THE FUTURE OF BEAULIEU
Craig Cheetham interviews Dr Jon Murden, Chief Exec, NMM Trust
‘We’re really proud of what we have acheived’
Jon Murden took over as Chief Executive of the National Motor Museum Trust in January 2022, having previously been Director of Dorset County Museum in Dorchester. It was the perfect career move for someone who has been car mad for his entire life, since spending most of his childhood in the passenger seat of his dad’s Sherpa van.
In his collection of cars, Jon has three MGS, an Austin Allegro and a Hillman Minx (among others) but his transport of choice for the NMM 50th was his recently acquired 1974 Hillman Avenger estate.
Yes, Jon is one of us – and that’s terrific news for the National Motor Museum as it means he plans to make the site more friendly more accessible and more interactive, all of which are core to the success of any tourist attraction.
‘There’s a lot of work still to do but we’re really proud of what we’ve achieved so far and where we’re headed,’ said Jon. ‘Indeed, our event today is in the spirit of what’s to come, while our recently launched ‘Classic Grille’ barbecue evenings have done huge amounts to engage the local community. ‘Over the next five years, my plan is to secure millions of pounds worth of backing to expand what we do at Beaulieu, develop our collections, create more features and make the whole museum experience more engaging and more focused on our younger visitors, as well as our traditional supporters.
‘One of the first things we’ve done is to make our new Story of Motoring in 50 Objects feature much more engaging – by using the Smartify app, all visitors need to do is point their phone camera at an object and they’ll get the full story. It is just one example of the ways that we want to continually develop the museum over the coming months and years.’
The reason I wanted to buy it is because, I’ve never owned one. I had always wanted one and thought that it should buy one before I was too big to fit in it! I bought it six years ago from the dealer Paul Matty. It had been lightly restored, but still retained the weathered, old look that classic cars usually have. I really like that it hasn’t been overly polished so that it keeps its character. I have only made one real change to it – electronic ignition. The best things about being behind the wheel are the feeling of being close to the ground car and the light steering. I love how proud Lotus Cars is of its racing heritage and the fact that it displays that often. ■