British Motor Museum

The British Motor Museum stands in Gaydon, Warwickshire, on the site of a former RAF airfield. Its 65-acre grounds hold a large modern building that houses over 300 historic British cars. The collection grew from earlier groups managed by the British Leyland Motor Corporation in the 1970s. Two trusts, the British Motor Industry Heritage Trust and the Jaguar Heritage Trust, now oversee the vehicles and archives. The museum opened as the Heritage Motor Centre in 1993 and was renamed in 2016 after a major refurbishment. The museum holds the world’s largest collection of historic British cars. It includes the first Land Rover from 1948, the millionth Land Rover Discovery 4, and the first Mini. A recent exhibition, “The Women Who Made Their Marque,” celebrates women’s contributions to Jaguar and other marques. The archive service can trace a car’s original build details using its chassis number. Rare models such as the Jaguar R1 Formula One car and the Sinclair C5 are also on display. Visitors find a two-storey Collection Centre housing around 250 reserve vehicles. The main galleries show cars used by royalty and politicians, rally winners, and film props like FAB1 from Thunderbirds. Prototype and record-breaking vehicles sit alongside production models. The museum’s grounds and buildings provide space for both display and research. Original factory ledgers in the archive help owners confirm a car’s history.