The British Motor Museum is not a natural stomping ground for your correspondent, but, like many good things, it’s just off Junction 12 of the M40, so I popped in.
This was partly a follow-on from my recent visit to Nuffield Place, the former home of local motor moghul William Morris and partly to search out Morris’s legendary 1903 Pilcher bicycle.
It’s a very impressive museum and, also impressively, signing up for Gift aid will give you a year’s entry for the price of a single ticket. And there are an awful lot of cars.
Old cars, very old cars, fast cars, very fast cars (the kind you used to get small plastic models of in Sugar Puffs), star cars, like your dad used to drive, cars you’re allowed to sit in to have your photo taken and just cars. And FAB 1 which is fast and posh and star.And a couple of bikes. And a London bus.
My favourite things were the old cars and the Morris fire engine. And the Advice to Ladies
“In her book The Woman and the Car Dorothy Levitt offered information and advice on the subject of motoring to society ladies. Included was the recommendation that all ladies should carry a small revolver.”
See all pics on Flickr British Motor Museum
There is a collection of vehicles at Sandringham, everything from the old estate fire engine to cars used to carry visitors to the shoots, the “sit in” toy cars capable of a scary 20mph owned by the princesses in the thirties, and Charles later right up to a retired Rolls Royce used by the queen. In between official cars of the 20thC and a couple of rather lovely sports cars. They don’t just look good, they smell good, polish, leather & oil.