MP declares museum open
A classic car loving MP has cut a ribbon, launching the British Motor Museum into a new era after more than £5 million of developments.
‘It’s the start of a bright new future,’ says South Staffordshire MP Gavin Williamson MP at the offifificial re-opening of the Gaydon venue and unveiling of its new £4m Collections Centre building. ‘It’s now one of the world’s best motor museums.’
The main museum has undergone a £1.1m makeover and the new centre means 250 further cars are on display from reserve collections of the British Motor Industry Heritage Trust (BMIHT) and Jaguar Heritage Trust.
‘This is much more than an expensive car store,’ says the MP. It’s accessible and public and so for the fifirst time will enable museum visitors and researchers to see the amazing cars previously not on display.’
The developments, including a name change from the Heritage Motor Centre, are designed to cement the British Motor Museum’s reputation as a showcase for the world’s largest collection of historic British cars. ‘It makes it an exciting visitor attraction for the whole of Great Britain,’ adds Williamson.
‘Walking in here today makes you realise how wonderful we are at making cars, not just in the past but actually today.’
Peter Mitchell, who set up the British Motor Industry Heritage Trust and is considered the founding father of the museum adds: ‘It’s much more public friendly now which it has to be, even though sadly this has had to mean the loss of the engineering gallery.’ Nick Larkin