Thursday 26th March 2009

Golden Anniversary For Beaulieu Museum

Special May Bank holiday event to celebrate 50 years of Beaulieu

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The Motor Museum at Beaulieu celebrates its Golden Anniversary on the May 4^th Bank Holiday, with a program of events that will include a Cavalcade of Motoring from the current National Motor Museum collection.

Graham Hill's Lotus 49

To celebrate the 1959 opening of what was then the Montagu Motor Museum, Beaulieu is inviting all car clubs to display a model from 1959 – or earlier if appropriate – and will extend free entry to the representative club car, plus its driver and a passenger. Additional car club members will be offered a special ticket price of £10 per adult, and £5 for kids.

The museum was started by Lord Montagu with five historic cars as an added attraction inside the front hall of Beaulieu House when it first opened to the public in 1952. When family members began to complain about the all-pervading smell of motor oil throughout the house the collection was moved into sheds on the estate, and later into the current purpose built facility. Among the automotive gems on permanent display are Graham Hill’s Lotus 49 pictured here.

[AMG Merc]

What a great garage that is to have attached to your "house"

[neema_T]

I haven't been to Beaulieu in years, in fact I think I last went when I was like 6 or 7 years old, though I do remember it quite well and its probably why I'm in to cars now... I just remember the Bluebird streamliner land speed record car, I thought it was the most amazing thing ever. Actually an ex girlfriend of mine lived right round the corner and I never realised until I went round to pick up some of my stuff after we broke up.

Amazing story, that!

[german tony]

Note, you don't get any discount for turning up dressed as a Sea Scout.

[Belfast Boy]

Great People down there let me get into some of the cars there to help me with a Uni project to take photos. I look forward to taking my daughter there in a year or two! (shes only 4 months and wouldn't appreciate the metal yet!)

[havoc]

neema_T said:

I haven't been to Beaulieu in years...

I really wouldn't bother unless you're local.

For the money they usually charge (substantially more than quoted in the article), it's really not worth it - Coventry, The Donington Collection and The Heritage Motor Centre are all massively cheaper and substantially better value-for-money. Even Brooklands is under a tenner!


Oh...and the staff there are very disinterested in customers as well.

[Inbred]

Is it me or should'nt a "National" Museum be free? i.e. Like the Museums in the centre of London. Also I agree Beaulieu is overpriced, Donnington, Gaydon, Haynes at Sparkford and Coventry (free when I went there last) are all far better.

Edited by Inbred on Friday 27th March 02:58

[gemini]

TVRCC is having a national gathering there on the day.

Pop along if you want something to do on a BH !