40th Anniversary of National Motor Museum

To many of us "Beaulieu" means just one thing - the National Motor Museum.  Hard to believe it was 40 years ago that the new museum was opened. At the time, it was a spectacularly modernistic piece of architecture - and it hasn't changed much; it is still impressive. As is the collection of cars.


The grounds are frequently used for events and on the May Day bank holiday of 2012, the 40th Anniversary Cavalcade took place.  We took our Triumph 2000 along to represent a car from 1973. The plan was to include a car to represent every year from 1972, but the weather may have put some off. As well as the Anniversary Cavalcade, the day also hosted the annual parade of cars owned by the Friends of the National Motor Museum.


A few pictures from the event :

Obviously a 1930's Bentley. Mr Bugatti once commented that Mr Bentley did make some very fast lorries!
The car below is a Sunbeam of similar vintage

This won the award for the day - the car most wanted to take home. It's a Bristol (408?) bodied in the style of a Bugatti Atlantic

Not just any old Morris Minor Traveller, one of the original complete with side valve engine, "cheese cutter" grille and split screen.

Bull-nose Morris, roof up on a very wet day.

1930's Lagonda. Very nice...

Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost. This car, apparently had a very interesting life, including being rebodied as a hearse in the 1950's. Was runner up in the "car I'd like to take home" contest

Here's a rare one - 1940 Sunbeam-Talbot. An unrestored car with lots of "patina"

Another rarity. an immediate postwar Lea-Francis

The 1960's blagger's car of choice: the Mark 2 Jaguar. Having a father who spends far too much time watching repeats of "The Sweeney" on the television, my children who are both in their 20's always refer to these cars as "getaway cars". Come along sunshine, you're nicked!

And I suppose by rights, this one should have been in pursuit of the Jag to cause it to stop. Our 2000 has had a much more gentle life than many of its contemporaries which worked as Police cars 

No doubt called "Dolly", here's a slightly newer and smaller Triumph, but in the same general house style

And to round off the Triumphs here's a late model Spitfire 1500.

And bringing up the rear, a 73 or 74 Jensen Interceptor. As driven by Jason King...