts of the marque are mindful of this and will describe the LHD cars by their body shell configuration, 3 door or 4 door. As the Sapphire Cosworth was based on a different shell to the original three-door Cosworth, along with its more discreet rear wing, recorded a drag co-efficient of 0.33, it registered slightly better performance figures, with a top speed of 150 mph and 0-60 of 6.1 seconds, compared to the original Cosworth. In January 1990,  the third generation Sierra RS Cosworth was launched, this time with four wheel drive. As early as 1987, Mike Moreton and Ford Motorsport had been talking about a four wheel drive Sierra RS Cosworth that could make Ford competitive in the World Rally Championship. The Ferguson MT75 gearbox that was considered an essential part of the project wasn’t available until late 1989 however. Ford Motorsport’s desire for a 3-door “Motorsport Special” equivalent to the original Sierra RS Cosworth was not embraced. The more discreet 4-door version was considered to have a better market potential. It was therefore decided that the new car should be a natural development of the second generation, to be launched in conjunction with the face lift scheduled for the entire Sierra line in 1990. The waiting time gave Ford Motorsport a good opportunity to conduct extensive testing and demand improvements. One example was the return of the bonnet louvres. According to Ford’s own publicity material, 80% of the engine parts were also modified. The improved engine was designated YBJ for cars without a catalyst and YBG for cars with a catalyst. The latter had the red valve cover replaced by a green one, to emphasise the environmental friendliness. Four wheel drive and an increasing amount of equipment had raised the weight by 100 kg, and the power was therefore increased to just about compensate for this. The Sierra RS Cosworth 4×4 received, if possible, an even more flattering response than its predecessors and production continued until the end of 1992, when the Sierra was replaced by the Mondeo. The replacement for the Sierra RS Cosworth was not a Mondeo however, but the Escort RS Cosworth. This was to some extent a Sierra RS Cosworth clad in an “Escort-like” body. The car went on sale in May 1992, more than a year after the first pre-production examples were shown to the public, and was homologated for Group A rally in December, just as the Sierra RS Cosworth was retired. It continued in production until 1996. The Sierra and Sapphire Cosworths were undoubted performance bargains when new, but they also gained a reputation both for suffering a lot of accidents in the hands of the unskilled and also for being among the most frequently stole cars of their generation. These days, though, there are some lovely and treasured examples around and indeed you are far more likely to see a Cosworth version of the Sierra than one of the volume selling models.

1986 Ford RS200: In 1982, the Group B set of regulations for rallying was introduced by the Federation Internationale du Sport Automobile (FISA). The regulations encouraged very fast, powerful and highly sophisticated cars; many manufacturers including Austin Rover, Peugeot, Lancia, Audi and Ford decided that they had to have a presence in the Group. The Ford RS200 was designed from scratch as a Group B rally car. It was lightweight with a mid-mounted and turbocharged engine, four-wheel drive and enveloped in a fibreglass coupé body. Destined to become the costliest Ford to date, the 200 cars required for homologation were built by Reliant of Tamworth and completed in 1986. With 250 bhp in standard form, the rally specification cars had between 350 and 450 bhp, and were truly fire-breathing, with flames being ejected from the exhaust on the overrun. Following a series of fatal accidents involving Group B cars the FISA banned the class outright in 1987. Having invested heavily in the RS200, Ford rebuilt them into luxurious sports cars with interiors trimmed by the coach-building company Tickford. This car was built by Ford apprentices to full rally-specification but was never put to the test.

Ford Escort RS Cosworth Rally: The Ford Escort RS Cosworth is a sports derivative and rally homologation special of the fifth generation European Ford Escort. It was designed to qualify as a Group A car for the World Rally Championship, in which it competed between 1993 and 1998. It was available as a road car from 1992–96 in very limited numbers. Ford developed the car around the chassis and mechanicals of its spiritual predecessor, the Sierra Cosworth to accommodate the larger Cosworth engine and transmission, whilst clothing it in Escort body panels to make it resemble the standard car. Designed under the guidance of Rod Mansfield and John Wheeler of Ford’s SVO department, the styling was carried out during 1989, a year before the standard Escort was launched, by Stephen Harper at MGA Developments in Coventry. The spoiler was added by Frank Stephenson, who originally proposed a three-deck piece. The body tooling was created by coachbuilders Karmann at their facility in Rheine, Germany, where the cars were manufactured. Changes were made to the engine management system and a new turbocharger was fitted. Permanent four wheel drive with a 34/66% front/rear split came courtesy of an uprated five speed gearbox as used in the Sierra Cosworth. Recaro sports seats came as a standard fitment. Later production models were available without the oversize tail spoiler although by far the majority were still ordered with it. Like its Sierra predecessor, they are commonly nicknamed “Cossie” by enthusiasts. The car’s top speed was 150 mph, which rivalled lower-end supercars including the Audi Quattro, BMW M3, Nissan 300ZX and Toyota Supra, and comfortably outperformed traditional “hot hatchbacks” like the Volkswagen Golf GTI. It was much faster than the 126 mph which the Escort RS2000 and earlier Escort RS Turbo were capable of. Two versions were produced. The initial 2,500 units were “homologation specials” used to get the FIA accreditation for entry into the World Rally Championship. They were fitted with a Garrett T3/T04B turbocharger. Among these initial units, a handful were badged as Motorsport versions, these lacked certain refinements such as a sunroof and sound deadening. The initial cars included features that, although they made the Cosworth a more effective car, did not enhance it as a road vehicle, and once the rules were satisfied Ford attempted to make the car less temperamental and easier to drive under normal conditions. The second generation, starting production from late 1994, were fitted with a Garrett T25 turbocharger, a smaller unit which reduced turbo lag and increased usability in everyday driving situations. With these later models, the ‘whale tail’ spoiler became a delete option. . The Escort Cosworth was a rare car, with 7,145 vehicles produced from the start of production on 19 February 1992 until the last car rolled out of the factory on 12 January 1996.

2004 Ford Focus ST170:  Launched at the Geneva Motor Show in 1998, the Ford Focus replaced the Escort which had been in production for the previous thirty years. The Focus had a lot to live up to, but in 1999 it won European Car of the Year. A performance or sporting variant of compact Fords had always been popular, so the 2002 Sports Technology application to the Focus, called ST170, was bound to be well-received. With a 2.0-litre Duratec engine, fuel injection and variable valve timing (VVT), the car was swift but was always outshone by the Focus RS (Rally Sport) that had been released only a year earlier. With more than two million units of sales over the course of its production, it was announced in 2022 that the Focus would be discontinued by 2025 as Ford align their future work to developing electrification and crossovers (a cross between a car and a Sports Utility Vehicle, like the Ford Kuga).

LANDMARK CARS

1897 Daimler Grafton Phaeton: This Daimler is the oldest surviving Coventry built Daimler car, and it is also one of the earliest surviving British built cars. It has only had four owners from new. The car is maintained in full running order, and used to regularly compete in the annual London to Brighton Run, held on the first Sunday in November. The run commemorates the act which came into force in November 1896, and which made it possible to use motor cars on British roads by abolishing the need for an attendant to walk in front of the car – with or without a red flag! – and increased the speed limit from 4 to 12 mph (6 to 19 km/h). However starting it is no mean feat. This predates the concept of spark tubes and has a form of hot tube ignition. We have to light a small fire in the engine compartment, which heats a tube, which runs into the cylinder and provides the heat to burn the petrol / air mixture. This all takes some time but then the owners of Daimlers back in 1897 would have had a ‘man’ to do this for them and would give them sufficient notice while eating their full English breakfast. The Daimler Company was formed on 14 January 1896 and a factory was opened at the Motor Mills in Coventry. The company held the British licence rights to the German Daimler patents, and was therefore allowed to use the name as well. Early cars were imported from Germany or France, but production of British-built Daimlers was underway by 1897. Originally bought by a Doctor Vickers in Shropshire who used the car on his rounds as a doctor in Wellington, Shropshire. Vickers also used the car to tour France and Belgium and sold it on to his friend Joe Atkinson in 1906. Atkinson used the car on a regular basis and kept it in full working order until his death in 1953. The car was then bought by Commander Edward (Ted) Woolley. He stripped the Daimler down and restored it from the ground up to original condition, though he chose a cream colour scheme which was not authentic. He also had it registered under the appropriate mark AD 1897. Woolley used the car on a regular basis, and took part in events on the Continent. His exploits with the car were legendary, and included a crossing of the Col du Cenis 7,000 ft up in the Alps, on a tour from Britain to Munich and Turin. He also  regularly took part in the annual London to Brighton Veteran Car Club Rally. When Woolley died in 1984 the Grafton was purchased by the Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust and it was restored to celebrate the Centenary of the Daimler Company in 1996. The original blue paintwork was uncovered during restoration and the car was returned to the scheme it now wears. This Daimler is powered by a two cylinder four horsepower engine, and ignition is by a hot tube system. The top speed is 24 mph (40 km/h), and it cost £375 when new. It has wooden ‘artillery’ wheels with solid rubber tyres and was initially fitted with tiller steering. It went back to the Daimler factory in 1899 to be converted to wheel steering (the patch on the bonnet covers the hole for the original column). According to the specification the hood is made of elephant hide, although this is a grade of leather not from the hide of an elephant!

1925 MG “Old Number One”: This is not the first ‘MG’ car, a saloon based on the Bullnose had been advertised as an MG the previous year, and several more MGs followed before the year was out. MG Old Number One, FC 7900, was a one-off completed in March 1925 for Cecil Kimber, the manager of Morris Garages in Oxford, the business which lent its initials to MG. He entered it in the Land’s End Trial and was awarded a Gold medal. Early MGs, including this ‘Kimber Special’, were based on standard chassis with special coachwork, far more elegant than the normal range of Morris bodies. Old Number One had bodywork by Carbodies of Coventry and its engine has been dated to 1921. MG Old Number One is reputed to have cost £279 to build. Soon after the Trial, Cecil Kimber sold it to Harry Turner of Stockport for £300, making a profit. After it had gone through several ownerships, MG bought it back in 1932 for the princely sum of £15.

1912 Ford Model T Torpedo: Henry Ford’s vision was to build a car ‘large enough for the family but small enough for the individual to run and care for, so low in price that no man making a good salary will be unable to own one.’ The car that Ford introduced in 1908 was the Model T. It has been described as ‘the car that changed the World’, beginning the revolution towards mass travel by ordinary people. The Model T was built on straightforward principles; it was quick to produce, strong and durable, easy to drive and cheap to buy. Ford pioneered the techniques of mass car production, borrowing practices from the armament and meat-packaging industries. The car could be produced in a few hours, rather than the days or weeks that was common to the motor industry at the time. Ford set up factories outside the USA to build the Model T. By the time the Model T was replaced in 1927, fifteen million had been manufactured worldwide, with more than 300,000 of that total built in Britain at the Trafford Park factory in Manchester. This example from 1912 is the second oldest surviving British-built Ford. With its ‘torpedo’ or ‘runabout’ body, it has several early features such as lamps powered by acetylene gas. When Ford bought the original Dagenham Motors dealership, it was in the inventory and the car became part of the Ford Heritage collection.

1948 Land Rover: HUE166 is now a world-famous Land Rover. and these days it looks immaculate, which is quite an achievement as until its discovery and rescue in 2016, it had spent 20 years rotting in a Welsh field. It is a hugely significant vehicle as this is the prototype, which appeared at the 1948 Amsterdam Motor Show, launching the iconic 4×4 vehicle. Huey – given the name because it bore the registration number HUE 166 – was designed by car giant Rover’s then-technical chief, Maurice Wilks, who owned a farm at Red Wharf Bay in 1947. When found, it had been missing for 63 years, but more of its history has now come to light. It was built in 1948 with left hand drive and listed as “Experimental” on the logbook and record of sale and featured a number of unique features that did not go into mass production such as thicker aluminium alloy body panels, a galvanised chassis and a removable rear tub. Later that year it was upgraded with new production parts by engineers and converted to current right hand drive setup. It was registered on 25 June 1955 with registration SNX 910. In the 1960s it had a number of owners in the Midlands. It was last on the road in the 1960s, after which it spent 20 years in a field being used as a static power source. In 1988 it was bought as a restoration project by someone living near Solihull in the West Midlands, where it had been produced. But then it was forgotten again and spent years “languishing” in the owner’s back garden, Jaguar Land Rover said, until its “surprise discovery” in 2016.

1959 Morris Mini Minor: Another well known car, this is the first Morris Mini Minor off the line in Cowley in April 1959. The first Mini rolled of the production line on 26:08:1959, the first models were marketed under two names, the Austin Seven and the Morris Mini-Minor. The Austin Mini name was first used domestically in 1961 The car was designed under project number ADO15 by Alec Issigonis who had recently been recruited back from Alvis to lead the design team. Using the existing BMC A series engine mounted transversely with the engine oil lubricated transmission in the sump, and drive to the front wheels with the radiator mounted at the side of the engine. The suspension system was designed by Dr. Alex Moulton using rubber cones instead of springs, built into a sub-frames. In 1964 the suspension of the cars were replaced by another Akex Moulton design, the hydrolastic system, The new suspension gave a softer ride but also added to the production costs and in 1971 the original suspension reappeared. 621 AOK was the first Morris badged Mini Minor, leaving the Cowley production line on the 8th May 1959. For a while it was used as the companies press car and has always been retained and maintained by Morris before becoming a part of the BMC Heritage Collection.

1971 Rolls Royce Silver Shadow: The Rolls Royce Silver Shadow was produced in various forms from 1965 to 1980. It was the first of the marque to use unitary body and chassis construction and the model has the largest production volume of any Rolls Royce. Penned by John Polwhele Blatchley it was a major departure from its predecessor, the Silver Cloud. The new car was narrower and shorter but nevertheless offered increased passenger and luggage accommodation. Rolls Royce fitted the car with dual circuit braking and hydraulic self-levelling suspension using a high-pressure hydropneumatic suspension system licensed from French car manufacturer Citroën. It was said to give the Shadow a ride befitting of the tag: “The best car in the world”. The engine was the 6750cc L-series V8 petrol with around 190 bhp coupled to a GM 400 automatic gearbox. The 1971 example on display is the original version, retrospectively referred to as the Shadow I. In 1976 The Silver Shadow II was introduced and boasted several major improvements, most notably rack and pinion steering and suspension modifications which together greatly improved handling.

PROTOTYPES and CONCEPTS

For many people, this will be one of the most interesting parts of the museum, as rather than comprising cars that were once familiar on our roads, these are the one-offs, prototypes and concepts that never made it to production, the existence of most of which was unknown to all bar a handful of people at the time these vehicles were constructed. There were some new additions here, much publicised when the cars in question had to be moved from the Longbridge site and were threatened with destruction.

MG RBX60: Revealed at the Longbridge plant’s Conference Centre in November 2003, RDX60 has been dubbed MG Rover’s “last chance saloon”. Based on the underpinnings of a Rover 75, there was hope that this prototype would be developed to production. The ailing MG Rover company, recently dropped by BMW, desperately needed some success with a new model. It was thought that a mid-sized car would be the answer to the company’s financial woes. During RDX60’s development the team had to work with extremely limited resources in a small design studio set up at Longbridge as the previous Design Department at Gaydon had been turned over to Land Rover during the Rover break-up in 2000. A third-party contractor, Tom Walkinshaw Racing (TWR), was engaged to help get the prototype built. During a project freeze in early 2003, TWR went into administration, sounding the death knell to the project. After various attempts to restyle the car, impetus was lost, and the project was eventually dropped.

MG TF GT Coupe Concept: Two new coupés, one based on the MG TF, the other on the Rover 75, were revealed by MG Rover in 2005. The cars were both described as concepts but also seen as feasible for production by MG Rover. The MG GT coupé was built as a running prototype, using an existing MG TF as a base and grafting on a composite roof panel that incorporates a second, smaller side-window on each side behind each door. The graft line is visible at the rear of the car. A neat, curved rear window gives the GT a completely new look, while allowing the existing MG TF boot lid and rear wings to be used. Access to the mid-mounted engine is via the usual access panel ahead of the boot, now inside the cabin. The original intention was to power the GT with a KV6 engine, but the concept ended up having a four-cylinder K-series unit instead. The doors are opened via buttons found under the door mirrors, eliminating the need for external door handles and therefore allowing for a cleaner design profile. This car was on display and stored at the Longbridge factory site for many years until it was brought to the Museum in 2023.

Another car I’d not seen here before, and which it turns out is on loan from a private collection is this Land Rover Defender DC100 concept: Aware that the Land Rover Defender was nearing time for replacement, Jaguar Land Rover presented two design models at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show to gauge public reaction: DC100 was a familiar utilitarian shape, but the DC100 Sport was a more radical, open-top version built with outdoor life, freedom and fun in mind. Land Rover had taken the heritage of the Defender and attempted to reinterpret it for the 21st century. The design, led by the then design director, Gerry McGovern, continued the concepts of adaptability and configurability that have always been key attributes of the marque. With chunky wheels, short overhangs, three-abreast seating and the ever-capable off-road underpinnings, the DC100 Sport carried on the traditional Defender design cues and engineering features – even the wrap-around aero screen harks back to the open-top ‘Series’ Land Rovers. Although reactions to the concepts were generally encouraging, the die-hard enthusiasts were not so keen, with McGovern stating that “the traditionalists hated it” as the design had strayed too far from the Land Rover style. Although at least five versions of the DC100 were made, none were ever put into production.

This pretty little thing is possibly one of BMC’s greatest missed opportunities. It is the Longbridge version of ADO34, which was active between 1960 and 1964 that aimed to possibly develop a front-wheel drive Mini-based roadster as a possible new MG Midget or Austin-Healey Sprite. Following the launch of the MG Midget in 1961, it was considered as a possible MG Midget or Austin Healey Sprite replacement. The project was cancelled in about 1964. In 1965 Peugeot released the 204 Cabriolet, also styled by Pininfarina and featuring strong visual similarities to the ADO34, especially at the near-identical rear. The 204’s transverse engined, front-wheel drive configuration (a new approach for Peugeot) was also BMC-inspired. Sadly the project was cancelled, along with the related ADO35 coupe and ADO36 Austin-Healey version, and it wasn’t until 30 years later that the Lotus Elan became the first production front-wheel-drive sports car.

Following the formation of BL in 1968 a complete styling studio was set up at the Pressed Steel plant in Cowley under chief stylist Roy Haynes and his deputy Harris Mann. The Zanda was the studio’s first design which was intended to demonstrate Pressed Steels new CAD design techniques. Designed as a concept small sports car under Harris Mann, the Zanda used the transverse engine and gearbox from the Austin Maxi, driving the rear wheels. It displayed at the 1969 British and New York Motor Shows as a mock and is constructed with glass-fibre reinforced polyester over an original clay model. As for its designer Harris Mann he caught the attention of BLs senior management as a rising star with this car and as a result, went on to style the Allegro, Princess and TR7

When Rover took over control of Alvis in 1965 plans were made to revive Alvis car production It was decided that Rover would design a fast sports car for assembly by Alvis. The P6BS was a project by Spen King and Gordon Bashford the code P6 is because it incorporates a chassis from the Rover 2000 range while BS stands for Buick Sports from the Buick derived V8 engine. The Rover V8 engine is slightly offset to allow a single seat to be mounted in the back, there is a good boot space and all round visibility. The roof panels are removable. The project was cancelled in 1968 following the British Leyland rationalisation programme. This is the only surviving prototype

1966 Vauxhall XVR Concept: Created by David Jones and Wayne Cherry of Vauxhall design, the XVR stands for eXperimental Vauxhall Research. Although it was presented to the Geneva Motor Show in its launch year of 1966, the XVR never went into production. Of the three prototypes built, only one was designed to be a fully functional example and only this mock-up survives. It took five months to design and build. Inspired by the Chevrolet Mako Shark II concept from the previous year, the XVR also incorporated gull wing doors, pop-up headlamps and a split windscreen. In addition to this, the XVR showcases independent front and rear suspension. The slant-four engine chosen to power this concept would later be used in the Vauxhall VX4/90.

Leyland Lynx: The Triumph TR7 was always intended to have a fastback coupe version which had the code name Lynx. The Lynx concept had fallen well behind the TR7 due to constant changes, with the TR7 being launched alone in 1975. This is thought to be the last of the 18 Lynx prototypes produced. The Lynx has a lengthened wheelbase to enable rear seats to be fitted and the TR7 panels were redesigned to give a different side aspect. Fitted with a Rover V8 engine with this example having Lucas electronic fuel injection. Seen as a would be successor to the Stag which was discontinued in 1977 but BL were losing interest in the sports car market and the project was shelved.

THE VAUXHALL COLLECTION

There has been a Vauxhall Heritage Collection for many years. It used to be housed in a facility at the Luton plant, and was open to the public typically only once or twice a year. Many of the cars have become familiar to us, as they have been loaned out to journalists for various features over the years, but it was always a shame that they could not be more widely enjoyed. The closure of the Luton plant in 2020 and a need to vacate the site meant that a new plan was required. Concern for the Collection’s future was fuelled by the announcement that 11 of the cars were to be sold later that year and a further 9 were offered in 2021, but reassurances were made that the rest of the vehicles would remain and we were told that the ones that were sold were either duplicates or those in poor condition. For those which remained, we were promised a purpose-designed museum at Ellesmere Port to showcase the collection, and that may yet happen. Until it does, though, a display area was found here in 2021 for at least some of the cars. They are rather squeezed into limited space, solely on the mezzanine floor at the time of this visit in August 2024. There are around 50 vehicles in the Collection, but there isn’t space for all of them here, so the plan is that the cars on show will be rotated periodically. There were 21 of them here at the time of this visit, fewer than when I had first seen the display in September 2021. Many of the cars were the same, but some substitutions had been made, and this is likely to remain policy for a while, so you never know quite what will be on display.

1903 Vauxhall 5HP: Although this car was the 45th to have been built by Vauxhall Ironworks in 1903, this is now the second oldest surviving original Vauxhall and the oldest surviving four-seater Vauxhall. On this four-seater vehicle, the passengers sit in front of the driver. Interestingly, the body of the 5hp is a composite wood and steel structure. This model has a single cylinder engine and tiller steering system with an engine speed regulating control on the tiller. The 5hp did not have a reverse, but features a chain driven transmission to the rear axle and a two-speed epicyclic gearbox. Wheel steering was not introduced until after 1904, and at this time, Vauxhall’s swapped the featured wire wheels for artillery ones. This particular vehicle on display entered the Vauxhall Heritage Collection in 1995, and went on to take part in the London to Brighton Veteran Car Run the following year.

1911 Vauxhall C Type  “Prince Henry”: Before the 1920s, cars were very expensive and out of reach for most people. Cars often reflected their owner’s tastes, with their own choice of style, materials and colours. Manufacturers soon realised that they could attract new customers for their cars from those who had been impressed by their success in motor racing. One such model was the Vauxhall C-type ‘Prince Henry’, developed from Vauxhall’s three litre car. It was designed for the Prince Henry trials, a race named after the motoring fanatic Prince Heinrich Hohenzollern of Prussia. Vauxhall put a powerful engine (by contemporary standards) into a special short chassis and created what is thought to be one of Britain’s first proper sports cars. The model combined the crafted coachwork of an Edwardian car with much better performance than the average touring model. It was completed by a distinctive pointed nose and Vauxhall’s trademark fluted bonnet and radiator. It appealed to the rich, gentleman racer, a market which Vauxhall cultivated at the time. The ‘Prince Henry’ was capable of speeds up to 75 mph. Vauxhall scored many victories in trials and hill climbs with the car, including the gruelling Swedish Winter Trial of 1912. This is the earliest of only nine surviving ‘Prince Henry’ models.

1930 Vauxhall T Type 20/60: The Vauxhall 20-60 is a four or five-seater saloon, limousine, tourer or coupé-cabriolet manufactured by Vauxhall of Luton. It was announced on 28 September 1927 with a six-cylinder engine and a four-speed gearbox. A cautious move downmarket. “The first time any six-cylinder Vauxhall has been sold under £1000!” “British & Vauxhall”. The initial 2.7-litre engine was enlarged to 3-litres after twelve months. Priced to be at the lower end of the luxury market with six cylinders, four speeds and five brakes, the better endowed 20-60 replaced the 4-cylinder Vauxhall 14-40. Though the new engine’s capacity or swept volume was enlarged just 465cc the vagaries of the RAC or tax formula moved its tax rating from 14HP to 20HP. This tax increase was a significant impost for owners. Its design was completed before General Motors took control in late 1925 making the car “in construction and plan British”. The 20-60 – it was given a 3.3-litre engine in October 1930 and renamed 80, later Silent Eighty – remained in production until the introduction of Vauxhall’s first true General Motors large-car design, the Vauxhall Big Six, announced and displayed in October 1933 but not delivered until August 1934 long after the GM-designed medium-sized Cadet released in October 1930. This gap in Vauxhall’s programme may reflect the sales-failure of their very expensive 25-70 sleeve-valve car.

1949 Vauxhall L Type Wyvern: One of the first post-war cars that was produced by Vauxhall, the L-type Wyvern was first introduced in November 1948. Designed for export to bolster the British economy, the model was American influenced, with a style inspired by the Chevrolet Fleetline. Initially only available in four colours, the L-type model did not change much from its pre-war counterpart, as with material shortages and fuel rationing in place, there was not much to compete with it. There were 55,000 Vauxhall Wyverns produced between 1948 and 1951 with very little changes being made. After their first three-year production run, the L-type was redesigned to be the new E-type Wyvern, with changes made to comply with new regulations on lights for export markets.

1957 Vauxhall Cresta PA: Announced 2 October 1957, this is probably the best-known Cresta these days. It mimicked the American fashion for tail-fins, wrap-around windows and white-wall tyres, taking its cues from the 1957 model Buick Special announced twelve months before the Cresta, though understated compared to the Cadillacs and Buicks of the time. All factory-built PAs were four-door saloons: the estate cars were converted by Friary of Basingstoke, Hampshire and are rare today. The PA Cresta had independent front suspension using coil springs and an anti-roll bar with a rigid axle and semi-elliptic leaf springs at the rear. The Lockheed brakes used 9 in drums all round. Carried over from the last of the E series cars, the 2,262 cc six-cylinder engine had pushrod-operated overhead valves and a compression ratio of 7.8:1 (a low compression 6.8:1 version was available); it produced 82.5 bhp at 4,400 rpm. A single Zenith carburettor was used. The transmission had three forward speeds.It was well equipped with leather and nylon upholstery for its bench front and rear seats and woven pile carpet. A heater was fitted as standard. The radio remained an option on the home market. Other options included fog lamps, reversing light, locking filler cap and external mirrors. In order to keep the front floor clear to seat six people the handbrake lever was mounted under the dashboard and the gearchange lever was column mounted. The car could be ordered painted in either single or two tone colours. In August 1959 the Cresta was given a facelift, with a new, larger, grille and the replacement of the three piece rear window with a single wrap around screen. The previous ribbed roof panel was replaced with a smoothly contoured version (with structural revisions to the C pillars and rear parcel shelf area to retain structural strength). The Vauxhall flutes on the front wings finally disappeared, replaced by a straight chrome side moulding which was also the division point for the two tone colour scheme. Further changes came in August 1960 with the introduction of a new engine of square dimensions with a redesigned, longer, cylinder block and a capacity of 2651cc. A further increase in compression ratio to 8.0:1 and larger valves in wedge shaped combustion chambers contributed to a power output of 95bhp at 4,600rpm. Increased diameter wheels allowed larger brakes to be fitted, but these were still of the drum type (Ford had introduced front disc brakes as an option on the rival Zephyr/Zodiac models in September 1960 and would make them standard in June 1961). Externally, there was a redesign of the rear lights, with shallower units replacing the elongated oval ones of the previous versions. The direction indicators, previously in the rear tail fins were now incorporated in the main lamp unit and the fins were now solid with a V for Vauxhall badge. The rear bumper was now a higher mounted straight topped design. The front sidelights and direction indicators, previously separate were now in a combined housing and there were redesigned wheel trims and hub caps. Inside, a redesigned fascia with a padded top and a horizontal speedometer was featured. In October 1961 the final updates to the PA series were made. Front disc brakes became an optional extra (four months after Ford had made them standard on the Zephyr/Zodiac). Separate front seats became an option to the standard bench and there was now wood trim to the fascia and door cappings. The PA Cresta continued in production in this form until replaced by the PB series in October 1962.

1957 Vauxhall Victor F Series: Vauxhall looked across the Atlantic for the styling inspiration for their new 4 cylinder car, effectively a replacement for the Wyvern, which was called Victor and launched in February 1957. The car was of unitary construction and featured a large glass area with a heavily curved windscreen and rear window. Following then current American styling trends, the windscreen pillars sloped backwards. In fact, the body style was derived directly from the classic 57 Chevrolet Bel Air, though this was not obvious unless the two cars were viewed side by side. Bench seats were fitted front and rear trimmed in Rayon and “Elastofab”, and two-colour interior trim was standard. The Super model had extra chrome trim, notably around the windows; remnants of the signature Vauxhall bonnet flutes ran along the front flanks and the exhaust pipe exited through the rear bumper. The car was equipped with arm rests on the doors, door-operated courtesy lights, a two-spoke steering wheel, and twin sun visors. Although the engine was of similar size to that of the outgoing Wyvern it was in critical respects new. Fitted with a single Zenith carburettor it had an output of 55 bhp at 4200 rpm and gained a reputation of giving a long trouble free life. This was also the year when Vauxhall standardised on “premium” grade petrol permitting an increase in the compression ratio from the Wyvern’s 6.8:1 to 7.8:1. Premium grade petrol had become available in the UK at the end of 1953, following an end to post-war fuel rationing, and at that time offered average octane level of 93, but in the ensuing four years this had crept up to 95 (RON). The Victor’s three-speed gearbox had synchromesh on all forward ratios and was operated by a column-mounted lever. In early 1958 Newtondrive two-pedal control was available as an option. Suspension was independent at the front by coil springs and with an anti-roll bar was fitted on a rubber mounted cross member. The rear suspension used a live axle and semi elliptic leaf springs. Steering was of the recirculating ball type. Lockheed hydraulic 8 in drum brakes were used. The Victor had a top speed of 74.4 mph and could accelerate from 0-60 mph in a heady 28.1 seconds, and on test averaged 31.0 mpg. An estate variant was launched in 1958. A Series II model was announced in 1959 with simplified styling, the model losing all its ’57 Chevy styling detail and the teardrop shaped Vauxhall flutes were replaced by a single chrome side-stripe running nose to tail. The sculpted “porthole” rear bumper tips, which rusted badly due to exhaust residue, were replaced by plain, straight ones. The old bumper ends continued to be used for many years on a variety of motor coaches and ice-cream vans. The new car was available in three versions with a De-Luxe as the top model featuring leather trim and separate front seats. Total production of the F-Series (later known as FA) Victor was more than 390,000 units, but a particularly bad propensity for rusting means that there are few survivors

1961 Vauxhall Victor FB Estate: Vauxhall followed up the rather American-looking FA Series with the FB Victor in the autumn of 1961. Among many changes was a substantial improvement regarding rust protection. Quite in contrast to its “junky” predecessor, it was considered a solidly built, well-proportioned vehicle. It was widely exported, although sales in the US ended after 1961 when Pontiac, Oldsmobile and Buick came up with home-grown compact models of their own, with the all-new GM “Y” platform Consequently, the FB only achieved sales of 328,000 vehicles by the time it was replaced in 1964. The body styling owed nothing to any US GM influence. Mechanically, the main change was the option of a 4-speed all-synchromesh transmission with floor change but the previously used 3-speed all-synchro column change unit was still fitted as standard. The engine was also revised with higher compression ratio and revised manifolding increasing the power output to 49.5 bhp. This gave the model a top speed of 76.2 mph and could accelerate from 0–60 mph in 22.6 seconds, and slightly better fuel consumption at 32.2 mpg. In September 1963 the engine was enlarged from 1508 to 1594 cc. The increased capacity coincided with a further increase in the compression ratio of the standard engine from 8.1:1 to 8.5:1, reflecting the continuing increase in the average octane level of “premium grade” fuel offered in the UK, now to 97 (RON). 1963 was also the year when front disc brakes with larger 14 in wheels became an option. Models with the larger engine had a revised frontal treatment with a block style grille element and revised parking lights at either lower extreme of the grille. A Vynide-covered bench front seat was standard on the base model and Super Victor but individual seats were standard on the De Luxe and optional on the lower-priced cars. Other options included a heater, fog lamps, radio, screen washers, reversing light and seat belts. Estate and “sporty” VX 4/90 models were also offered, but seen here is a regular Super model.

1968 Bedford CA: The Bedford CA was a light commercial vehicle produced between 1952 and 1969 by Bedford in Luton, England. Its sliding cab door was beloved of frequent-stop delivery drivers since they could drive a few hundred yards, hop off, access the interior quickly, and hop back into the driver’s seat again with ease. Not only built as a van, the CA was also supplied as a chassis to various coach and van building companies to have specialist bodywork added. The vehicle also formed a very successful basis for the Bedford Dormobile campervan conversion. The profile of the CA changed very little during its seventeen-year life but as with most vehicles, although it underwent a few fairly subtle styling upgrades. The two-piece windscreen was replaced by a slightly curved section of glass and several grilles designs were used, from a simple, painted one right through to a pressed aluminium version seen on many contemporary cars. The mechanics were conventional and culled from the F-Series Victor: a front-mounted four-cylinder 1508cc engine, a manual gearbox and a propshaft driving the wheels via a live axle.

1965 Vauxhall Cresta PB Hydramatic: Launched in 1962, the Velox and Cresta PB was a major styling revision, completely eliminating the tailfins, with a flat bonnet and generally more conservative styling taking its cues from the Victor FB introduced the previous year and with which it shared its doors. The engine was the same 2,651 cc straight six as the last of the PA series and although the compression ratio was increased to 8.5:1, power output remained at 95 bhp. Front disc brakes were now fitted as standard. In October 1963 an estate conversion was made available, the work carried out by Martin Walter Ltd. of Bedford Dormobile fame and fully approved by Vauxhall. The conversion featured a steel-framed glass fibre roof extension and tailgate. The rear doors with squared-off window frames were straight from the factory-built Victor estate. In October 1964 the engine was increased in capacity to 3293 cc by virtue of a larger, 92 mm, bore in combination with the original 82.55 mm stroke. Power increased to 115 bhp at 4,200 rpm. The gearbox was still three-speed with column change but an overdrive was available. As standard, the 3.3-litre cars had a three-speed column-change gearbox, with a four-speed floor-change unit as an option. Three-speed hydramatic automatic transmission was available with both engines but this was changed to the two-speed Powerglide unit towards the end of the 3.3-litre PB run. Servo-assisted brakes, with discs at the front, were fitted. Minor changes to gearing and the option of power steering were introduced early in 1965 and the PB series continued until replaced by the PC models in October of that year. The model received a new full-width chrome grille incorporating the headlights and there was a full-length chrome strip along the body sides. The vehicle displayed is one of the last produced and has the larger, 3.3 litre engine as fitted from October 1964 along with optional automatic transmission. It was replaced just three years later by the new PC version. 87,407 were made.

1970 Vauxhall Viscount: The last of the Cresta series, the PC, was introduced for the London Motor Show in October 1965. No longer offered as a lower specification Velox version, it was designated PCS (standard), PCD (Deluxe) and PCE (Executive), this last having its own name, ‘Viscount’. It was a different car, larger and styled with the coke-bottle look that would also be seen in the FD Victor series: it now resembled a slightly smaller Chevrolet Impala. It was similar to the Australian Holden HR, but larger and better trimmed, and featured the 123 DIN/142 SAE hp 3.3-litre straight-six engine for its entire seven-year production run. Though a small-block V8 would have dropped straight in, this option was never offered in Europe. Initially, the three-speed column-shift manual transmission was standard with optional overdrive; four-speed manual and two-speed Powerglide were also optional. Later cars, from about 1971, came with four-speed manual or three-speed automatic, both having floor shift and bucket seats. The De-Luxe version had four headlamps instead of the two fitted on the (much rarer) base models. In January 1967 domestic market deliveries began of the Vauxhall Cresta estate car. This vehicle resulted from a conversion by Martin Walter of Folkestone, a firm better known for their (primarily Bedford based) Dormobile motorhome conversions. The estate version was 2 1⁄2 inches higher than the saloon due to a combination of heavy-duty rear suspension, an increase in the outer diameter of the tyres (to 7.00-14 in from 5.90-14in) and the modified roof line.] The Cresta estate was initially offered in the UK at £1,507, which represented a price premium of around 40% over the equivalent saloon. The long established Humber Hawk estate and recently introduced Ford Zephyr estate carried UK sales prices of £1,342 and £1,379 respectively. The Cresta estate offered a load platform length of 47 inches (120 cm) which increased to an impressive 76 inches (190 cm) when the back seat was folded down, but Vauxhall’s contender was never priced to be a big seller and the last estate cars were made in 1968. The saloon ran until 1972 and was not directly replaced.

1970 Vauxhall Viva GT: The HB Series Viva was launched in October 1966. It inherited the engines, but little else, from the first Viva, the HA. It was a larger car than the HA, featuring coke bottle styling, modelled after American GM models such as the Chevrolet Impala/Caprice of the period. It featured the same basic engine as the HA, but enlarged to 1159 cc, but with the added weight of the larger body the final drive gearing was reduced from 3.9 to 1 to 4.1 to keep the nippy performance (except the SL90 which retained the 3.9 diff having the power to cope with the higher ratio). An automatic Viva HB was offered from February 1967, fitted with the ubiquitous Borg Warner Type 35 system. Cars of this size featuring automatic transmission were still unusual owing to the amount of power the transmission systems absorbed: in a heartfelt if uncharacteristically blunt piece of criticism a major British motoring journal later described Viva HBs with automatic transmission as “among the slowest cars on the road”. The HB used a completely different suspension design from the HA, having double-wishbone and coil springs with integrated telescopic dampers at the front, and trailing arms and coil springs at the rear. Lateral location and anti-squat of the rear axle was achieved using upper trailing arms mounted at approximately 45° fixed to lugs at the top of the differential. Both front and rear could also be fitted with optional anti-roll bars. The HB set new standards for handling in its class as a result of the adoption of this suspension design, where many of its contemporaries stuck with leaf springs and MacPherson struts. This encouraged the development of more powerful Viva models. First to appear was the Brabham SL/90 HB that was purported to have been developed with the aid of world racing champion Jack Brabham. Brabham models were marked out externally by distinctive lateral black stripes at the front of the bonnet that curved down the wings and then headed back to end in a taper at the front doors. The Brabham model differed from the standard Viva SL/90 in having a different cam-shaft, uprated suspension with anti-roll bars, different exhaust manifolds, and a unique twin-carb manifold, as well as differing interior trim. This model is almost impossible to find today. Not quite so rare is the top of the range model which was first seen in February 1968, the Viva GT. This car featured the 2 litre twin carb overhead camshaft engines from the larger Vauxhall Victor. It was distinguished by having a black bonnet with twin louvres and significant changes to the interior. Initially all the cars were white, but later GTs came in different colours. Fast for sure, the car was not as thoroughly developed as it needed to be, and the car was not really the desirable sports saloon that Vauxhall envisaged. A revised version produced in 1970 for the final months of HB production was much better, and these are the most desirable version of the range, if you can find one. 566,391 Viva HBs were produced. Whilst the body design had improved after Vauxhall’s poor reputation with corrosion on previous models, and the HB had better underbody protection, UK cars were still prone to rusting through the front wings in the area behind the headlights where water, mud and salt could accumulate. This ongoing problem with salt on UK roads affected many makes and models, not just the Viva, but Vauxhall’s ongoing poor reputation for corrosion undoubtedly contributed to the development of bolt-on wings and wheel-arch liners in subsequent generations of family passenger cars. There are not many HB Vivas left which is perhaps why this rather nicely presented GT model, which has recently emerged from a complete restoration at Vauxhall’s Luton works was creating so much interest.

1975 Vauxhall Victor 2300S: The final car to bear the Victor name, and the last Vauxhall to be designed independently of Opel, was the FE Series, and this was launched in March 1972. This was a time when labour relations in the UK motor industry were poor and strikes were an almost constant feature, so there were very few launch cars and most of the publicity material used drawings rather than photos. The FE Series cars appeared substantially larger than their predecessors, but in fact were no wider and only 2 inches longer with much of the extra length accounted for by larger bumpers. Nevertheless, a higher cabin and improved packaging enabled the manufacturer to boast of 1.5 inches more leg room in the front and no less than 4 inches of extra leg room in the back, with virtually no loss of luggage capacity. Useful increases in headroom and shoulder-level cabin width were also achieved through the use of differently shaped side panels and windows. The engines were carried over from the FD range although enlarged to 1759 cc and 2279 cc. For a short period, the straight-six engine was used in the Ventora and 3300SL models, the latter effectively a Victor Estate with lesser trim than the luxury Ventora. Most cars in this class featured manual transmission and with the FE Vauxhall belatedly fell into line with their principal market competitors by including a four-speed gearbox – available only at extra cost on the old Victor FD – as standard equipment. The FE’s extra weight presumably made this development irresistible. The four-speed transmission used the same box and ratios across the range, from the 1759 cc Victor to the torquey 3294 cc Ventora-badged version. Contemporary road tests of the four-cylinder cars commented adversely on the wide gap – highlighted on the mountain roads included in the Portuguese route chosen for the car’s press launch – between second and third gears. Although the architecture of the suspension remained as before, numerous detailed modifications were made to counter criticism of the old model. Changes included an anti-roll bar as standard equipment on all but the entry-level models, and stiffer springs at the back, intended to compensate for the Victor’s tendency to understeer. At the front the springing remained soft by the standards of the time: the track was widened by 1.7 inches and wheel geometry modified to incorporate “anti-dive action”, improvements intended to address the Victor’s tendency to wallow, which by then was attracting criticism from performance-oriented commentators. The FE Victor shared its floorpan with the Opel Rekord but retained a distinct bodyshell, its own suspension and rack-and-pinion steering as opposed to the Rekord’s recirculating ball unit. The front end incorporated the then advanced detail of having the slim bumper bisect the grille, with a third of the grille and the side-lights (on quad headlamp models) below the bumper line. Despite the absence of shared body panels anywhere that they could be seen, detailed investigation disclosed that minor assemblies such as the door locks and the wiper mechanisms were shared with the Opel Rekord D. World energy crises, falling exports and an increasingly muddled image led to Vauxhall’s decline during the early 1970s, such that sales of the FE slumped to 55,000 units before it was transformed to the VX series in January 1976. The changes introduced then were intended to position the car more clearly in the range over the newly introduced, and more expensive Cavalier, with a more powerful 1800cc engine and upgraded trim being among the modifications made. In this guise, the VX Series lived on nearly another 3 years before finally being replaced by the Carlton in the autumn of 1978. Seen here is a 2300 example of the FE Victor.

1975 Vauxhall Firenza HP: In 1973, Vauxhall acknowledged that their rather dull model range needed a makeover, and developed a radical version of the Firenza, known officially as the High Performance (HP) Firenza, but known colloquially as the “droopsnoot” after its dramatically styled aerodynamic nose. The nose was moulded from GRP, and featured two pairs of Cibié headlamps behind toughened glass covers. The overall look was somewhat reminiscent of the Renault Alpine A310, and used the same headlamp units. Several prototypes of the HP Firenza were considered with different types of front end treatment, requiring different degrees of change from the standard production front end, including cars known as Black Knight and Daytona, the latter for its resemblance to the Ferrari Daytona, a favourite of Wayne Cherry. At that time, the original flat-fronted Firenza model was rebadged as the Magnum coupé, and the name Firenza was used exclusively for the HP version. This car was an exciting styling departure for Vauxhall, and certainly created something of a buzz. The engine was the 2.3-litre variant of the OHC Slant Four engine, uprated to a very torquey 131 bhp using a variety of parts developed by Blydenstein Racing. It had twin 175 Stromberg carburettors, high-lift camshaft and free-flow tubular exhaust manifold. The car was restyled on the David Jones original by American designer Wayne Cherry and the result was an exceptionally low drag coefficient for its time. Suspension was uprated and lowered, brakes uprated, and a 5-speed ZF dog leg gearbox was installed, a much stronger unit than fitted to the standard model (though rather noisy). Another unusual and unique feature of the car was the alloy Avon Safety Wheels, which were designed to retain the tyre safely in the event of a puncture. This was the first car to use these wheels in production. All production cars were painted in the same colour – Silver Starfire, and featured a largely black interior with silver-grey cloth seats. An unusual interior feature of dubious utility was the passenger grab handle on the dash in place of the standard glovebox. The car was a design triumph for Vauxhall, but a marketing failure. The car was launched to much publicity in a special one-off race at Thruxton circuit in Hampshire, with top drivers of the day taking part including Gerry Marshall and Barry “Whizzo” Williams, who won the race. However, the fuel crisis of the time meant that suddenly it became very hard to sell gas-guzzling cars like this (even though the aerodynamics increased fuel economy greatly, reducing the power needed to attain its top speed by some 30 hp), and coupled with some production line difficulties in actually building the car meant that sales and delivery were slow, and eventually just 204 examples were built, far short of the 30,000 projected. This very low volume was obviously a disaster for Vauxhall, but ironically it has led to the car becoming a very collectible classic, thus ensuring its survival—some of the much more common production cars produced alongside it can be now harder to find. Celebrity owners of droopsnoot Firenzas are footballer Luther Blissett and former sports commentator Stuart Hall. The Firenza was also very successful in saloon car racing in the 1970s, especially in its Old Nail and Baby Bertha versions, piloted to great effect by Gerry Marshall. As well as the HP version, also to be seen here was the earlier car, which was effectively a coupe version of the HC Viva. In the autumn of 1973 these were rebranded as Magnum and offered with the 1800 and 2300cc engines. They never came close to generating the affection that was held by the Capri, their closest rival.

1978 Vauxhall Chevette 2300 HS: This is a Chevette 2300 HS, the limited production car that was made in the late 1970s. The concept goes back to 1976, when at the instigation of new chairman Bob Price, Vauxhall decided to increase their profile in international rallying. They developed a rally version of the Chevette in conjunction with Blydenstein Racing, who ran Dealer Team Vauxhall, the nearest equivalent to a ‘works’ competition team that GM policy would allow. In order to compete in international rallying, the car had to be homologated; for Group 4, the class the HS was to compete in, this meant building 400 production vehicles for public sale. Vauxhall created a far more powerful Chevette variant by fitting the 2.3 litre Slant Four engine, using a sixteen valve cylinder head which Vauxhall was developing. Fitted with two Stromberg carburettors the engine developed 135 bhp. Suspension and rear axle were from the Opel Kadett C GT/E and the gearbox was a Getrag 5-speed. Chevrolet Vega Alloy wheels (similar in appearance to the Avon wheels used on the droopsnoot Firenza) were used, as well as a newly developed glass-reinforced plastic air dam. The result was a very fast and well handling, if rather unrefined, road car. Like the Droopsnoot Firenza, the HS was available only in silver, with red highlighting and a bright red, black and tartan interior; though (partly to help sell unsold vehicles) some cars were repainted in other colours, such as the black Mamos Garage HS-X. The HS became a great success as a rally car, clocking up notable wins for drivers such as Pentti Airikkala and Tony Pond. It was a challenge to the most successful rally car of the time, the Ford Escort, winning the British Open Rally Championship for Drivers in 1979 and for manufacturers in 1981. It was also successful in other national rally championships, such as Belgium’s. To keep the rally car competitive into the 1980s an evolution version, the Chevette HSR, was developed which was successful for several more years. The modified cars featured glass reinforced plastic (fibreglass) front and rear wings, spoiler, bonnet and tailgate (giving the HSR the nickname ‘Plastic Fantastic’), revised suspension (particularly at the rear, where extra suspension links were fitted), and other minor changes. Group 4 evolution required a production run of 50 cars incorporating the new modifications; these were made by rebuilding unsold HSs and by modifying customers’ vehicles. However, the merger of the Vauxhall and Opel marketing departments resulted in Dealer Team Vauxhall and Dealer Opel Team (DOT) joining to form GM Dealer Sport (GMDS); with the Chevette soon to be obsolete, Opel were able to force the cancellation of the HSR rally programme in favour of the Manta 400.

1980 Vauxhall Cavalier 2000 GLS: The Cavalier was a critical model for Vauxhall, who had been trailing Ford and BL in the sales charts in the all important home market for some time. Much of the reason for that is because they lacked a car to compete directly against the market-leading Ford Cortina, their rival, the Vauxhall Victor having grown in size with every model update marking it more of a Granada competitor, a size up. The Cortina class was crucial, as the United Kingdom tax system meant that sales to company car fleets comprised a larger proportion of the overall market – especially for middle-weight saloons – than elsewhere in Europe. It was dominated by the Cortina, which regularly achieved over 10% of the total market and yet when Cortina Mk II had been replaced by the Ford Cortina Mk III in 1970, in the eyes of the all important company car fleet managers, the newer Cortina never quite matched the earlier car for reliability, notably in respect of problems with its cable clutch and with camshaft wear in the 1.6 and 2.0 litre ohc units. With alternatives in a market which only really wanted “British” cars, and traditionally engineered ones at that, limited to the Morris Marina, there was a clear need for some competition, which meant that the market should have been particularly receptive to Vauxhall’s new Cortina challenger. There was a slight problem that the new car was actually made in Belgium, but that objection was pushed to one side by many when they saw this smartly styled car. Launched with a choice of 1596 and 1,896 cc engines, the Cavalier was a restyled version of the second generation German Opel Ascona, offered as a two and four-door saloon, and with a two-door booted coupé body, withe coupe only available with the larger engine, The Ascona/Cavalier was built on what GM called the U-car platform. Whilst the Cavalier was originally intended to have its own bodywork, it ended up with the front of an Opel Manta B model and the rearend of an Opel Ascona B model, to keep costs down. A different nose, designed by Wayne Cherry, was the only obvious styling feature to set the Vauxhall apart. Although van, pick-up and estate versions were also on the drawing board, these never made production and nor did the prototype that was built using the 2.3 litre Vauxhall Slant-4 engine, planned for use in a high performance variant, which meant that the larger engined Cavaliers were exclusively powered by the Opel CIH engine. The Cavalier did not replace the larger Victor, which remained in production until 1978, as the VX1800/VX2000, With growing demand, and also a desire to answer the “but it is not British built” objection, Vauxhall started to produce the Cavalier in the UK, with the first Cavalier to be assembled at Vauxhall’s Luton plant being driven off the production line by Eric Fountain, Vauxhall’s manufacturing director, on 26 August 1977, after which the 1256 cc version, assembled at Luton and using engine and transmission already familiar to Viva 1300 owners, broadened the range. At that stage the 1584 cc Cavalier and the 1897 cc which had joined it were still being imported from Belgium, but in due course these, too, started to emerge from the Luton production plant. The range was revised in 1978, when the 1.9 litre engine was enlarged to 2 litres and a few weeks later, a three-door hatchback known as the Sports hatch (also seen on the Manta) was added to the range. Apart from minor updates, that was it until the model was replaced in the autumn of 1981 by the new front wheel drive J-car, but there was a new trim added to the range in 1980, the LS, and there was a rare survivor of that on show here. The original Cavalier was a relatively strong seller in Britain, even though it never quite matched the runaway sales success of the Ford Cortina, or even the sales figures attained by British Leyland’s Morris Marina (which sold well throughout the 1970s despite an adverse reputation) but it at least managed to help Vauxhall regain lost ground in a market sector where it had declined during the first half of the 1970s as Victor sales slumped. Nearly 250,000 were sold but there are few survivors of any type of the Mark 1, so it was nice to see this one here.

Vauxhall Calibra: Getting rare now is the Calibra, a model that GM introduced to counter the Japanese sports coupés of the late 1980s and early 1990s. Launched in 1989, it employed the running gear of the first generation Opel Vectra, which had been launched a year earlier in 1988. Calibra production was based in the Opel factory in Rüsselsheim, Germany, and the Valmet Automotive factory in Uusikaupunki, Finland, where production was consolidated in November 1995. Known in Europe as the Opel Calibra and as a Vauxhall in the UK, it was also marketed as the Chevrolet Calibra in South America and the Holden Calibra in Australia and New Zealand. The Calibra was styled by GM’s designer Wayne Cherry and the German designer, Erhard Schnell. and when launched, it was the most aerodynamic production car in the world, with a drag coefficient (Cd) of 0.26. It remained the most aerodynamic mass production car for the next 10 years, until the Honda Insight, along with the Audi A2, were launched both in 1999, with a Cd of 0.25, though the more powerful 16V, V6, 4×4 and turbo models had a worse Cd of 0.29, due to changes in their cooling system, underbody, use of spoked wheels and glass detail. As a front-wheel drive coupé based on the Vectra A chassis, its ride and handling were not significantly better than that of the large family car from which it grew. The 4WD turbo version of the car, which had independent rear suspension, featured the rear axle of the Opel Omega A with some minor alterations to it. Power was initially from 2.0 litre 8-valve 115 bhp and a Cosworth designed 16-valve fuel-injected 150 bhp four-cylinder redtop petrol engines. In 1992 a turbocharged 2.0 litre 16 valve 204 bhp engine was added to the range. With four-wheel drive, a six-speed Getrag manual transmission and a claimed top speed of 152 mph, this flagship model finally gave the Calibra the dynamics to match its looks. The Turbo model was also notable for the 5-stud wheel hubs and the extreme negative camber of its rear wheels, which is apparent even from a cursory visual inspection. In 1993 a 167 hp 2.5 litre V6 (was introduced. Available with both manual and automatic transmissions, the V6 was not as fast as the Turbo, but was rather more civilised, and proved to be more reliable as car than the complex four-wheel drive model. 1995 saw the introduction of the X20XEV Ecotec engine, a new version of the classic C20XE 16-valve or “red top” engine. This marked a reduction in power from 150 bhp to 136 bhp for the 16-valve version, although the Turbo continued with the older C20LET. Throughout the production run, several special edition models were launched. This began with the 1993 SE1, and ran through to the SE9 in 1997. These limited run editions had often unique aspects. For example, solar yellow paint on the SE2, or “Icelandic” blue on the SE6. Neither colours were found on any other Calibra. In September 1995, the Vectra A was replaced, but Calibra production continued until 1997. During its lifetime, the Calibra was much more popular in Europe, and outsold its nearest rival, the Ford Probe, which was considered to be underpowered, and very American for most European drivers, but in the UK, it failed to outsell the Rover 200 Coupé, which offered comparable performance, but without 4WD in the top–of–the–range models.

Vauxhall Astra Coupe 888: Founded in 1996, Triple Eight Racing has played a major part of the British Motor Racing scene winning over 130 races in various championships and is probably best known for securing both Driver’s and Manufacturer’s titles in the British Touring Car Championship. The driver line-up for its début BTCC year was Derek Warwick and John Cleland in the legendary Vectra and their crowd-pleasing antics still regularly appear on YouTube clips. However, in 2001 the Vectra was replaced by the Astra Coupé and in 2002 the Astra became the car to beat in the BTCC with drivers Yvan Muller and James Thompson alongside Matt Neal in the sister “egg-sport” car. Thompson eventually won the championship with Muller and Neal enjoying successes and the Astra became one, if not the, most successful car in BTCC history. Dovetailing neatly with their other motorsport projects, Triple Eight has developed a range of performance road cars including Vauxhall’s fastest ever selling vehicle, the Astra, an achievement which the manufacturer celebrated by commissioning 100 bespoke ‘Triple Eight’ Astra T8 Coupés. A range of modifications were made to the interior, exterior bodywork and chassis of the standard Astra Coupé T8 Turbo (on which the 888 is based). The engine, however, is unchanged – which means 192 PS at 5400 rpm and 250Nm of torque between 1950-5300 rpm from the smooth, 2.0-litre, 16v turbo unit. To focus the already sharp handling, the Astra 888 Coupe was lowered and sat on Eibach springs and dampers. Seventeen-inch ‘OZ Racing’ alloy wheels were fitted, shod with 235/40 Michelin Pilot Sport tyres compared to the standard cars 215 width tyres and the brakes featured an uprated Ferodo pad material, giving improved pedal feel. The Vauxhall Astra 888 Turbo’s standard interior was also given quite a makeover, including Sparco front sports seats finished in blue & black Alcantara. The same blue Alcantara is also used on the handbrake gaiter and gear change gaiter, while the alloy handbrake lever and alloy gear knob are unique 888 designs. The revised steering wheel trim is finished in blue Alcantara and black leather and the pedals feature 888 alloy extensions with the addition of a unique 888 alloy footrest. Finally, the centre console which houses the multi-function driver information display, ventilation controls and the audio system (CCR 600 stereo radio/cassette Player + four-disc CD autochanger in glovebox) is colour coded to match the Europa Blue exterior. On the outside, the car wears a unique 888 body-kit, comprising a front bumper splitter, rear wing, side skirts and wheel arch extensions to mirror those used on the BTCC race car. All Astra Coupe 888s were finished in Europa Blue ‘pearlescent’ paint. With proper enhancement to its driving abilities and a gutsy 187bhp 2.0-litre turbocharged engine, this is a real ‘touring car for the road’. Writing about the car, and its 0-60mph time of 7.0 seconds, ‘Auto Express’ magazine stated: “With minimal turbo lag and the rasp of a sports exhaust behind you it feels even faster, though, and the punchy short-shift gearbox makes light work of building speed. The steering has been tightened, while uprated springs and dampers combine with the tarmac-scraping ride height to pin the 888 flat and balance it perfectly through the corners.”

Vauxhall VXR220 Turbo: The VX220 is the only true sports car that the marque has produced in the last 90 years. Quite unlike any Vauxhall that had ever come before it, the VX220 was the result of a deal between GM and Lotus, struck to generate enough funding for the latter to be able to develop a replacement for their Elise model, something forced on them owing to changes in European crash safety regulations for the 2000 model year. Lotus agreed to develop and produce a 2 seater sports car for GM, on the new Series 2 Elise chassis, with a concept version of the proposed GM model being shown at the Geneva Motor Show in 1999. Although the body styling was different, clearly the economies would only work if as much else could be shared, and that presented a challenge as it was planned to use a 1.8-litre Toyota engine, similar to that found in the Toyota Celica, in the second generation Elise, whereas the GM cars clearly had to use a GM engine, namely the 2.2-litre GM Ecotec engine from the Astra. As neither engine had been used in the original Elise, which had been fitted with a 1.8-litre Rover K-Series engine, this simply became one of the many design challenges .In order to accommodate the production of the new cars, Lotus expanded its Hethel factory to a capacity of 10,000 cars, with around 3,500 slots allocated to Speedster production. Production of the Speedster commenced in 2000. The car was hailed by the motoring press as a great drivers’ car and won several accolades, including Top Gear’s Car of the Year in 2003. The lesser naturally aspirated 2.2 version was considered easier to drive than the potent Turbo model, and some journalists suggested that the Opel/Vauxhall car was better value for money than the Lotus, among them one Jeremy Clarkson in his 2003 DVD Shoot Out. However, the market did not really agree, and sales were limited. The car was deleted in 2005, with no successor.

Vauxhall Ampera: The European version of the Volt, the Opel Ampera (known as the Vauxhall Ampera in the United Kingdom),was unveiled at the Geneva Auto Show in March 2009 and also was exhibited at the 2009 Frankfurt Auto Show. Opel developed the battery control modules for the Ampera at the Opel Alternative Propulsion Center Europe in Mainz-Kastel, Germany. The production version of the Ampera was unveiled at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show. The Ampera was assembled at the Detroit/Hamtramck Assembly plant, Michigan. The main differences between the Volt and the Ampera are in their styling. The Ampera has a distinctive front and rear fascia, with a large cut-out in the rear bumper. The Opel Ampera features more stylized alloy wheels as standard, and the side skirts are body-colored rather than black. In the inside there are only minor differences and both versions share the same exact powertrain and battery pack. A key operational difference was that the Ampera has four drive modes, one more than the 2011/12 model year Volt. The additional option is City Mode, which adapts battery management to the needs of commuter travel. City mode or “battery hold” engages the range-extender immediately, allowing to save the energy currently stored in the battery, and when switched off, the range-extender stops and the Ampera is then able to use the energy saved in the battery for pure electric driving, for example for traveling urban areas or restricted zones, such as the European low emission zones or to allow the Ampera to qualify for an exemption of the London congestion charge The 2013 model year Volt included the “Hold Drive” button to allow drivers to conserve battery-pack energy for use at a particular time of their choice. General Motors production target for 2012 was to manufacture 10,000 Amperas for sale in Europe, 6,000 destined for Opel and 4,000 for Vauxhall in the UK, plus an additional 2,000 Volts were to be made available for the region. The carmaker targeted the Ampera for business fleet market and local government agencies, where Opel has a strong customer base, while the Volt is aimed at retail customers. According to Opel, by June 2011 around 5,000 customers across Europe had reserved an Ampera, with fleet or business customers representing 60% of reservations, and a total of 7,000 orders were received by March 2012, with Benelux, Germany, and the United Kingdom as the top markets in terms of orders. The first deliveries of the Chevrolet Volt in Europe took place on 30 November 2011, to the U.S. Embassy in France. Distribution of the Opel Ampera to dealerships began in December 2011, but deliveries to customers were delayed until February 2012 because Opel decided to wait until the NHTSA completed its investigation of the Volt’s battery fire risk after a crash. Since May 2012 the Vauxhall Ampera is available through the Zipcar carsharing club in London, Bristol, Cambridge and Oxford. The Opel/Vauxhall Ampera was Europe’s top selling plug-in electric car in 2012 with 5,268 units and captured a 21.5% market share of the region’s plug-in electric passenger car segment. As of October 2013, the Ampera held a market share of almost 10% of European registration of plug-in electric cars since 2011. The market share in the Netherlands was 40% and 10% in Germany. Ampera sales fell 40% in 2013 to 3,184 cars, and within the plug-in hybrid segment, the Ampera was surpassed in 2013 by the Mitsubishi Outlander P-HEV (8,197), Volvo V60 plug-in (7,437), and the Prius plug-in (4,314). In 2013 the Ampera ranked eighth among Europe’s top selling plug-in electric vehicles, and its market share fell to about 5%. During the first five months of 2014, only 332 units had been sold, down 67% from the same period in 2013. In July 2014, Opel announced that due to the slowdown in sales, they would discontinue the Ampera after the second generation Volt launch—and that between 2014 and 2018, they plan to introduce a successor electric vehicle in Europe. Ampera sales totalled 939 units in 2014, and only 215 units during the first nine months of 2015. As of June 2016, Opel/Vauxhall Ampera sales totalled just over 10,000 units since 2011, with the Netherlands as the leading market with 5,031 Amperas registered, followed by Germany with 1,542 units, and the UK with 1,250 units registered by the end of June 2015. The Netherlands is also the top selling Volt market in Europe with 1,062 units registered through December 2014, out of about 1,750 Volts sold through 2014.

Vauxhall VXR8 GTS-R: With a 6.2-litre supercharged V8 producing 585PS and a huge 740Nm of torque the VXR8 GTS-R has figures that wouldn’t embarrass a supercar. Performance is suitably impressive 0-62mph takes 4.2 seconds and top speed is limited to 155mph. The Vauxhall VXR8 GTS was a performance car marketed by Vauxhall but actually made in Australia by the Holden Special Vehicles (HSV). Holden was the Australian arm of the General Motors Corporation and exported its bigger engined cars to Europe, the UK in particular. The vehicle on display is one of the very last VXR8 GTS-R models. It was discontinued in 2017 due to the closure of Holden’s Australian factories and discontinuation of the HSV GTS. It was effectively replaced by the less powerful GSi version of the second-generation Vauxhall Insignia.

AUSTIN SEVEN and FRIENDS

Displayed in the very centre of the building is a tribute to the Austin Seven, with a number of models from the production of this long-lived range. Herbert Austin’s masterpiece which did much to put Britain on wheels in the 1920s. The first Sevens were built in 1922, and were four seat open tourers. Nicknamed Chummy, the first 100 featured a 696cc four cylinder engine, which was quickly upgraded to the 747cc unit that remained until the end of production some 17 years later. The first cars had an upright edge to the doors and a sloping windscreen, but from 1924, the screen became upright and there was a sloping edge to the doors, as well as a slightly longer body. Stronger brakes came along in 1926, along with a slightly taller nickel-plated radiator grille, conventional coil ignition, a more spacious body and wider doors. An even longer and wider body arrived in 1930, as well as a stronger crankshaft and improvements to the brakes which coupled front and rear systems together so they both worked by the footbrake. In 1931 the body was restyled , with a thin ribbon-style radiator and by 1932 there was a four speed gearbox to replace the earlier three-speeder. 1933 saw the introduction of the Ruby, a car that looked more modern with its cowled radiator. There were also Pearl and Opal versions. Development continued, so in 1937 there was a move to crankshaft shell bearings in place of the white metal previously used, and the Big Seven appeared. The last Seven was made in 1939, by which time 290,000 had been produced. Aside from saloons and tourers, there had been vans and sports derivatives like the Le Mans, the supercharged Ulster and the rather cheaper Nippy. Around 11,000 Sevens survive today. This one is a 1933 Austin Seven Tourer.

In 1959 John Coleman set out in this 1925 from Buenos Aires to travel across America taking his cue from a 1925 trek by Swiss traveller A F Tschiffely who travelled a similar route on horseback. The first stage of his journey took him through the Andean Mountains in Argentina and the dirt roads of Chile. Upon reaching Peru he found the roads closed due to earthquakes. He reached Ecuador as the rainy season took hold becoming bogged down in mud until rescued by a passing bus. Car and driver took a freighter to avoid 300 miles of swampland between Columbia and Panama. In Costa Tica they joined the Pan-America Highway but of the forty river crossings there were only ten bridges available. From there they made good progress to the United States. Eleven months and 11,000 miles from Argentina car and driver finally arrived in New York City

This is a 1929 Austin Seven Avon Sportsman 2 seater. Seven’s were popular with coach building companies who would purchase the chassis form Austin and build there own bodies, companies such as Swallow of Blackpool, Gordon England orin this case the New Avon Body Company of Wharf Street, Warwick. The Sportsman two seater is finished with a tapered tail and the doors open from the front, easing access, the body was in finished in fabric and the car came with a single piece windscreen with adjustable rake and vacuum operated windscreen wipers. The tail contains a luggage locker accessed through a hatch at the rear. The spare wheel could be stored behind the seat’ There were norunning boards, the front wings having their rear ends extended to prevent spray on to the car. The Sportsman two seater came in maroon, red, grey and black with a matching duck hood. Wire wheels were supplied to order. This Sportsman Two Seater is unique, New Avon bought thirty chassis from Austin twenty six becoming Tourers, three were sold on to Swallow leaving this single Sportsman Tourer. at a cost of £ 148 new.

This is a 1931 Austin Seven Swallow. Seven’s were popular with coach building companies who would purchase the chassis form Austin and build there own bodies, companies such as Avon of Warwick, Gordon England or in this case the Swallow Coachbuilding Company of Blackpool. Swallow run by (Sir) William Lyons later evolved to become Jaguar but at this time were supplementing there original business of building motorcycle sidecars, having originally bodied caravans. The key to the Swallow was an order by London dealers Henley for 100 examples in 1927. The Swallow was produced in Saloon, Coupe and Sports to a total of around 3500 cars, selling at £187 new.

Stung by the success of the MG in all types of motor racing, Sir Herbert Austin decided to encourage a factory racing team. In 1932 a private Austin Seven Ulster caught Austin’s eye, driven by T, Murray Jamieson who worked for Amhurst Villiers and was developing a supercharged car of his own design. Jamieson was recruited with the brief to design the ultimate Austin Seven. His first design was a speed record car resembling a miniature of Malcolm Campbells Bluebird, He added a high pressure Rootes supercharger to the 747cc engine, boosting compression to the point of it requiring 32 studs to anchor the cylinder head. The car ran at the Montlehery and Southport speed trials but did not meet expectation and a decision was made to turn it into a track racer. The engine and transmission was retained and clothed in a frame and body similar to that of the American Sprint race cars. The lightweight car weighed only 431kg (8.5 cwt). To lower the driving position the transmission was offset. On its debut at the 1934 Brooklands Whitsun meeting and driven by factory driver Driscoll the car took the lap record in the Mountain handicap. Two new cars were built to the same design for 1935. One was destroyed in 1937 at Brooklands in a crash that effectively ended the racing career of ladies champion Kay Petre. Both cars had proved extremely successful on the track at Brooklands and Donington and in hillclimbs such as Shelsey Walsh. This is the sole surviving car.

This one is a 1938 Austin Seven Ruby. A face lift for the Austin Seven from 1934 added a further 100,000 Ruby, Opal and Pearl models known as Austin’s ‘cheap jewellery’. Radical features included more streamlining, new chassis and a synchronised second gear. For 1937 the engine gained three main bearings. The original Seven had sold nearly 200,000 by the 1934 face lift and a further 100,000 were sold when the last was built in Spring 1939. In these last years, most were Ruby saloons although the Big Seven was introduced in an attempt to update the basic Seven concept but it was unsuccessful and was replaced by the all-new Eight.

Dixi was the brand name of cars made by Automobilwerk Eisenach (Eisenach car factory) starting in 1904. In the difficult economic climate of the 1920s the company found it hard to sell its 6/24 and 9/40 models. So the manufacturer decided to enter the small car market, and in 1927 signed a licensing agreement with the Austin Motor Company to build a variant of the Austin 7. A production level of 2000 cars a year was agreed upon, and Dixi paid Austin a royalty on each vehicle produced. The first 100 cars were supplied by Austin as kits, but by December 1927 the first of the official Dixi-manufactured vehicles, the DA-1 3/15PS were coming off the production line. The DA designation stood for Deutsche Ausführung, meaning German Version; 3/15 indicated the taxation and actual horsepower ratings. Apart from being left-hand drive and using metric fasteners, the car was nearly identical to the Austin. Body styles available were coupé, roadster, tourer, and sedan with a few chassis going to external coachbuilders. Most cars left the factory as tourers. Looking to move into automobile manufacturing, BMW bought the Automobilwerk Eisenach in 1928 and, with it, the rights to build the Dixi car. At first the cars were badged as BMW Dixi but the Dixi name was dropped in 1929 when the DA-1 was replaced by a slightly updated version, the BMW 3/15 DA-2.

Morris Minor: Beginning in 1922, the tiny Austin Seven had brought motoring to a new public and broadened the market. Against that Morris’s Oxfords and Cowleys had taken 41 per cent of the entire 1925 British private car market. Morris sales had begun to slow in 1926. They were revived by a new face for the Morris Oxford and Cowley and an expansion of Morris’s range both up and down the scale. The same year William Morris realised millions from the sale and stock market listing of preference shares in his business and he privately bought Wolseley, founded by Herbert Austin, which up to a few years earlier had been Britain’s largest car manufacturer. This gave Morris ample wherewithal to go after Herbert Austin’s little car with his own small Morris. With a surplus of production facilities, and Wolseley’s design engineers added to his own at Morris Commercial Cars, little time was taken for development of the Morris Minor. A more complex design than Austin’s Seven the all-new car was revealed in 1928. The launch was on 11 October 1928 at the opening of London’s 22nd Olympia Motor Show. A 4-seated tourer was displayed and a 4-seated saloon with sliding windows. Both had two doors. The Times’ motoring correspondent tested the fabric saloon and reported at length in December finishing with “I liked the general control and one does not get the impression that one is driving a very small car”. The fabric covered bodies used so much wadding to smooth their corners birds learned to peck through the fabric for the felt to build their nests. Coachbuilt, steel-panelled cars with a folding “sunshine” roof, for £9 more than the fabric car, were announced in August 1929 and all three cars were given rear-hinged doors with their forward ends sloping towards the front at the bottom. A 5-cwt van was added to the Minor range for 1930. It was displayed as Morris’s smallest van offering at the 1929 Motor Transport Show. The following year, in August 1930, a new 2-seater semi-sports joined the range with a hood and side screens. It was designed for two adults and their luggage and was cheapest in the range by £5. The tourer and two saloons, fabric and steel-panelled, remained in production. Advertisements referred to improved coachwork comfort and finish and improved lubrication and electrical systems. Tyres were now 19 x 4.00-inches. The coachbuilt saloon might now be had in black as well as blue. This last saloon came with automatic windscreen wiper, rear-vision mirror, safety glass and the new chromium finish. Morris’s stand at Olympia displayed just a chassis of the Minor. Just before Christmas 1930 Sir William Morris released a statement saying that he would put on the market very soon a new car to sell at £100 and it would be known as the Morris Minor S.V. two-seater. The body, he said, is to be coach built—steel panels on a wood frame—has as few bright parts as possible “to reduce polishing” and is finished in naval grey with red upholstery. Decarbonisation and valve adjustment were very simple and contributed to the new car’s low running costs.Within a few months 2-door saloon models with the S.V. type engine were also in production. A 4-seater S.V. tourer was announced in April.The overhead valve engine was proving to be expensive to make and Wolseley’s design—the six-cylinder version powered their successful Hornet saloon, and racing MGs—suffered from oil getting into the dynamo. So in 1931 a version with valve gear re-designed by staff of Morris Engines using side-valves and giving nearly the same power output, 19 bhp was introduced. On the road, the tester advised, the new Morris Minor S.V. exceeded 50 mph. A certain amount of wheel-bounce consumed a lot of power when testing standing-start times. The tappets could have been adjusted more finely, the accelerator needs a steadier spring and there should be a rest pedal beside it. Speed and brake levers were rather distant, top speed was apt to jump out when the load came off, some wheel bounce and movement with such a short wheelbase is acceptable, the foot brakes pulled to the near-side. The lower cost of the new engine allowed the Minor to be sold for the magic £100 as a stripped-down two-seater. The S.V. 2-seater cars were priced exactly 25 per cent cheaper than the SOHC cars had been. For a while both overhead and side valve versions were produced. The overhead-camshaft unit survived until 1932 in the four-door model, which also gained hydraulic brakes. In August 1931 a new radiator shape was revealed. The overhead valve version was renamed Morris Family Eight and was given a 7 ft 7 inches wheelbase, an extra 13 inches. The Family Eight was placed within the range between the Minor and Cowley. This saloon has four doors and has enough room for four grown persons. 17 x 4.50-inch tyres were fitted to the new Magna type wire wheels. Magna wheels were now fitted throughout the entire Morris range. The saloon bodies were slightly restyled with a more rounded look being given an “eddyfree” front, the standard size was roomier, their front seats could be adjusted and their doors were widened and fitted with safety glass winding instead of sliding windows. New colour schemes were made available. The fuel tank moved from the scuttle area below the windscreen to the rear of the car. An electric fuel pump or “automatic petrol-lift” was fitted. These Morris Family Eight cars were fitted with hydraulic brakes. Their new smooth sloping screen and rounded front allowed smooth passage of air and less resistance. The use of hydraulics distinguished the Morris from the competing Austin 7 with its less reliable cable brakes. The S.V. cars continued now known as Morris Minors in contrast to the Morris Family Eight cars. Morris displayed at the next Motor Show in October 1932 a Minor chassis for £87.10.0. For £90 the same chassis came equipped with a four-speed twin-top gearbox (“silent” third), cam steering and deep radiator. The 2-door Minor coachbuilt saloon was £125 or with fixed head £122.10.0. By the end of August 1933 all Morris cars had synchromesh four-speed gearboxes, dipping headlights, hydraulic shock absorbers, leather upholstery, hydraulic brakes, rear petrol tank, direction indicators and safety glass. The Family Saloon and Minor added to that illuminated direction indicators and pneumatic upholstery. The Minor and Family Saloon were replaced by the Morris Eight in August 1934 with an entirely new body and a slightly larger 918 cc engine.

1936 Morris Eight Series 1: The Eight replaced the original Minor in 1934, becoming a much better seller. Over 200,000 were produced over a four-year run. It was a complete re-design, with a bigger engine, all-new chassis and a spacious body. Styling was inspired by the Ford Model Y but the Morris Eight had hydraulic brakes and better suspension than either the Ford or its other main competitor, the Austin Seven. Morris suffered a decline in the early 1930s but the new Eight began a period of product-led recovery lasting for the rest of the decade. Other models, the Ten and Twelve, were deservedly successful and by 1939, Morris had built a million cars – the first British manufacturer to achieve this number.

COMPETITION CARS

The second circle of display cars focused on motor sport and comprised a variety of cars with competition history, some rather better known than others.

In the winter of 1907/08 Austin built four cars to enter in the 1908 French Grand Prix. Two shaft and two chain driven cars. Both shaft driven cars crashed in practice and the parts used to build this shaft driven car. All three cars started the race driven by Warwick Wright, Dario Resta, and J.T.C. Moore-Brabazon (later Lord Brabazon of Tara who went on to hold the first ever British pilots licence), Warwick Wright was forced to retire with a seized engine, while the cars of Moore-Brabazon and Dario Resta finished 18th and 19th respectively and were also the highest place British cars. This is the Moore-Brabazon car the only survivor of the team. The cars shared many parts with the then current Austin 60hp touring car and were no match for the continental racers. Afterwards the cars were sold on as fast tourers. This example was owned for a number of years by Sir Hickman-Bacon the premier baronet of England. He had a special touring body built, which he could detach leaving the car as a two seater. The champion boxer Jack Johnson was also an owner of the remodelled cars. This car also featured in the 1984 film Greystoke, The Legend of Tarzan starring Christopher Lambert.

Built by the Morris distributor for Wales, H.R. Wellstead using a modified Morris Oxford chassis, the rear springs were converted to Semi-elliptic in place of the original three quarters and the engine was modified. The Bullnose radiator was fitted with a streamlined cowl and the artillery wheels replaced by wires. The streamlined body had originally been fitted to a Gwynne Eight. Raced regularly at Brooklands the Red Flash achieved a standing lap record of 78mph. The car was in the possession of the Wellstead family until 1961 when it was donated to Morris Motors.

With the resumption of civilian car production post WW1, Austin implemented a one make policy, with the introduction of the large luxurious and impressive Austin Twenty in 1919. Known as Austin’s American Car due to its incorporation of a new fangled central gearchange, and coil ignition, possibly influenced by the American Hudson Herbert Austin had used during the war years. The Twenty though proved difficult to manufacture economically and the price could not be kept down to the advertised price of £ 485. Asituation that became hopeless with the imposition of the post war horse power tax.. Forcing Austin to introduce the much more economical Austin Seven and Twelve models. With the Twenty becoming a chauffuer driven luxury model, more often seen sporting formal coachwork on its long chassis. This car is a 1922 car, bought second-hand bought in 1932 for 33 (thirty three pounds) by a Mr. Filby. A somewhat adventurous motorist Mr. Filb yembarked on a round trip from London to Capetown and back covering some 37,000 miles along the way and encountering no serious incidents. On his return Austin bought the car back and publicised the achievement as a fine example of Austin’s dependability. It was restored by Hartwells of Oxfordshire

This is the 1938 Issigonis Lightweight Special, a single seat racing car, a one of car built by Alec Issigonis who at the time was working for Humber. The basis for the car was Austin Seven parts. He would later be responsible for designing the legendary Mini.

1953 MG YB Works Rally:  The Y-type saloon, introduced in 1947, was completely new. It was the first Morris group car to use independent front suspension with coil springs and rack-and-pinion steering. These features were the work of Alec Issigonis, then a young engineer with Morris Motors. This particular YB is one of the MG works rally cars. It was successfully rallied by Len Shaw in events such as the RAC, London, Morecambe and Daily Express rallies, as well as a wealth of other trials. Len had been using the Y-type in competitions since the late 1940s.

Triumph TR2: Hunched down, sitting on nothing more than a cushion so as to ensure he was as low a possible, and peering over the steering wheel through the thinnest of aero screens, test driver and engineer, Ken Richardson pressed on. Working up through the gears, he engaged overdrive via the dash-mounted switch. He pressed his right foot as far into the firewall as he physically could. Eyes darted between rapidly approaching horizon and the gauges within the dash. Clenched hands gripped the wheel, Richardson computing and reacting to every movement that they encountered. Small inputs. Nothing too big, nothing to upset the balance of the speeding car. And speeding it was. All told, the Triumph TR2 prototype Richardson was piloting had recorded an official average speed of 124.899mph. It had done it. It had set the record. Before you scoff and utter something about going faster on a track day, consider this – Richardson set that record in 1953. This was a time before HANS devices, before carbon composite safety cells, before plumbed in fire extinguishers and before supportive bucket seats and multi-point harnesses – in fact, as we mentioned, Richardson didn’t even have a seat! This was an age of man showing his mastery of machine or should we say showing a complete disregard for any notion of self-preservation. One of the two. And what of the car? Well, that’s what we’re here to talk about. The Triumph TR2. A car that, thanks to elegant design and the publicity that came of its top-speed record run, would go on to be the foundation on which all Triumph sports cars could build. The TR2 put Triumph on the sports car map. Prior to this, Triumph offered ponderous, wobbly cars that were of benefit only by the virtue of being marginally quicker than walking. The Triumph brand was not one you associated with excitement. Triumph did try to change that though, and as such it started to develop a new sports car in 1950, namely the TR-X. It was a beautiful, elegant and impressively technology-laden machine. The seats moved via an electro-hydraulic system, as did the windows and convertible top. It had on-board hydraulic jacks, the headlights recessed into the body, the rear wheels were enclosed with spats that followed the bodyline, it was a mightily beautiful machine. But, it was also prohibitively expensive to build, not to mention complicated. Mulliners refused to build it, as did Pininfarina and others. The project was dead before it started. Triumph head honcho, Sir John Black, wasn’t to be deterred by the failings of the TR-X, and so pushed ahead with the development of the 20TS, a 2.0 sports car that Black hoped would thwart the efforts of Morgan, which he’d tried to buy earlier. Two prototypes were built and shown at the 1952 London Motor Show. The reception was less than dazzling. The engine was okay, as was the front end, but the squat back and tiny interior left people disinterested. Then, when Ken Richardson test drove it, his damning appraisal of “bloody awful” put the final nail in the new car’s coffin. The TR2 was a longer, more elegant machine than the dubiously-dimensioned 20TS. It has a long ail, featuring a useable boot. There was a comfortable space inside for two people, the car was built on an all-new frame with revised suspension and brakes, it was the complete package. However, Triumph had been through the wringer with its first two stabs at the British sports car market, so it needed to do something big, something ground-breaking, if it was going to push the TR2 out into the world under the warming glow of positivity. The reception at the 1953 Geneva Motor Show was good, but it wasn’t enough for Sir John Black. He wanted to stun the world. And stun he would. Of the two cars built for Geneva, one was modified with a goal in mind – break the land speed record for a 2.0 production car. As such, the TR2 was fitted with aero screens, the bonnet was modified with more secure pins, an aluminium cover was fabricated to cover all but the driver’s portion of the cockpit, the rear wheels were enclosed into the bodywork, all to better aid aerodynamics. Sir Black, keen to get on with things, booked the Jabekke highway in Belgium for a day, and entrusted the driving to Ken Richardson. Initially there were grumblings about the test, with Richardson stating that it would need to be over a couple of days or more to account for weather. Sir Black was having none of that and pressed the team to get on with it. And it was there, on one fateful day, that Richardson delivered an average top speed of 124mph, a speed that was verified there and then by the timing experts of the Royal Automobile Club of Belgium. And all in front of a gathering of motoring journalism’s movers and shakers. This was it; Triumph’s little car was in the spotlight. And that’s the very car you’re looking at here. Now owned by Triumph aficionado and professional restorer, Glen Hewitt, the baby Triumph is now every bit the car it was back in 1953. And that’s where the story gets even more interesting. To do this record-breaking run, Triumph obviously needed a car. The only TR2s it had were the show cars from Geneva, so as we explained earlier, one of the cars was lifted from show duties in favour of top speed glory. However, the Jebekke car was and still is more than it seems. Used for further research and development for a few years, the car was later sold to a private owner, a Mr. John Hedger, who chopped in a Ford Pop against the Triumph. The TR went through a couple of other owners, who unfortunately ran the car down to the point of needing complete restoration. In 1976, the car was stripped bare and boxed up with a view to being restored, but that didn’t happen. At least not until 2015 when Glen Hewitt, the car’s current owner, finally managed to purchase it. In doing so, Glenn knew he had something special, but little did he know just how special. As his company, Protek Engineering, set about the restoration they found strange things. The rear showed evidence of panels being riveted on, there was a lot of evidence of hand fabrication and there was even a cover plate for what it turned out was the mounting point for the single rear trailing arm as found on the 20TS. It was then that it dawned on Glen that the Jabekke car may in fact be one of the original TR2 prototypes, so a re-bodied 20TS if you will. And it makes sense. Materials were thin on the ground in the ‘50s, so Triumph wouldn’t have wanted to waste anything, so it would make perfect sense to re-purpose the 20TS prototypes. This just adds further enigma and legacy to what is already an incredibly special car. Now restored after hundreds and hundreds of man-hours, and once again resplendent in its factory shade of Geranium green, it is now the perfect restoration. Not one inch has been missed, not one stitch ignored. It is a work of art, and deservedly so. This car was and still is hugely important. It marks a turning point for Triumph that would serve to secure the company’s future for the following three decades, it’s a wheeled representation of British pluck and determination. The TR2 was, after the TR-X and the 20TS, the third stab at sports car glory, and for Triumph, that third try was, and most definitely still is, the charm.

This 1955 Austin A90 Westminster is the car which Richard Pape drove 17,500 miles from North Cape in Norway to Cape Town, South Africa, the first ever journey on this route.  Richard Pape was a journalist, war-time RAF bomber navigator and writer. He was captured during WWII but escaped and was awarded a Military Medal for his service. Pape used this A90 to complete the first ever journey from North Cape – the most northerly point of Norway – to Cape Town, between July and October 1955. In total, the trip covered 17,500 miles. After several mishaps, including four co-drivers and a crash, a replacement A90 supplied by the Austin agent in Oslo was used to complete the adventure. After Pape’s journey, the Westminster was restored by the Stevenage Motor Co Ltd, Hertfordshire. Richard Pape described his adventure in his 1956 book ‘Cape Cold to Cape Hot’.

This is a 1959 Austin Se7en Mini Downton: This Mini is one of the oldest surviving ‘Austin Seven’ versions, originally owned by the engineering and tuning specialist Daniel Richmond of Downton Engineering. The car had a relatively successful competition history, including the support race for the 1960 1,000 km of Spa, employing Jimmy Blumer as the driver. At Brands Hatch in 1960, Blumer had a titanic struggle with Jeff Uren and his works’ Zodiac but nimble handling of the Mini meant Blumer finished just ahead of the Ford. Richmond also used the Mini for sprints, claiming it could get from 0 to 100mph in just 27 seconds. After Richmond’s early death, his widow Bunty used the car for many years, before bequeathing it to the Trust’s collection.

Second only to 621 AOK, 33 EJB is one of the most famous Minis of all. It was driven to victory in the 1964 Monte Carlo Rally by Paddy Hopkirk, the first Mini to win this historic event. Displayed with it was a second Mini Cooper S. This is the Mini which won the Monte Carlo Rally again in 1965, with AJB 44B driven by Timo Makinen. This was one of the first 1275cc Cooper S cars, 33 EJB being a 1071cc version.

For 1965, BMC prepared a team of 1275 cc Mini-Cooper S models, including AJB 44B which claimed an outright victory in the Monte Carlo Rally for ‘the Flying Finn’ Timo Makinen and co-driver Paul Easter. On this occasion, the Mini-Cooper S ran in Group 3 guise, which meant that it was substantially non-standard, with lightened and simplified bodywork and a highly-tuned engine. The 1965 Monte was one of the most difficult on record, with blizzards between Chambery and Monte Carlo. In spite of this, Makinen’s car gained only one penalty on the road sections and on the run from starting points to Monte Carlo, AJB 44B was the only unpenalised car.

Another of the most famous Mini’s in the world, this is the Works Rally 1967 Monte Carlo winning Mini LBL6D #177, driven by Henry Liddon & Renee Altonen.

Cooper T51: The Cooper T51 was a Formula One and Formula Two racing car designed by Owen Maddock and built by the Cooper Car Company for the 1959 Formula One season. The T51 earned a significant place in motor racing history when Jack Brabham drove the car to become the first driver to win the World Championship of Drivers with an engine mounted behind them, in 1959. The T51 was raced in several configurations by various entrants until 1963 and in all no less than 38 drivers were entered to drive T51s in Grand Prix races. Aesthetically and aerodynamically, the T51 was a natural development of the T43 and T45 that had given Cooper their first two wins. The Coopers continued their practice of building spaceframe chassis that ignored orthodox design thinking in having several curved links and the mid-engine layout meant weight savings and aerodynamic advantages over front-engined cars, which typically had separate gearbox and differential cases, and had to find room for propshafts to the rear wheels. Also the location of the fuel tanks on either side of the cockpit rather than at the rear meant the car handled more consistently with different fuel loads, a vital factor during races which lasted up to three hours. One notable throwback, however, was the car’s leaf spring rear suspension, although it used a more modern coil spring and wishbone setup at the front. The standard F1 T51 was the first Cooper powered by the 2.5-litre 4-cylinder engine which Cooper and Lotus had commissioned Coventry Climax to build specifically for their rear-engined machines. The pioneering nature of this configuration created problems of its own, since there were so few rear-engined production cars from which a gearbox could be sourced. This shortage eventually created a niche in the market which paved the way for Hewland’s prominence, but in the meantime many different solutions were tried, with varying degrees of success. The works Coopers were fitted with modified Citroen gearboxes, while Rob Walker’s team ran bespoke units from Italian specialist Valerio Colotti, although these proved much more fragile. In all, eight different engines were used in the back of T51s in championship races, with 2.2- and 1.5-litre Climax engines in addition to the standard 2.5: Scuderia Centro Sud and others used 2.5 and 1.5-litre engines from Maserati; the British Racing Partnership team used F2 powerplants from Borgward; Scuderia Eugenio Castellotti used their own Ferrari-derived 2.5-litre units; and one car used a Ferrari 2-litre engine lifted from a 625LM. The T51 had already won the Glover Trophy at Goodwood and the Silverstone International Trophy before it made its first World Championship appearance in the 1959 Monaco Grand Prix, with no less than eight examples entered. The Cooper works team fielded Jack Brabham, Bruce McLaren and Masten Gregory, Stirling Moss and Maurice Trintignant were entered by Rob Walker, two 1.5-litre F2 cars were entered by Equipe Nationale Belge for Lucien Bianchi and Alain de Changy, with Ivor Bueb driving another F2 machine. Only the five 2.5-litre cars qualified, with Stirling Moss in pole position (Cooper’s first) and Brabham starting in third place. Jean Behra took the lead at the start, but after his Ferrari developed engine problems after 21 laps the Coopers dominated, with Moss and Brabham running first and second until Moss’s transmission gave up the ghost 19 laps from the end. Brabham cruised to his first World Championship win with Trintignant third and McLaren fifth. From Monaco on Cooper’s season went from strength to strength, with Brabham leading the championship from start to finish. Brabham took his second win in the British Grand Prix, before Moss took a brace in Portugal and Italy and dominated the non-championship Gold Cup. By the final race at Sebring Cooper already had the Constructors’ Championship in the bag, but the Drivers Championship was still up for grabs. Moss needed to beat Brabham and finish second or better to take the title, while Ferrari’s Tony Brooks had a mathematical chance but needed both the win and fastest lap. Moss sprinted into the lead from pole position with Brabham in pursuit. After five laps Moss was a commanding ten seconds ahead, before his gearbox gave way again. Brabham led right up to the final lap, when a poor decision on Brabham’s part meant he ran out of fuel. He managed to push his car across the line in fourth, but Cooper still won the race as Bruce McLaren became the youngest winner in Formula One history (a record he held until surpassed by Fernando Alonso in 2003), leaving Brabham the Drivers’ Champion. Cooper travelled down to the 1960 Argentine Grand Prix seemingly at the peak of their powers, and Trintignant won the Buenos Aires F1 event that preceded the main championship race. However this turned out to be the last major win for a T51, as the speed of the new Lotus 18 began to dominate. On the journey back, John Cooper made his mind up that to stay at the front he needed to build a new car, and at the next championship race at Monaco the lowline T53 made its debut. In the meantime Moss took the Walker T51 to second in the Glover Trophy and qualified on pole position for the International Trophy before retiring with wishbone failure. Rob Walker had already bought a Lotus 18 for Moss, but the Englishman was to miss a large part of the season through injuries sustained when his notoriously fragile Lotus lost a wheel at speed in Belgium. Cooper entered the T51 just three more times, with ex-Scarab driver Chuck Daigh and journeyman Ron Flockhart retiring each time.

1970 March-Ford 701: Dating from 1970 was this 3 litre V8 engined March-Ford 701, the first Formula One car from March engineering, then a new constructor based at Bicester in Oxfordshire. The name an acronym from the names of its founders Max Moseley (now FIA President), Alan Rees, Graham Coaker, and Robin Herd (the designer and then ex-McLaren). March entered the Grand Prix arena as a works team in 1970 but also sold the chassis to Ken Tyrell’s team which included World Champion Driver Jackie Stewart. In 1969 Tyrell had run Matra Fords that had taken both driver and constructors championships but Matras new owner Chrysler had insisted the 1970 Matra should have its own V12 engine. Preferring the Ford Cosworth DFV engine Tyrell had turned to March taking with him his French Blue and Elf sponsorship. The 701’s results were variable but Stewart took this 701 to 2nd place at both Zandvoort, in the Dutch grand Prix and Monza in the Italian GP he won the Spanish Grand Prix in Jarama in a sister 701. Tyrell had their own new design for 1971 so the partnership lasted only one year.

1978 Triumph TR7 V8: The TR7 was launched in 1975 with a two-litre version of the Dolomite slant-four engine. From 1976 onwards, British Leyland (BL) decided to field a team of TR7s in international rallying. The cars were prepared by BL Motorsport at Abingdon, the team effectively the successor to the BMC Competitions Department. To improve the car’s performance for 1978 the Rover 3.5 litre V8 engine was installed. This particular car was one of the most successful of the TR7 V8 rally cars. It was driven by Tony Pond and Fred Gallagher in the 1978 season. They drove the car to victory in the 24 hour of Ypres and the Manx trophy rallies and also achieved fourth place in that year’s RAC rally.

1986 MG Metro 6R4: Built for the short lived Group B rally category, the car was a world away from the BL. Metro super-mini from which it took the name. Featuring a mid-mounted engine, with four wheel drive transmission enclosed in a seam welded tubular chassis, with the development entrusted to Williams Grand Prix Engineering. The car was first shown in May 1985 and was powered by a bespoke three litre V6 engine which used some of the engine architecture of the Cosworth DFV. It featured twin overhead cam shafts and four valves per cylinder, though not turbocharged as were most of its competition. Mounted south to north (backwards), in mid-ship with a permanently engaged four wheel drive, driving separate propshafts to the front and rear differentials. Most of the body was of GRP with an aluminium roof panel and steel doors. The car appeared in two guises the road going Clubman version with around 250bhp of which around 200 were sold to the public (£ 40,000) for homologation purposes, and around 20 competition cars which had an output up to 410bhp. The cars faced stiff competition in the Group B sector and despite a promising start to their programme Austin Rover withdrew, from the rallying scene at the end of 1987. Though they have since proved formidable in rallycross. Following the cancellation of the programme all parts and engines were sold to Tom Walkinshaw Racing, where upon the V6 engine reappeared with turbochargers in the Jaguar XJ220.

MG RECORD BREAKERS

There are three fabulous MG Record Breaker Cars here, the EX 135 of 1938, MG EX 179 of 1954 and EX 181 of 1957. This remarkable trio continuously set class records between 1938 and 1959 in engine sizes from 350cc to 1506cc. The EX 181 still holds the reputation as being the fastest MG ever when driven by Phil Hill to 254.91 mph at Bonneville in 1959.

EX179: The MG EX 179 record car has its origins in 1952 with the creation of the first two MGA prototypes. The EX 172, one was modified with a small windscreen and a full belly pan but the results proved disappointing. Renamed EX 179 it was given its fully streamlined body and other mods. In 1954 it was sent to the Bonneville Salt Flats in the USA for an assault on the Class F records. Driven by Goerge Eyston it achieved seven International Records including a record of 153mph and a twelve hour record of of 120.74mph. Reconfigured in 1956 with a BMC B series 1500cc engine it went on again to set multiple records.

EX135: Oldest of the trio was the EX135. Following independent attempts on the class G (1100cc) records in MG’s firstly by Goerge Eyston then by Goldie Gardiner. Cecil Kimber of MG and Lord Nuffield contacted Gardiner with the idea of creating a works prepared record car. Reid A Railton was called upon to design a fully enclosed streamlined body, built at Abingdon in 1938, and mounted on Gardener’s successful K3 based car and it was unveiled to the press in July 1938. On its first appearance on the Frankfurt Autobahn in November 1938 the new Class G records (1100cc) were set at 187.57 for the Kilometre and 187.61 for the mile. This was just the start of this cars remarkable career that stretched to 1952 and included 750cc, 500cc and 350cc records. The car claimed 30 records.

EX255: In 1959 Phil Hill drove the fastest MG ever setting a record speed of 254.91 mph in the record breaking streamliner EX 181. EX 255 was built in order to attack that record, featuring a 4797cc Rover V8 engine and constructed from a steel tube spaceframe. The special body was built by Mayflower of Coventry. The car uses standard doors and front wings of an MGF but other panels are specially constructed of carbon fibre. The engine was specially prepared by Janspeed and mounted behind the driver, transmission is a six speed sequential system. The car has special tyres, uprated disc brakes and two parachutes. Land Speed Record holder Richard Green was chosen to drive it, but the 1998 attempt was thwarted with problems with the cars supercharger. The team returned to Bonneville in 1999 with a more reliable twin turbocharger unit but this time clutch problems meant that the attempt ran out of time.

Commemorating its historical achievements in “land speed” records, the launch earlier in 2024 of the electric supercar MG EXE181 by MG’s London Advanced Design Center represents both a monumental tribute and a pivotal step into the electrified frontier, embodying the brand’s enduring pursuit of speed and marking a new chapter in its legacy. Engineered to defy limits, the EXE181 aims for a top speed of 415 km/h, coupled with a drag coefficient (Cd) of 0.181, underscoring MG’s commitment to redefine velocity in the electric era. This ambition catapults the EXE181 into the elite “Sub-1 second 0-100 km/h Club”, bridging MG’s storied history with the promise of a future where innovation and speed converge. With its cutting-edge technology and aerodynamic prowess, this electric supercar is primed to make a mark at its global debut at the Beijing Auto Show, followed by an anticipated appearance at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in July 2024.

LAND ROVERS

There is quite a collection of historic Land Rover models here, but this time I was somewhat sparing with the camera!

1970 Range Rover: This the car that created the entire SUV market sector, the first Range Rover. Now in the Heritage collection at Gaydon, YVB 153H was the first production vehicle off the line and formed part of the batch used for pre-launch testing. For this purpose they were badged as ‘Velar’, a fictional marque invented by Rover to throw the press off the scent and keep the car’s real identity secret until its launch.

JAGUAR

There is also a nice array of Jaguar models in the main museum, quite apart from those in the other building. Again, the camera only captured one of them, perhaps the prettiest of the lot.

1935 SS 1 Airline Saloon: This SS1 Airline is one of the best-known and most well preserved remaining examples. It was delivered new in March 1935 to a Captain S Clough by Yorkshire SS dealer Glovers of Harrogate. By 1948 the car had passed to L A Reid of Kirby near Liverpool who owned it until 1984 when it was bought by the History of Jaguar Museum in Maldon which had the car restored by local specialists Fullbridge. In 1994 the museum closed and the collection including this car was put up for auction by Brooks where it was purchased by the Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust with the aid of a grant from the Prism Trust. Some additional restoration work was undertaken by JDHT during 1996 and 1997, following which it was exhibited at the Luis Vuitton Classic at the Hurlingham Club on 5 June 1999. Following this event the engine was then overhauled with the cylinder head being skimmed and new valves fitted. After being on display in the Jaguar Gallery in Coventry Transport Museum for almost ten years JDHT carried out an extensive re-commissioning programme in their workshops at Gaydon, during 2021-22, in preparation for the Centenary celebrations of the setting up of the Swallow Sidecar Company in 1922. This included: more work on the engine, including removing a restriction from the cooling galleries; re-furbishing the steering column; adding an electronically controlled radiator fan, and adding additional lighting to include flashing indicators in period style lamps on the rear bumper and flashing LEDs in the front sidelights. In 1999, after painting a picture of a concours winning SS 1 which for a while was exhibited in the Jaguar Museum at the Browns Lane factory in Coventry, local artist Graham Bosworth was commissioned to paint AWR 564 for the JDHT. As the car’s first owner, Captain Clough, had used it for touring, Graham opted for a highland backdrop and called his picture ‘Highland Fling’. This painting is now on display on the Art Wall in the Collection Centre at the British Motor Museum at Gaydon. The SS1 Airline was only in production for a period of two years from 1934 to 1936 during which time 624 were produced, out of the total of 4,254 SS1 cars of all types. The price was initially £360 for the 16 hp model and £5 extra bought you the bigger 20 hp engine, although these prices were reduced by £20 for the 1936 season. Like many other cars of the period, the Airline paid lip service to the then current fashion of streamlining and reflected the Art Deco style. It has been said that William Lyons – stylist as well as company director – did not personally like the model, and the Airline has been attributed to the influence of William Walmsley, Lyons’s original partner, who would soon leave the Company. In a 1982 interview with Andrew Whyte in The Jaguar Marque, to mark the 60th anniversary of the company he told Whyte “Our only real mistake was the Airline.  The proportions we had established simply did not lend themselves to the ‘fastback’ trend of the ‘thirties’; by the time we’d got enough headroom in the back, it looked most ungainly.”  Whatever, it is without doubt the most striking of all the different SS1 body styles, with many unique features, such as the twin wing mounted spare wheels. From the start with a single, rather ungainly looking coupé body in 1931, over the next few years the SS1 underwent considerable development and became available with several different body styles. William Lyons was not particularly happy with the style of the original car, and after production of only one year, the 1933 models acquired a new chassis, underslung at the rear, long flowing wings, and a lower roof line. An alternative body in the shape of an open four-seater tourer was also offered. The 1934 SS1 models had larger engines, although still rated at 16 hp or 20 hp for taxation, and a saloon body became available, with rear side windows instead of the blind rear quarters. Further models were added to the 1935 range – a drophead coupé, the now legendary SS90 open two-seater sports car, and the Airline saloon.

FILM and TV CARS

The Film & TV cars zone includes the museum’s most popular movie vehicles – the fabulously pink FAB 1 from Thunderbirds, the Land Rover Defender used in the opening sequence of the James Bond Skyfall movie, the Tomb Raider Defender, the Land Rover ‘Judge Dredd’ City Cab and a replica of the DeLorean from Back to the Future 2.

The television situation comedy Only Fools and Horses was created and written by John Sullivan. It was originally broadcast on BBC One in the UK from 1981 to 1991, with Christmas specials aired most years until the show finally ended in 2003. Set in working-class Peckham in south-east London, it stars David Jason as ambitious market trader Derek ‘Del Boy’ Trotter, and Nicholas Lyndhurst as his younger brother Rodney Trotter. The series follows the Trotters’ highs and lows in life, in particular their attempts to get rich. Derek’s transport was initially a tatty yellow three-wheeled Reliant Regal Supervan (also on show in the Museum) but in some of the later episodes he traded up to four-wheels with a rather lurid lime green Ford Capri, in Ghia specification and famously referred to by his brother as the “Pratmobile”. The Capri on display here is the Mark III used in later programmes but a similar looking Mark II also appeared in some earlier episodes. Del Boy was never known for his taste. Note the pink door mirror, fake fur interior trim, furry dice, radio aerial, the multitude of front lamps and a roof rack presumably used to lug ‘hooky’ gear back from the market.

This 1972 Reliant Regal Supervan 3 is one of several vans supplied to the BBC by Action Vehicles for the BBC hit comedy series ‘Only Fools and Horses’. Under the peeling yellow paint work blue paint is showing from when it appeared in Rowan Atkinson’s ‘Mr Bean’. This vehicle later returned back to Peckham for the 1996 Only Fools and Horses Christmas Special.

“Harry Potter” Ford Anglia 105E: Originally launched in 1959, the Anglia 105E was Ford’s competitor to the Mini and the Triumph Herald. Over the eight-year production run of the car, there were many mechanical updates but very few cosmetic changes. When production ended in 1967, just over one million had been built. At an affordable price, the Anglia was available in saloon, estate and commercial forms, three trim levels and came in an interesting range of colours, making it a very popular choice. Built in Ford’s UK factory in Dagenham, this Anglia 105E Deluxe was used in some of the Harry Potter films. Illegally enchanted by Arthur Weasley, it made its first appearance in the 2002 film Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets when Ron and Harry used it to travel to Hogwarts after missing the Hogwarts Express. In the film, this particular Ford Anglia could not only fly, but also had a special button so it could not be seen by the non-magical (muggle) population. This car is one of sixteen Anglias that were used for filming. Some of the cars were hung from a gimble to simulate flight, some were damaged after a run in with the Whomping Willow and others were sectioned to provide interior shots.

Land Rover “Judge Dredd”: This Land Rover was designed for the 1995 film Judge Dredd. Dredd is a Street Judge who serves as police officer, judge, jury and executioner all rolled into one; attempting to uphold the law in Mega-City One – actor Sylvester Stallone is Judge Dredd. Set in the third millennium, this futuristic and stunning vehicle was designed by Land Rover’s own designers. Hidden underneath the fibre-glass body, the chassis is a 1970s Land Rover 101 inch military vehicle. This vehicle is one of twenty-two built for use in the film and only this one has a complete interior, and was used for inside and close-up shots. The remaining vehicles were fitted only with the Judge Dredd exterior body shells.

OTHER DISPLAY CARS

This 1899 Wolseley 3½hp Voiturette was the third model Wolseley made by Herbert Austin who later left the company to form his own business, Austin Cars. It has a single cylinder, 1300cc engine producing 4 bhp and had a top speed of 20mph (32km/h) – quite fast in its day.

This 1921 Morris Oxford “Silent Six” was used by William Morris as his personal car but also the only survivor of one of Morris Motors rare failures. The chassis was a lengthened version of the four cylinder Bullnose Cowley and Oxford and shared as many components as possible with its little brothers. Much of its extra length is taken up by the lengthened engine, but its coachwork is the most luxurious of any Bullnose with many body details reminiscent of GWR railways furnishings. William Morris had been very keen to have a six cylinder model in the Morris range but in the end only about fifty of these Silent Sixes were built. The chief mechanical problem came with the cars ability to regularly break crank shafts, which it shared with the four cylinder and in truth was not up to the job of coping with the rigours of the bigger engine. It all proved a very costly car for Morris to build., and the decision was taken to drop the model in favour of concentrating on cheaper family cars which were becoming the companies bread and butter. In 1921 this car was priced at £ 575. its 2322cc six cylinder engine produced 39bhp giving a top speed of 60 mph.

1922 Austin Seven Chummy: the oldest of the Austin Seven models on display in the museum.

Triumph TR3: Launched in 1955, the TR3 was an evolution of the TR2 and not a brand new model. It was powered by a 1991 cc straight-4 OHV engine initially producing 95 bhp, an increase of 5 hp over the TR2 thanks to the larger SU-H6 carburettors fitted. This was later increased to 100 bhp at 5000 rpm by the addition of a “high port” cylinder head and enlarged manifold. The four-speed manual gearbox could be supplemented by an overdrive unit on the top three ratios, electrically operated and controlled by a switch on the dashboard. In 1956 the front brakes were changed from drums to discs, the TR3 thus becoming the first British series production car to be so fitted. The TR3 was updated in 1957, with various changes of which the full width radiator grille is the easiest recognition point and the facelifted model is commonly referred to as the Triumph “TR3A”, though unlike the later TR4 series, where the “A” suffix was adopted, the cars were not badged as such and the “TR3A” name was not used officially, Other updates included exterior door handles, a lockable boot handle and the car came with a full tool kit as standard (this was an option on the TR3). The total production run of the “TR3A” was 58,236. This makes it the third best-selling TR after the TR6 and TR7. The TR3A was so successful that the original panel moulds eventually wore out and had to be replaced. In 1959 a slightly modified version came out that had raised stampings under the bonnet and boot hinges and under the door handles, as well as a redesigned rear floor section. In addition, the windscreen was attached with bolts rather than the Dzus connectors used on the early “A” models. Partly because it was produced for less time, the original TR3 sold 13,377 examples, of which 1286 were sold within the UK; the rest being exported mainly to the USA. Seen with this TR3b was a small-sized pedal car version.

Often known as the Rover P5B, they were built on the old P5 Rover 3 litre structure and powered by an ex-Buick light alloy V8 engine with automatic transmission. The Saloon were often used as official cars by Government officials and Cabinet Ministers. The Coupe is a 4 door low roof line saloon, still with the same sumptuous seating and interiors. Rostyle wheels were standard. The 3.5 litre offered luxurious and dignified motoring with a good turn of speed. It was often chauffeur driven and found its own niche, as a Government and official car. This particular car is the personal property of HM The Queen and is finished in a special dark green colour. Inside there is other special equipment such as a radio telephone. When the car was in service a discreet blue light in the windscreen would be fitted.

1939 Wolseley Eight: Derived from the Morris Eight Series using the Morris structure, the Wolseley Eight had the distinctive nose and an OHV engine. Due to be introduced in 1939, WWII delayed it until after hostilities had ceased. By 1948 5,000 had been built and a new range of models replaced the pre-war designs. Three prototypes were probably built but only this one survived the war. It was Lord Nuffield’s personal car and he used it to travel back and forth to Cowley from his home, Nuffield Place, a journey of 17 miles. Despite access to much grander cars, the Wolseley Eight was his choice, right into his eighties. Lady Nuffield’s Wolseley Eight survives at Nuffield Place.

There is just one bus in the collection, this 1923 AEC S Type: The S-type could carry 54 passengers, then making it the largest bus in London. It was not as comfortable as a tram ride, as the trams had covered top decks and the solid rubber tyres, as seen on the bus, didn’t provide a particularly smooth journey. S742, entered service in 1923 at Tottenham and one of 928 built by the Associated Equipment Company for the London General Omnibus Company. S742 was among the last of the S-types to be running, when service ended in 1933. It was also one of the last vehicles of this type to be constructed, which can be established by its ‘turned under’ side panels.

BRITISH SPORTSCARS

1933 Singer Le Mans: Produced by Singer & Co Ltd, this was the first Singer 1½ litre Le Mans to be built of a total of only 71 cars. It was supplied new to Joseph Patrick, who went on achieve major successes in pre-war trials and rallies with the car. 1934 was a particularly good year for both the car and Joseph Patrick; he won The Watkinson Cup for the best performance by a member of a visiting club in the Abingdon to Abingdon Trial, The Bernard Norris Cup in the ‘Sunbac’ Colmore Trophy Trials and an award in the Brooklands One Hour Trial. In 1935, Patrick won the P. J. Evans Cup for the best performance for over 1100cc in the Abingdon to Abingdon Trial with no marks lost! Following a successful racing and rallying career, the car ended up in Scotland after it had been purchased and later stored there by a sea captain. With some help tracing the car from the Singer Owners Club, the car was purchased by The Patrick Collection in 1986. After joining the collection, it underwent a complete rebuild and restoration in order to bring it back to its former glory. In 2023 The Patrick Foundation donated the vehicle to the British Motor Museum.

1954 MG TF: Final version of the popular T Series sports car was the TF, launched on the 15 October 1953. Although it looked quite a bit different, this was really just a facelifted TD, fitted with the TD Mark II engine, headlights faired into the wings, a sloping radiator grille concealing a separate radiator, and a new pressurised cooling system along with a simulated external radiator cap. This XPAG engine’s compression ratio had been increased to 8.1:1 and extra-large valves with stronger valve springs and larger carburettors increased output to 57.5 bhp at 5,500 rpm. In mid-1954 the engine capacity was increased by 17 per cent to 1466 cc and designated XPEG. The bore was increased to 72 mm and compression raised to 8.3:1 giving 63 bhp at 5,000 rpm and a 17 per cent increase in torque. The car was now designated TF1500, and externally distinguished by a cream background enamel nameplate on both sides of the bonnet, placed just to the rear of the forward bonnet-release buttons. Production ended at chassis number TF10100 on 4 April 1955 after 9,602 TFs had been manufactured, including two prototypes and 3,400 TF1500s. A number of replica models have been built in more recent years, with the Naylor of the mid 1980s being perhaps the best known.

1961 TVR Grantura: Started by Trevor Wilknson and based in Blackpool, the first TVR car was produced in 1949. The original Grantura, of 1958, with its backbone chassis and glassfibre body had VW derived front and rear independent suspension with drum brakes. Engine options eventually included MGA B-series, Coventry Climax and Ford pre-crossflow. By mid-1961 disc brakes and non-opening front quarter lights had appeared. TVR went on to produce cars in Blackpool right up to 2006, but in early 2018 it was announced that the Welsh Government had bought a minority stake in the company. This car is a 1961 Grantura Mk II with the 1622cc B-series engine from an MGA.

MOTORING TIME ROAD

This part of the museum was not changed during the latest revamp. The Time Road is around the outer edge of the museum, and is two cars wide, with an array of cars displayed in chronological order, starting with the dawn of motoring and ending with the sort of cars that were on the roads in the 1980s. Some of the cars from the collection seem to be pretty much a permanent fixture in this display, whereas others get swapped in and out. Although the majority of the cars showcased here are from marques that ultimately ended up in the British Leyland empire, some of them, especially the more recent ones, are from other British marques that played their part in the evolution of the car and our motoring heritage.

This is the Royal Riley of 1899. By the late 19th century the Riley family had interests in Coventry’s weaving industry, but William Riley turned to the manufacture of bicycles forming the Riley Cycle Company in 1986. One of his sons Percy designed a one off four wheeled motor car in 1898, but the company’s initial response to the invention of motor vehicles came the motorised cycle rather than a motor car, this 3.5hp tricycle was displayed at the 1899 Cycle Show, inspired by the French De Dion Bouton tricycles. Its engine is one of the De Dion type, manufactured under licence by the Cudell company of Aachen, Germany. Riley manufactured the tricycle for the next two or three years along with pedal, motor cycles and the quadricycle. This is the oldest known surviving Riley motor vehicle, discovered in a derelict condition in 1955 by Sqd. Leader H A Knight who restored it to working condition.

A couple of years younger is this Wolseley 10 hp Tonneau of 1901. In 1901 Wolseley now under the control of Vickers, changed its name from The Wolseley Sheep Shearing Company to The Wolseley Tool and Motor Company, moving to Adderly Park, Birmingham. Rapidly becoming on of the largest British car producers of the day, with an output of 327 vehicles in the 1901 calendar. By 1914, the outbreak of WW1 they were market leaders delivering 3000 vehicles a year. The 10hp Tonneau was announced in 1901 with options of solid or pneumatic tyres and a sprag brake to stop it rolling backwards on hills. The engine was a horizontal twin cylinder designed by Herbert Austin. This car has a body constructed by Anne Cowburn a Manchester coachbuilder, long established as a horse drawn carriage builder and harness manufacturer in 1779.

This is an Albion A1 Dog Cart from 1902. The car manufacturing at Albion was relatively short lived (1900-15). The first car of 1900 was a rustic-looking dogcart made of varnished wood, powered by a flat-twin 8hp engine with gear-change by “Patent Combination Clutches” and solid tyres. Not a model made that would have them queueing round the block today, the Dogcart took its name from a type of horse drawn carriage that would have an enclosed space for under the seat. Which in the case of this Albion was were the engine was housed. Though rather dated by 1900, the Albion Dogcart was still popular in its native Scotland. The occupants sat back to back and this style of seating was known as dos-a-dos, from the French back to back (also a phrase used in square dancing). The Albion’s engine is an 8hp horizontally opposed water cooled twin cylinder, steering was originally by a tiller but converted to a steering wheel early in its life. It also uses solid tyres on carriage type wheels.

1904 Vauxhall 6HP: The 6hp was one of the last Vauxhall models to be built with the tiller steering system and this was superseded by wheel steering at the end of 1904. Similar to the previous model, the 6hp had an integrated chassis and body. The main differences between the 5hp and 6hp models was the inclusion of a reverse gear, and the change from wire to wooden artillery wheels. This made the later model slightly heavier and as a result the single cylinder engine needed to be a little bit bigger, at 1029cc. Produced at the original South London factory for Vauxhall, this 6hp was one of the 70 cars produced by the company during 1904 and remains a regular participant in the London to Brighton Veteran Car Run.

This is an Austin 40hp York Landaulette from 1907. The Austin 40 and 60 produced between 1907-12 were the largest Austin road cars ever made. But by 1912 Austin had decide that its future lay in producing smaller mass produced cars. The 40 is actually rated as 36.3hp.

This is an Albion A6 24-30 Tourer of 1909. Manufactured as a large, powerful, luxury car on a chassis of steel channel-section side members, leaf spring suspension with final drive by chain and an impressive 5.6 litre side valve engine of four separate cylinder barrels and a T Head with side valves on each side. The A6 was a giant step away from the A1, with what is described as modern handling and performance for the day But demand was limited, not least by the marketing being concentrated on Scotland and potential Scottish buyers. With their commercial vehicle sales outstripping capacity it was decided to cease car production focus on buses and lorries. This car was registered in Renfrewshire where it spent its early years. After WW2 Albion Motors bought it back, restored it and used it as a promotional vehicle, with the car becoming a familiar sight at Rallies and Shows throughout Scotland.

Dating from 1904, this Rover 8hp is the oldest surviving Rover car known. Rover had been in business manufacturing cycles and motorcycles for several decades as the Rover Cycle Company before launching this their first model in 1904. The 8hp was designed by Edmund Lewis and featured an unconventional backbone chassis frame with transverse leaf springs. Early models, including this car, had cable and bobbin steering and a steering column gear selecter, but these were soon replaced by worm drive steering and a more conventional right hand gear lever. A foot pedal allowed compression of the engine to assist braking. The car had a healthy power to weight ratio, weighing in at just 10’5 cwt (533kg) and a relatively powerful engine for its size. A Rover 8hp was the first car to driven across Europe to Constantinople (cue Frank Sinatra – Nobody knows while Constantinople got the works, aint nobody’s business but the Turks).

1923 Rover Eight Flat Twin Coupe: This unusual small Rover was designed by Jack Sangster, well known in the motorcycle industry as his family founded the Ariel company and he became chairman of BSA. Sangster approached the Rover company with his design for an air-cooled flat-twin car in 1919. Rover purchased the design and employed him as Assistant Works Manager to oversee production of the Eight in the Birmingham Tyseley factory. This was perhaps the most successful small car in Britain before the Austin Seven. Over the years the Eight was gradually reduced in price from £300 to £139 until production ceased in 1926. This coupé model was new for 1923 and was very much a de-luxe version, being fitted with a then modern self-starter.

1931 Morris Cowley: A considerably changed Cowley was announced on 29 August 1931. In common with the rest of the Morris range the coachwork of the now six models of Cowley was redesigned for a more pleasing appearance with a fashionable “eddy-free” leading edge to the roof of closed cars, petrol tanks located at the rear of the chassis, chrome finish to all bright parts, Magna type wire wheels as standard. There was a new chassis frame giving a lower body. Springs had been made longer and more resilient. Bigger brake drums were provided and the brakes were now actuated hydraulically and supplied by Lockheed. There was a new radiator to match with the large hub wire wheels. The engine’s connecting rods were now Duralumin. A sports coupé body was added to the range. Either the 11.9 or 14/32 engine was supplied to order for the same price. There were no more four seater tourers. A revised (“transformed” said the advertising) lower body with a new 11.9 hp engine behind a new, sloping, radiator and still of the same 1548 cc was announced 28 August 1933 along with a four-speed Twin-Top syncromesh gearbox, shorter stronger cruciform chassis, leather upholstery, draught excluders over the gear lever and pedal slots and a battery master switch (in case of fire). Closed cars were given a sun visor. Additional equipment included bumpers front and rear and luggage grid and parcel net. From late 1934 this car was badged Morris Twelve Four. A total of 39,074 were made.

1934 MG PA: Replacing the J series cars was the 1934 PA. The PA and later PB replaced the J Type Midget. These 2-door sports cars used an updated version of the overhead camshaft, crossflow engine that was also used in the 1928 Morris Minor and Wolseley 10 as well as the J-type Midget of 1932 to 1934. It drove the rear wheels through a four-speed non-synchromesh gearbox. The chassis was a strengthened and slightly longer version of that used in the J-type with suspension by half-elliptic springs all round with rigid front and rear axles. Steering was initially by a Marles Weller and later a Bishop Cam system. The two-seat car had a wheelbase of 87″ and a track of 42″. Most cars were open two seaters, but streamlined Airline coupé bodies were also made. The P-type was also available as a four-seater, a car that suffered from a lack of power and poor rear ground clearance. Whereas J, K and L-type MGs differentiated between versions with the use of numbers, with 1 indicating a four-seater (the J1) and 2 a two-seater (the J2), this was not the case with the P-type (or its six-cylinder sister, the N-type Magnette), and there is no clue to the type in the name. The first version, the PA used an 847 cc engine similar to the one on the J-Type, but now with a 3-bearing crankshaft, larger camshaft and twin SU carburettors. It produced 36 bhp at 5,500 rpm. In 1935, a PA open two-seater cost £222. Around 2,000 PAs were made. In late 1936 the PA was replaced by the PB, which had a larger 939cc 43bhp engine and which is distinguished by a grille of vertical slats as opposed to the honeycomb pattern of the PA. 526 examples of the PB were made.

1933 Riley Nine Kestrel: The Riley Nine of 1926 immediately became a benchmark in the light car class. Its all-new engine featured hemispherical combustion chambers with overhead valves in a 90 degree V. With excellent performance for its size, it was available as sports saloons or open bodies. The Nine continued until 1938 and, with more than 31,000 made, was the most popular pre-war Riley. This Riley Kestrel sports saloon belonged to an RAF Wing Commander and in 1953 was purchased by Miss Goodall who not only used the Riley as her everyday transport but drove all over Britain. The car is unspoilt, retaining many original features. After Miss Goodall’s death, the car was donated by her travelling companion and ‘co-driver’, Miss Hilda Merlane.

1934 Standard 10/12 Speedline: Standard introduced the Speed range for the Motor Show in 1934. With a choice of a coupé and two saloons, it shared the same 10hp chassis, suitably strengthened for a more powerful 12hp engine. The Speed model had a higher gear ratio, cast Millenite ribbed brake drums, knock-on hubs, a high compression aluminium cylinder head and twin carburettors. The body was gently streamlined in deference to tastes of the time and this model was the direct frontrunner of the ‘Flying Standard’ range which followed in the 1930s. Accessories included a twin-tone horn and a windscreen washer spray. Finished in ivory with scarlet flashes, this Speedline was originally sold to a lady in Cheltenham. After only a few months, she returned it to the dealer as she couldn’t get on with the car. The head salesman, John Oates, decided to buy the car for himself. He adorned the radiator with a bronze eagle mascot. During WW2 the car was used on police duty, the body was painted black and a single carburettor was fitted to aid economy. Mr Oates kept the car until 1967, later using it as a summer house. Discovered by the next owner in Mr Oates’ garden, the car was restored during the 1970s before passing to the Trust.

1937 Vauxhall Ten: In October 1937, Vauxhall introduced its new 10hp model, the H-type. This was a revolutionary small car, the first British car to be built with unitary construction (no separate chassis). The cost to Vauxhall to develop the car was more than £1 million. The Ten featured a new 1.2 litre engine, hydraulic brakes and independent front suspension. It also included a gearbox with synchromesh on the second and third gears. The car was economical and many owners could match Vauxhall’s quoted fuel consumption figure of 40mpg. The styling was neat and incorporated Vauxhall’s traditional fluted bonnet and radiator. The deluxe model is finished in steel grey polychromatic cellulose paint, a novelty at the time and the equivalent of today’s metallic paint. The H-type was soon popular, more than 10,000 selling in the first five months of sale. Competing with Ford’s Model Y and Morris’ Eight, the Ten managed a total run of 45,000 cars by the time the post-war vehicle tax regime put paid to production in 1947.

1937 Wolseley 14/56: The 26th June 1936 saw the introduction of the Series II – 14/56 Saloon, replacing the earlier ‘New Fourteen‘, along with a Salon de Ville variant being introduced later in September 1936. The 14/56 became one of the most popular models to be produced with approximately 15,000 during the short life of the Series II. Unlike the Morris equivalent at the time, the Wolseley 14/56 featured overhead valve engine and four-speed gearbox, along with ‘Easiclean’ steel-pressed wheels. The ‘Jackall’ system was also available, whereby a hand pumped hydraulic system could be used to raise the front, rear, or all of the wheels off the ground. As with other Series II cars, the simple distinction between the later Series III 14/60 introduced on 27th September 1938 are that of the bonnet louvres, there being four horizontal along each side for the Series II.

1954 Hillman Minx Californian: The now rare Hillman Minx Californian was conceived for the American market and was particularly significant in forming part of Britain’s export drive in the 1950s. Based on the Hillman Minx, it blended a mix of British and American styling motifs, but sales of the car in America were less than anticipated. The pillarless coupé body, with its wind-down quarter-circle rear windows and two-tone paintwork, was styled by French-American designer Raymond Loewy who had worked with US car manufacturer Studebaker from 1936. The Californian was built in Britain with the Pressed Steel bodies first sent to Thrupp and Maberly in London for painting and trimming, then to the Rootes factory at Ryton-On-Dunsmore near Coventry for assembly. This particular car was sent to the Rootes flagship showroom Devonshire House in Piccadilly for display and is now part of the renowned “Devonshire House” group of cars. David and Eileen Welsh acquired this car in 1999, affectionately naming it “Hyme”, and travelled many happy miles in the Californian together. The car was donated by Mr Welsh to the Museum in memory of his late wife earlier this year and it has only just gone on display.

Alvis TE21: This is a TE21, the follow on to the TD21 which was conceived in 1956 and was quite a departure from the lovely, but rather “post-war” TC21. However, on its arrival in dealer’s showrooms, it quickly set about changing established views of the Alvis. Following the loss of coachbuilders Mulliner and Tickford (who were now tied to other companies), Alvis turned to the Swiss coachbuilder, Graber whose tradition of producing sleek, modern and very elegant saloons and dropheads proved a good fit in terms of the way Alvis saw their future. Graber first presented this new style to the Alvis board in late 1957 who were very impressed with the Swiss company’s flowing design and commissioned the body to be built on the new TD chassis. To ease logistical problems, Park Ward of London, built the Graber designed bodies in the UK. The Alvis Three Litre TD21 Series I was produced between the end of 1958 and April 1962, and was powered by the TC’s 2993 cc engine, uprated by 15bhp to 115 as a result of an improved cylinder head design and an increased compression ratio. A new four-speed gearbox from the Austin-Healey 100 was incorporated, while the suspension remained similar to the cars predecessor, independent at the front using coil springs and leaf springs at the rear, but the track was increased slightly and a front anti-roll bar added. From 1959 the all drum brake set up was changed to discs at the front retaining drums at the rear. In April 1962, the car was upgraded with four wheel Dunlop disc brakes in place of the disc/drum combination, aluminium doors, a five-speed ZF gearbox and pretty recessed spotlights either side of the grille, these improvements coming together to create the TD21 Series II. The car would be updated in 1963 to create the TE21, with its distinctive dual headlights proving a recognition point, and the later TF21, continuing in production until 1967 at which point Alvis ceased car manufacture

1963 Vauxhall Viva HA: Launched in 1963, as a competitor to the Morris 1100 and Ford Anglia, the Viva was utterly conventional in design and was Vauxhall’s first serious step into the compact car market after the Second World War, and the marque’s first new small car since 1936. Offered only as a two door saloon, the new car was powered by a 1,057 cc overhead valve, four cylinder, front-mounted engine driving the rear wheels, it was comparable in size and mechanical specifications with the new Opel Kadett released a year earlier in continental Europe. The Viva and Kadett were sold alongside each other in many markets. The HA set new standards in its day for lightweight, easy to operate controls, a slick short gearchange, lightweight steering and clutch pedal, good all-round visibility and relatively nippy performance. It was one of the first cars to be actively marketed towards women, perhaps as a result of these perceived benefits for them. The Viva was initially launched in Standard and Deluxe versions, identifiable by their simple horizontal slatted metal grilles. Minor changes in September 1964 included improved seats and more highly geared steering. A more luxurious SL variant appeared in June 1965. Engines were available in two states of tune: entry level models came with a power output of 44 bhp, while the Viva 90, introduced in October 1965, had a higher 9:1 compression ratio and produced 54 bhp. 90 models came with front disc brakes, while SLs featured contrasting bodyside flashes, a criss-cross chrome plated front grille, full wheel covers, three-element round tail lights and better interior trim. During its first ten months, over 100,000 HA Vivas were made, and by 1966 the HA had chalked up over 306,000 sales, proving that Vauxhall had made a successful return to the small-car market, which they had abandoned following the Second World War. In common with other Vauxhall models of the period, the HA, suffered severely from corrosion problems. One of the main problem areas being the cappings along the top side edges of the luggage compartment badly corroding and allowing water to enter, consequently leading to severe structural corrosion in the luggage-compartment floor area. As with a lot of other British cars of that period, many Vivas failed to survive long term, so it was good to see one.

1967 Austin 1100: The 1100 model, designed by Alec Issigonis, followed on from the pioneering Mini but was a medium sized family car. Thus, the 1100 had more interior space than similar competitors yet it was shorter and lighter. The 1100 was the first car to feature Alec Moulton’s Hydrolastic suspension and, with styling by Pininfarina, it was available in Morris and Austin versions. Later they were joined by more upmarket MG, Riley, Wolseley and Vanden Plas models. This 1967 example has a four speed automatic gearbox and, despite the badging, has the 1275cc engine only available later in the year as the Mark II 1300. It was first owned by the personal secretary to BMC boss, Sir Leonard Lord.

1975 Wolseley: Known just as the Wolseley, this would turn out to be the last model to bear the historic name. The Wolseley 18-22 Wedge was launched to critical acclaim on March 26th 1975 and billed as “The car that has got it all together”. The ‘Wedge’, as it was affectionately to be called, inherited the front wheel drive / transverse E Series 2.2 litre 6 cylinder engine configuration from its predecessor, the Wolseley Six and was given the model designation ADO 71. In September 1975, the model range was rebranded Princess and with the Wolseley name disappered. 3800 had been built.

Ford Cortina 80: Also here was a Cortina 80, sometimes known as the Mark V. It was announced on 24 August 1979. Officially the programme was code named Teresa, although externally it was marketed as “Cortina 80”, but the Mark V tag was given to it immediately on release by the press, insiders and the general public. Largely an update to the Mark IV, it was really a step between a facelift and a rebody. The Mark V differentiated itself from the Mark IV by having revised headlights with larger turn indicators incorporated (which were now visible on the side too), a wider slatted grille said to be more aerodynamically efficient, a flattened roof, larger glass area, slimmer C-pillars with revised vent covers, larger slatted tail lights (on saloon models) and upgraded trim. Improvements were also made to the engine range, with slight improvements to both fuel economy and power output compared to the Mark IV. The 2.3 litre V6 engine was given electronic ignition and a slight boost in power output to 116 bhp, compared to the 108 bhp of the Mark IV. Ford also claimed improved corrosion protection on Mark V models; as a result, more Mark Vs have survived; however, corrosion was still quite a problem. The estate models combined the Mark IV’s bodyshell (which was initially from the 1970 Ford Taunus) with Mark V front body pressings. A pick-up (“bakkie”) version was also built in South Africa. These later received a longer bed and were then marketed as the P100. Variants included the Base, L, GL, and Ghia (all available in saloon and estate forms), together with Base and L spec 2-door sedan versions (this bodystyle was available up to Ghia V6 level on overseas markets). The replacement for the previous Mark IV S models was an S pack of optional extras which was available as an upgrade on most Mark V models from L trim level upwards. For the final model year of 1982 this consisted of front and rear bumper overriders, sports driving lamps, an S badge on the boot, tachometer, 4 spoke steering wheel, revised suspension settings, front gas shock absorbers,’Sports’ gear lever knob, sports road wheels, 185/70 SR x 13 tyres and Fishnet Recaro sports seats (optional). Various “special editions” were announced, including the Calypso and Carousel. The final production model was the Crusader special edition which was available as a 1.3 litre, 1.6 litre, and 2.0 litre saloons or 1.6 litre and 2.0 litre estates. The Crusader was a final run-out model in 1982, along with the newly introduced Sierra. It was the best-specified Cortina produced to date and 30,000 were sold, which also made it Ford’s best-selling special edition model. Another special edition model was the Cortina Huntsman, of which 150 were produced. By this time, the Cortina was starting to feel the competition from a rejuvenated Vauxhall, which with the 1981 release Cavalier J-Car, was starting to make inroads on the Cortina’s traditional fleet market, largely helped by the front wheel drive benefits of weight. Up to and including 1981, the Cortina was the best selling car in Britain. Even during its final production year, 1982, the Cortina was Britain’s second best selling car and most popular large family car. On the continent, the Taunus version was competing with more modern and practical designs like the Talbot Alpine, Volkswagen Passat, and Opel Ascona. The very last Cortina – a silver Crusader – rolled off the Dagenham production line on 22 July 1982 on the launch of the Sierra, though there were still a few leaving the forecourt as late as 1987, with one final unregistered Cortina GL leaving a Derbyshire dealership in 2005. The last Cortina built remains in the Ford Heritage Centre in Dagenham, Essex, not far from the factory where it was assembled.

1980 Austin mini Metro 1.3 HLS: “A British car to beat the world”. So read the billboards when the Austin Metro was revealed in October 1980. We had waited a long time for this car. There were many false starts, with thoughts first turning to how to replace the Mini going back to the late 1960s, but for various reasons, every effort had been cancelled. Fortunately, that extended to the ADO88 prototype which got to quite an advanced state of development in 1978, but which received less than favourable feedback at customer clinics. A hasty redesign was conducted. Despite carrying over the A Series engines, albeit in modified A+ guise, as BL had nothing else suitable an no money to develop an alternative, and that meant the 4 speed in-sump gearbox came with it, the little Metro has an immediate hit. It looked good, with pert, modern looks, and with a large hatchback, and some innovative ideas on how to maximise the use of space, this was a roomy car that Britain could indeed be proud of. That a young lady who came to prominence in the months following launch, the future Princess Diana, could be seen driving around in one probably helped still further. Five models were available at launch: 1.0, 1.0L, the economy-oriented 1.0 HLE, 1.3S and 1.3 HLS, and the cars were available in a wide range of bright and attractive colours, including a greater percentage of metallic paints than were typically offered to buyers of cars in this class. My parents bought a 1.0L in the summer of 1983, as a replacement for our Mini, and the car was a massive improvement in just about every respect. Unlike previous BL cars, this model was not dogged with build quality and reliability issues, though, sadly it did have the same propensity to rust as they did, but it took several years before that would become obvious. Before that happened, the range was expanded with the introduction of cheaper City and City X models, a top spec Vanden Plas and then the sporting MG version. There was a lot of angst about this last one, as the purists all bemoaned the fact that it was not a “real” MG, as it was a family hatchback not a sports car (conveniently ignoring the MG 1100/1300 saloons of the 1960s), but ti soon became apparent that this little car was a blast to drive, and something quite special with its red trim, including red seat belts and a liberal splashing of octagon logos around the car. A wilder Turbo model followed at the end of 1982, reflecting the craze for every manufacturer to bolt one on to every car that they could find to create a series of often rather unruly and lag-prone but fast machines. Although a lot of work was done in the mid 80s on developing what should have been another world class replacement (the AR6, the prototype for which is also hidden away at Gaydon), a lack of funds meant that for the next 7 years, all that happened was a lot of tweaking of the the trim, and specification and the incorporation of a pair of rear doors to create a 5 door model. This was at a time when the competition stood far from still, with the Fiat Uno and Peugeot 205 upping the ante in early 1983, Vauxhall joining the fray with the Nova mid year, a facelifted Fiesta with a five speed gearbox arriving later that year, a new Renault R5 the following year, along with several Japanese rivals coming out every 4 years. It all made the Metro look increasingly elderly, and also small, compared to all its rivals.

More details on the museum’s own website: https://www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk/