New-look Miller Museum
Our globe-trotting Kiwi friend STUART FRANCIS dropped into the Sammy Miller Museum in the UK to check out the latest extension. Since the Sammy Miller Motorcycle Museum was last featured (OBA 29), the museum has been extended and a number of machines added to the collection. We were lucky to catch up with Sammy in May to discuss recent developments and his thoughts about the collection. In March 2015 a new wing and entrance lobby were opened by John Surtees, Murray Walker and Lord Montagu. The new entrance houses some of the larger exhibits like the 1934 680cc James Delivery Van and the 1929 1000cc Morgan Blackburne. The balcony above the entrance houses an unusual collection of ladies’ models from Velocette, Radco, Excelsior and Ixion and also affords spectacular views across southern Hampshire, the Solent and the Isle of Wight. Sammy explained that the collection was based around racing machines, technically interesting machines, one-offs and specials. Asked what he wanted to do next, he said, half-jokingly, “Haven’t I done enough?” There are a few machines he would like to acquire, like the Austin 7 powered Brough Superior with twin rear wheels and sidecar, or a 4 cylinder Wilkinson but both have become prohibitively expensive. However, you can sense he is always on the lookout for more unique machines. There have been a number of notable machines added to the collection: a 1969 Jawa/CZ 350cc four cylinder 2-stroke, as raced by Bill Ivy; a 1975 Konig 500cc flat four 2-stroke – a later model of the machine raced by Kim Newcombe; a 1969 Moto Villa square four 250cc 2-stroke, overtaken by rule changes before it could be raced; a 1954 BMW RS54 Rennsport, the model that came second in the 1956 World championships; a 1972 500cc Crescent three cylinder 2-stroke, developed from an outboard engine; and Mert Lawwell’s 1970 H-D 750 Iron Engine XRTT. He used it at Daytona and it was restored in Sammy’s workshop. On a whistle stop tour of the museum we gained the impression that he is particularly proud of his unique collection of Norton racing machines, record breakers and factory prototypes. Restorations are undertaken in the museum’s own workshop run by Bob Stanley. Although well past retirement, he is not stopping just yet. Undergoing restoration were a pair of Excelsior Manxman models, alongside a four cylinder S800 Zundapp that was being finished off. Waiting to be picked up was a very tidy Pre-war International Norton, recently restored for a customer. Despite being a sprightly 81, Sammy is heavily committed to a number of British and some European events over the next few years so we are unlikely to see him in the southern hemisphere for some time. Sammy also attends special events with machines from the collection. He recently took the Brough Superior SS100 Pendine racer to a memorial service at the nearby Bovington Tank Museum (well worth a visit) to mark the 80th anniversary of the death of T. E. Lawrence’s [of Arabia]. The museum hosts several special events and owners’ club rallies so it is worth visiting the website sammymiller.co.uk to see what is happening and to check opening times.