National Motor Museum, Beaulieu

The National Motor Museum (originally the Montagu Motor Museum) is a museum in the village of Beaulieu, set in the heart of the New Forest, in the English county of Hampshire. It was founded in 1952 by Edward John Barrington Douglas-Scott-Montagu, 3rd Baron Montagu of Beaulieu as a tribute to his father, who was one of the great pioneers of motoring in the United Kingdom, being the first person to drive a motor car into the yard of the Houses of Parliament, and having introduced King Edward VII (then the Prince of Wales) to motoring during the 1890s.

At first the museum consisted of just five cars and a small collection of automobilia displayed in the front hall of Lord Montagu's ancestral home, Palace House, but such was the popularity of this small display that the collection soon outgrew its home and was transferred to wooden sheds in the grounds of the house. In 1972 a new purpose-built museum building was constructed in the parkland surrounding Palace House, and the name was changed to the National Motor Museum to reflect a change of status from a private collection to a charitable trust.

Today, in addition to around 250 of the most historically important motor vehicles to have been produced since the late-19th century, including four world land speed record holders, the museum is also home to one of the finest collections of motoring books, journals, photographs, films, and automobilia in the world.

Among its exhibits are Land Speed Record holders: Malcolm Campbell's 1925 350HP Sunbeam, Henry Segrave's 1927 Sunbeam 1000 hp and 1929 "Golden Arrow", Donald Campbell's "Bluebird" CN7. The yellow Reliant Regal van from the BBC 1 TV comedy "Only Fools And Horses" and a display of James Bond vehicles are also among the exhibits.

Additional attractions include a monorail, veteran bus ride, rally-car simulator ride, go-karting rink, playground, restaurant and a substantial part of the Palace House and grounds, including the partially ruined Beaulieu Abbey, providing a full day out. Among the monastery buildings to have been preserved are the domus (now used for functions and exhibitions), and the refectory, which is now the parish church.

The museum is open every day except for Christmas Day, though inevitably it attracts its highest number of visitors during the summer months.

See also

* National Motor Museum Monorail
* Beaulieu Abbey
* Coventry Transport Museum

External links

* [http://www.beaulieu.co.uk/motormuseum/ Beaulieu National Motor Museum website]
* [http://www.beaulieu.co.uk/ Beaulieu website]
* [http://www.britishtours.com/360/beaulieu.html Beaulieu Quicktime VR image. British Tours]