The Great British car journey museum

[Easternlight]

New car museum was due to be opening in April, been lots of hype being put out on social media then suddenly today it's not happening?
A lot seems to have happened in a short space of time to scupper it .
They were buying a lot of classics last year for this and were due to be recruiting tomorrow and Sat for staff.
Do hope they can overcome their problems and make it happen at a later date

Great British Car Journey (@car_british)
https://twitter.com/car_british?s=03

Classic Car visitor attraction based in Derbyshire (Opening 2020) See also: @DadsDrive

https://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/news/local-news/d...

[Riley Blue]

Much as I wanted it to happen, it seemed a bit 'pie in the sky' so I'm not really surprised at this news.

[Easternlight]

Bump as I posted this very late last night.

It seemed to be going ahead they appeared to have quite a few cars if their twitter posts were to be belived.

[curvature]

This scheme is going ahead as I went there for work today and the main building is currently being fitted out for visitors.

Apparently they have an original Mini with 8 miles on it right through to Cosworths and McLarens. I only managed to see an Austin 1300, 2 x XJS's and the first car that the Rover sold when it was sold off, a strange little hatchback thing made in India.

The two original directors were very ill and it has now been taken on with new backers.

I understand that is is planned to open in April 21.

[Riley Blue]

That's encouraging news, despite my scepticism I hope it goes ahead as planned: https://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/news/local-news/s...

[williamp]

Anyond else seen this?

https://www.greatbritishcarjourney.com/

Opening next weekend. You can even drive some of the exhibits. Now we can satisfy our inner 80s rep fantasy with a sierra v cavalier test. Remember..i stands for important these days!

[Allan L]

The driving experience offered is strictly for younger people - we older folk either drove those cars "in period" or took a clear decision not to, so it's not at all tempting.

[AJB88]

Will take a trip out there at some point

[Riley Blue]

AJB88 said:

Will take a trip out there at some point

Me too, might also ask if they need volunteers as I'm not far away.

[21st Century Man]

williamp said:

Opening next weekend.

They're going to have to get a move on then.

I've been following this with interest and the failure/lack of progress over many years has been woeful, with the project being binned last year (not through Covid) and now resurrected. Hubnut put a video up yesterday, apart from sweeping up and painting the walls very little appears to have been done. They've got some great cars though, I hope it works. It will be a great venue for car meets if they get the cafe operational, being along the A6 on the way to Matlock Bath, a hugely popular route and venue for enthusiasts.

[21st Century Man]

.

https://youtu.be/uNdu6vlT-T4

[mbwoy84]

Looks like an interesting collection, but these places really should make more of an effort to be accurate in their facts.

I own a Bentley Eight and it certainly doesn’t have a 7 Litre engine as it alludes to in at least two places on their website....

[crankedup2]

They had a nice double page spread in the Daily Mail yesterday.

[21st Century Man]

Seems there was some sort of open day today, for drive it day. If I'd known I would've gone for a shufty. There's a distillery around the back too.

[Mr Tidy]

crankedup2 said:

They had a nice double page spread in the Daily Mail yesterday.

Yes, I read that too in my sister's copy!

It looked a bit like the "festival of the Unexceptional".

Definitely worth a trip sometime.

[AMGSee55]

I can understand the appeal of driving an Austin 7, just because it is so different from any contemporary vehicle - but £49 for 20 minutes in a Mk3 Fiesta....?!?

[Easternlight]

Double page spread in the DM last Saturday so looking good, talking about opening the end of May now.
The pale blue mini was owned by my BIL.

[Mr Tidy]

AMGSee55 said:

I can understand the appeal of driving an Austin 7, just because it is so different from any contemporary vehicle - but £49 for 20 minutes in a Mk3 Fiesta....?!?

I can also see the appeal of driving an Austin 7 as my late Mum's father had one in the mid-1930s.

Not the Fiesta though - but then I did drive her MK1, MK2 and both MK3s when they were current models!

But for someone younger than me a Fiesta may be interesting. My nephew only went in the MK1 in a carry-cot.

[giveitfish]

Thread resurrection but just visited this place today.

Really enjoyed a wander around the collection, its an absolute nostalgia-fest for someone my age and the audio tour was good quality too.

But it was the “Drive dads car” option that’s left me grinning like a Cheshire cat

My dads “best” car was a series model Sunbeam Rapier. It was tatty by the time he got it in the 80’s but he loved it and I have very fond memories. It’s an unusual car these days so I never thought I’d ever get to drive one - but today I did!

It was only a few laps of an industrial estate but it was great just to experience it. It was so different to the Elise I turned up in yet was still an enjoyable thing to trundle around in. It was even surprisingly responsive through a cone slalom, but the big old wheel and unassisted steering made me work for it.

Anyway I had a great couple of hours there and will probably go again despite being 80 miles away. I’ve never driven a classic Mini so that part of my car CV needs addressing for start.

[wolfracesonic]

Visited yesterday, what a little gem of a museum. No, you’re not going to see a Bugatti Royale parked next to a 250 GTO but seeing some mundane old shed that 30 years ago you wouldn’t have given second thought to was strangely satisfying. Top marks too to the QR code reader that you get, to elicit more information about that Rover SD1 Vitesse that some long gone ex girlfriend’s dad used to drive, or the Triumph Acclaim uncle George to take such pride over Mods, if you’re reading, a PH visit might be in order.