So if you have children or grandchildren to entertain, why not bring them to our interactive museum featuring iconic cars made in Britain. See a real F1 racer and a car made more than 120 years ago.
We are also running our Drive Dad’s Car driving experiences on the 2nd, 10th, 16th, 20th, 24th, 27th, and 30th March and we have two exciting new additions to the fleet to wet your appetite (see below)
On the 10th of March bring down your mum for Mothers Day, or how about checking out the events we are holding throughout March…
Introducing two ultra-rare and uber-cool 1980s British Sports Saloons to our driving fleet!
The first is our stunning 1986 Rover SD1 Vitesse Twin Plenum, with its 3500 V8 and manual gearbox this legendary car is certain to put a smile on anyone’s face
And the second is our 1989 MG Montego 2.0 EFi. This sporty saloon makes a perfect addition to our MG Maestro also on our fleet, especially with 115hp under the bonnet
Mum’s car was probably just as important as Dad’s in your early life. It was probably Mum who took you to school, dragged you to the shops and acted as a taxi to all those teenage parties. It was probably Mum’s car in which you learned to drive and from which on that joyful day, the L plates were removed. Before you bought your first car, it was probably Mum’s that you borrowed?
So why not buy Mum a slice of nostalgia for Mother’s Day and bring her to Great British Car Journey? She will almost certainly see some of the cars she has owned and you can book her a ride or drive in one of her favourites.
Mother’s Day is all about the memories of all the great things Mum has done for you. For most of us, Mum’s cars were a large part of that rich tapestry of love.
Share your Mum’s car memories with us on Facebook: our favourite three will win a £10 voucher for use in our “Filling Station” café.
The latest addition to the Great British Car Journey collection, is this amazing 1980 V8 Aston Martin Lagonda.
The launch of the Lagonda in 1976 saw Aston Martin take on Rolls Royce and Bentley in the fast four-seater luxury market.
When it was unveiled at the London Motor Show there was a real sense of excitement with its bold ‘folded paper’ styling being matched by a fully electronic dashboard and control panels which looked as if they had come from a spaceship. Despite a price tag 44 years ago of almost £50,000, the car caused a sensation with nearly 200 deposits were taken at launch.
However, production was painfully slow as the electronics proved stubbornly unreliable. It was more than a year before Lady Tavistock took delivery of the first customer car, by which time King Charles had already taken a test drive. Some 640 of these cars were made between 1977 and 1990, many being exported to America and the Middle East.
Powered by a 5.4 litre V8 running on Weber carburettors, the Lagonda could reach 60mph in 8.5 seconds and achieve a top speed of 148mph. The Lagonda epitomised the optimism of the late 70s and early 80s – it looked like no other four-seater car and was guaranteed to pull a crowd.
This car was delivered to its first owner by Aston Martin agents: Donaldson and Evans on 1st October 1980. Its last owner loved and looked after the car for more than 30 years and it has only covered a mere 17,000 miles – in remarkable condition for its age.
Designed by William Towns, the distinctive shape divides opinion like Marmite as can be seen here.
One thing is certain – no British company will produce such a distinctive, dramatic and expensive four seater powered by petrol again.
We are grateful to Aston Engineering in Derby for finding this car and helping us recommission her.
As a Derbyshire resident, I have long been aware of Toyota’s presence in the county – since 1989 to be exact!
Recently, I was very privileged to be given a fascinating and enlightening tour of Toyota’s Burnaston Plant by Chris Barrow who has been with the company for many years and is a fellow car-nut. And what a fascinating tour it was.
It seems scarcely possible that it is well over 30 years since the first Carina E rolled off the Derbyshire production line on a site that opened in 1939 as Derby Municipal Airport.
Having been given a comprehensive overview of the environmental challenges facing all vehicle manufacturers, it became very clear that Toyota takes its responsibilities incredibly seriously. The focus on sustainability is relentless and the company’s investment in both electric and hydrogen technology is governed by a real desire to provide the best solution both for the consumer and the planet.
As we examined a cut away version of the Toyota Mirai which is the hydrogen powered executive car on sale in the UK, Chris and I were joined by Rob Gorton who is the senior manager for Corporate Planning and External Affairs.
Soon we boarded another Mirai for a drive around the site and a visit to the main assembly building where Corollas, in both hatch and estate form, come rolling off the line every 88 seconds. This is the longest production line in Europe, and watching the line move between all the work stations as autonomous vehicles deliver parts at the appropriate time was both mesmerising and astonishing in equal measure.
Toyota employs more than 2,500 people at its site in Burnaston, Derbyshire. With so many employees it’s no surprise that over the last four decades they have become very engaged with the Derbyshire community.
I am delighted that Great British Car Journey is now, thanks to Chris and Rob, properly engaged with Toyota and its story of Great British manufacturing success.
Watch this space for the appearance of cars built in Britain, in Derbyshire by a subsidiary of a Japanese company at a museum near you!
January 2023: The year started brightly with a very busy Great British Car Meet on 2nd January.
‘The Mystery Car’ caused quite a stir! This beautiful and pristine example of a 1974 Vauxhall Victor FE that has less than 100 miles on the clock caught the imaginations of many.
February 2023: This wonderful Coleman Milne Granada joined the substantial list of cars donated to the museum. Huge thanks to all the donators.
Great British Car Share was launched with our wonderful brand ambassadors Sarah Crabtree and Paul Woodford. We are currently into series 3 ‘Rally Heroes’ – and you can catch up on all episodes over on our YouTube channel here.
Luke Henshaw, our Classic Vehicle Restoration Apprentice, was shortlisted in VisitEngland’s Tourism Superstar Awards 2023 in conjunction with The Mirror and our very own superstar finished in 2nd place in these national awards as runner-up!
March 2023: As usual we hoped that winter was behind us but as my picture shows… it wasn’t. This is my venerable snow-covered Rover 600 on 10th March.
BBC Breakfast were back with us on 14th March and a lot of our cars featured on the cover of Practical Classics.
The last week of March saw us with our good friends from the Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs at another massive Practical Classics and Classic Car Show at the NEC.
Peter Milner with Richard Usher and the mystery car.Gold winners of the 2023 Visit Peak District & Derbyshire Tourism Awards
April 2023: Spring was slow to arrive as my picture of me arriving at Ambergate in ‘Dinky’ my beloved Austin 7 shows. It didn’t stop us welcoming plenty of Imps on the 30th along with literally hundreds of Jaguars for their BIG Jaguar Breakfast Club.
May 2023: It was good to see Terry one of my marshalling stalwarts from Blyton Park in the middle of May and his choice of wheels didn’t disappoint… a very rare Metro convertible.
It was a lovely day for Morris Minors 75th anniversary celebrations on the 21st.
New tarmac for Drive Dad’s Car on May 23rd.
June 2023: A Fiesta of Fords and some summer sun as well as a lovely Bentley as summer finally arrived. How better to celebrate than to take the Dutton for a spin on the Derwent?
On Father’s Day we reunited our lovely Austin 16 Woodie with the owner who restored her 40 years ago. It was a lovely family affair as children and grandchildren went for a drive…
And yes – I bought another Reliant… it’s a long story!
Photo of Bronze Winners for New Tourism Business of the Year at the VisitEngland Awards for Excellence 2023 – Great British Car Journey (Representatives from the Great British Car Journey) – in front of the branded photo backdrop
July 2023: We don’t see many Veteran cars but this was an absolute cracker!
Took a little break with the Pre-war Austin 7 Club to the Lake District. The hood was up and down quite a lot!
Dinky was also on display at ‘Secret Gardens’ in my home village of Winster… that’s not my garden by the way!
Celebrated Summer by buying my own Metro Convertible…it’s a little pocket rocket!
August 2023: Was rather wet and cool, so we were pretty busy as the annual influx of visitors to our beautiful county sought refuge from the elements.
The Westfield owners are a hardy lot though… not a hood in sight!
Don’t often see both our Minor Millions together.
September 2023: The weather was still mixed for the Chatsworth Country Fair. ‘Dinky’ and our lovely one owner Austin 14 made friends with some Morrises!
Incredibly grateful that we were chosen to display the custom-built Middlebridge Scimitar, previously owned by HRH Princess Anne for 35 years, Not only is it an eighties classic, the car also has an illustrious history and Royal provenance.
Mrs Usher finally bought an Aston – she absolutely deserves it!
Autumn arrived early but it didn’t daunt the Minis for East Mids Minis National Day!!
October 2023: More rain and more Morris Minor Travellers for 70th Birthday celebrations!
Another donation in the form of this magnificent Marina.
Another car I could fall in love with; this lovely Lotus Europa – Colin Chapman’s genius in full flow.
Just before a lot more rain arrived and we needed to keep those valuable cars up in the air… It’s really not that easy to get the Lola onto the ramp!
Don’t run Buddy over Ian…and what are you driving?
Danny Hopkins took my Mini on a terrific ‘Italian Job’ adventure and brought her back unscathed…
November 2023: Back to the NEC for the Classic Motor Show and celebrating the wonder of the Mini. Thanks to Paul, John, Steve and Becky for all the hard work … and Oliver of course who visited more than 300 clubs! The ‘Woodie’ made a guest appearance with the Austin Counties Club and Danny was reunited with my Mini! Ray Newell announced another great book …in fact he has two new ones out and they are both superb.
The Jowetts were close by and this lovely example looks similar to a car that was about to come our way… The Paramount was just around the corner. If you don’t know what I am talking about, we have bought a Paramount made in the wonderful County of Derbyshire in 1950.
December 2023: So much snow arrived on the 3rd that we were unable to open.
The weather continued to be stormy…cutting Winster off from Elton.
The last Great British Car Meet of the year was inevitably damp and so thanks to all our enthusiastic friends, it was extremely well attended.
Thanks to all our visitors in 2023…we hope to see you again soon.
Thanks to all my wonderful team including the volunteer army and of course my amazing other half.
Summary of 2023
Best Drive: In my Frogeye Sprite going home in September. 45 bhp shouldn’t be such fun.
Fastest Drive: Mrs Usher’s Aston Martin. Not that fast though, as she was in the passenger seat.
Slowest Drive: A ride in the 1902 James and Browne. Thanks so much to the students from Imperial College London who brought “Boanerges” (means Son of Thunder) to see us and for taking me for a drive.
Most Extraordinary: My Mini’s adventure with Practical Classics’ Editor and friend Danny Hopkins on the 2023 Italian Job run. I would like to do this event!
Most Unexpected: Driving the Paramount – a car I had never heard of until it arrived at Ambergate.
An incredibly rare piece of Derbyshire’s car making history has made a return to the county.
Better known for the manufacture of Rolls-Royces and Toyotas, few people know that in the 1950s, Derbyshire was also home to the production of the now almost forgotten Paramount car.
And now, the fifth Paramount car ever made has gone on display at Great British Car Journey after being discovered at a classic car auction.
Richard Usher, founder and director of Great British Car Journey explained: “We consider ourselves experts in British classic cars but even the Paramount was a mystery to the team here. We had no idea this car even existed. It wasn’t until we were alerted to its local history that we knew we had to have it and bring it home. The Paramount really is a forgotten piece of Derbyshire’s motoring heritage.”
Only 10 Paramount cars were manufactured at the factory in Swadlincote and all of them bear the registration PNU, and were numbered 1 – 10. Great British Car Journey’s Paramount original number plate would have been PNU 4.
“We’d love to trace another of the Swadlincote Paramounts, but we think it’s highly unlikely any will be in existence which makes ours even more special,” said Richard.
Just 16 Paramounts were produced in Derbyshire; first at the Swadlincote factory and then later in Melbourne, until production moved to Buckinghamshire in 1953. In total, just 76 Paramount cars were made until 1956 when production ceased.
“Our brilliant team at Great British Car Journey have already got the car running and looking a lot smarter than when she arrived,” he added.
According to an advert from 1950, the beautiful red, four seater convertible Paramount was ‘designed to provide a sports car of exceptional beauty whilst retaining the distinctive British character favoured by most sports drivers.’
The Paramount boasts Triumph running gear underneath its all-aluminium bodywork which is stretched over a wooden ash frame mounted on a tubular metal chassis.
Richard added: “The car is beautifully made. It is testament to the skills of the craftsmen who made her, as the bodywork is full of complex curves.”
After the success of Series 1 of the Great British Car Share the deadly duo Paul and Sarah are back together for Series 2 to continue their automotive journey down memory lane in some more of the Drive Dads Car fleet of classic British Carsavailable to drive. We are sure you will enjoy watching them try out the same cars that are available for our classic British Car driving experience. Cars driven include some real classic 60s & 70s cars including a Land Rover MK1, Triumph Stag and Ford Capri
You can view our full You Tube Channel by clicking the red button below or click on the individual video thumbnails to watch different episodes
You will also be able to see all episodes from Series 1 here too
If you are interested in driving some of these cars yourself (or giving as a gift to someone else) then you can click on the blue button below to see the full fleet of cars available
We hope you enjoy The Great British Car Share and it inspires you to visit Drive Dads Car or the Great British Car Journey for a very personal trip down memory lane where you will find many of the cars you grew up with
Another young, classic car enthusiast has kick-started their career at Great British Car Journey.
Riley Smith (19), from Underwood, has embarked on a Level Three Apprenticeship in Digital Marketing at the museum.
He joins from Ashfield School where he completed A Levels in Computer Studies, Physics, and Business Studies.
Keen to get his career started after school, Riley explained: “I didn’t want to go to university. I knew that I wanted to have a lived-experience of industry. Great British Car Journey has been a fantastic starting point for that to happen and I am looking forward to putting my Business Studies A Level into practice here.”
In his new role at the classic car visitor attraction, Riley will be helping to market Great British Car Journey’s new online range of merchandise.
Riley’s journey with Great British Car Journey began last year when he completed a work experience placement. Subsequently, the placement helped Riley secure a weekend job as a coordinator for our popular Drive Dad’s Car experience.
Richard Usher, Founder and CEO of Great British Car Journey explained: “Riley impressed us from the start. From a successful work experience week, through to his weekends working alongside members of the public; Riley has made an impact with his enthusiasm and willingness to learn.”
Riley’s enthusiasm for his apprenticeship is evident: “I’m living the dream! I’m restoring my own classic 1275 Mini at home so working at Great British Car Journey is a perfect fit for my future career ambitions and interests.”
Riley is one of two apprentices now employed at the museum. Its heritage apprentice Luke Henshaw was named as the Tourism Young Achiever in 2022 in the Visit Peak District and Derbyshire Tourism Awards. Last year, the attraction was named as the best New Tourism Business in the Visit Peak District and Derbyshire Tourism Awards.
As the award-winning classic car attraction continues to go from strength-to strength, Richard reflects: “We are in a position to offer unique and meaningful apprenticeships and Riley is already making the most of his placement with us.
“The cars at Great British Car Journey here may have a rich history, but we are delighted to offer Riley a bright future with us.”
You can check out visiting times and book tickets to visit us here.
The idea behind the launch of our Great British Cars Range was to make sure we had merchandise available for every classic British Car
As T-Shirts seemed to be the most popular part of the range we thought we would launch a campaign to Wear Your Favourite Car. Our range of high quality soft style cotton unisex T-Shirts is proving to be a great way to let people share their favourite British Cars with the rest of the world. All you have to do is
Select favourite car from over 80 different models
Decide what colour t-shirt is needed
Choose size required
You are now ready to let the world know what is your favourite car
You can share your favourite or these t-shirts also make the perfect gift for other car lovers
Great British Car Journey friend and Practical Classics Editor Danny Hopkins has begun his own Mini adventure 23 years to the day after the classic Mini ceased production (4 October 2000).
Richard Usher, founder and CEO of GBCJ has lent Danny his own classic Mini Cooper Sport from the museum’s collection which he will use to take part in the legendary Italian Job run in aid of Buttle UK, a charity dedicated to helping children and young people in crisis.
When he heard about Danny’s epic adventure for charity, Richard was happy to lend his own Mini for the adventure. He explained: “I’ve known Danny for a number of years and share his enthusiasm for anything with four wheels (and some with three). When I heard what he wanted to do and all about the charity, I had no hesitation in lending him my personal Mini.”
Richard handed over the branded Mini to Danny at GBCJ ahead of him starting his epic Italian adventure. On Monday 9 October, Danny will join 30+ Minis in his specially branded Mini, for a 14-day blast to and through Italy. The journey starts with a run to Imola via Nurburgring and Munich.
During the 2,000 mile charity jaunt to Turin, the classic Mini convoy will then blast through Modena and Sienna to Turin, before heading back to the UK through the Alps. Along the way, Danny will be visiting Ferrari, the founder of which, Enzo Ferrari was known to be the owner of at least one Mini.
Most importantly of all, however, Danny will be raising cash for the charity during his travels.
“Raising cash for Buttle UK is what this is all about,’ said Danny. “They are a wonderful charity, helping kids in difficult situations so, unlike Harry and the boys in the film, I aim to get back to the UK with a lot of cash.”
The GBCJ Mini was registered on 18 October 2000. It boasts just 11,000 miles on the clock and is in fine running order after being serviced in the GBCJ workshop by our resident classic car technicians, Doc Lawrence and his able apprentice Luke Henshaw. Vintage Tyres have also supplied a full set of new rubber tyres.
Richard added: “The Mini is the hero car of Great British Car Journey and this little example is sure gonna have a story to tell when it returns from its travels. It will be going back on display with an extra 2,500 miles on the clock and all its decals!”
We’ll be following Danny’s Mini adventure on GBCJ social media channels each day as he sends us video diary updates. Follow our social media channels: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram
“It’s an amazing collaborative effort,” added Danny, “but I don’t want it to be in vain so feel free to dig deep… and walk tall having done a good thing. I’ll be doing regular updates as I go… it’s a long way in a little car. I promise I won’t blow the bloody doors off though.”
You can donate to Buttle UK via Danny’s JustGIving page here
We have had some great feedback on the quality of the photographs of the various classic cars in the Great British Car Journey that we have used to create the new Great British Cars Merchandise Range
So we have decided to invest in a high quality professional photo printer so we can supply these images as Sublimation Photo Prints at affordable prices
These prints are now available in our online store and in our gift shop at Ambergate
They are a high quality 12′ x 8″ gloss photo print
Supplied as standard in a black card photo frame with silver insert at an entry price of just £9.95
They can also be upgraded to be supplied in a wooden photo frame for just £19.95
Wow! What a busy few weeks we’ve had and Summer is finally here!
Huge thanks to Tom Stoddart and Reg for chauffeuring my daughter-in-law on her wedding day, to my son Charles, on Saturday 26th August.
The utterly wonderful Baden Powell Rolls Royce, Jam Roll, was the beautiful car of choice. The car and the happy couple looked magnificent! Particularly, as Lauren and Charles met at Rolls Royce in Derby, there could not have been a more appropriate wedding car. The Bridesmaids looked lovely in their Minor Million, whilst Charles and his brother Peter (Best Man) arrived courtesy of the Frogeye Sprite!
So… of course I had to test drive all the wedding cars, as well as the Jaguar E Type which we had on parade for last Sunday’s Jaguar Enthusiasts meet! The Frogeye is a delight, especially as we now have a new clutch but I also enjoyed driving our Austin 14 Goodwood to Chatsworth for last weekend’s Country Fair. And then of course there was Princess Anne’s Scimitar! We are delighted to have taken delivery of this wonderful car and you can find out all about it here.
Yes, it’s been a mad few weeks of classic cars…and its been a huge pleasure to welcome so many visitors to see and admire them too!
A car with one very special royal lady owner is the latest to arrive at the Great British Car Journey.
A custom-built Middlebridge Scimitar, which was previously owned by HRH Princess Anne for 35 years, is now on display.
L-R: Richard Usher, Kohji Nakauchi – former owner of Middlebridge Scimitar, Dennis Nursey – former CEO of Middlebridge Scimitar, and Mick Gaughran – Chairman of MESS
The dark green car is exactly as it was the day it left the Nottingham factory on 13 December 1988 and delivered to the Princess Royal. It was to be the last of eight Scimitars that she owned over 52 years.
Amongst its distinctive detailing, the car features a unique bonnet emblem – a silver female jockey on a horse. The unique mascot was presented to the Princess Royal following her performance in the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games where she competed on the late Queen Elizabeth II’s horse ‘Goodwill’.
The historically significant car remained in the Princess Royal’s ownership until very recently. It was stored at her country estate Gatcombe Park. Despite having 114,000 miles on the clock, the car is in remarkable condition, even boasting its original exhaust system.
The unique bonnet mascot on Scimitar No 5
Unfortunately, due to personal security reasons, Her Royal Highness has been unable to drive her cherished Scimitar No 5 for a number of years. Keen to preserve the car, Princess Anne agreed to the purchase of it by Middlebridge Scimitar enthusiast and classic car collector.
Mick Gaughran, Chairman of the Middlebridge Enthusiasts Scimitar Set (MESS), explained: “Princess Anne loved the car. She was incredibly sad to part with it, but agreed to it on condition that it would be sympathetically restored. The car had been incredibly well looked after and needed minimal work. It is simply stunning.”
The car was given its ‘minimalist’ restoration work by marque specialists with all conservation works agreed with Gatcombe Park.
“The cars have galvanised steel chassis and fibreglass bodies, so they don’t rot,” added Mick.
Following its conservation, Middlebridge Scimitar No 5 has been loaned to Great British Car Journey. It is now on display in the museum’s 150-strong collection of classic British cars, complete with its original personalised number plate – 1420 H, which was displayed on the car for 35 years. The number plate has since been returned to the 1420 Hussars, who originally gifted it to HRH on her twentieth birthday.
HRH Princess Anne with Scimitar No 5 at Gatcombe Park
“Great British Car Journey is the perfect place for Scimitar No 5. Both the car’s royal and British motoring heritage will be fully appreciated. Scimitar No 5 can now be enjoyed and appreciated by everyone,” added Mick.
The car was delivered to Great British Car Journey on Thursday 31 August. It is now one of a number of historically significant cars on display in the museum, including Lord Baden Powell’s Rolls-Royce.
Richard Usher, founder of Great British Car Journey, who took delivery of Scimitar No 5 said: “I am incredibly grateful that Great British Car Journey has been chosen to display this historically significant car. Not only is it an eighties classic, the car also has an illustrious history and Royal provenance and is a wonderful addition to our exhibition.
“It is an absolutely stunning example of a Middlebridge Scimitar and is testament to HRH the Princess Royal’s care for the vehicle that it is in such a good condition after 114,000 miles of, no doubt, enthusiastic driving!
“I have no doubt it will be much admired by the thousands of visitors who come here each year.”
The former owner of Middlebridge Scimitar Kohji Nakauchi, a huge classic car enthusiast and collector, was there for the handover of the Scimitar No 5 to Great British Car Journey. He said he was “very honoured” to see the car on display in the museum.
To view opening times and purchase discounted entry tickets to the attraction, visit here.
As part of our commitment to continue rolling out new products as part of the Great British Cars range, we are delighted to announce the launch of a range of multi image water bottle designs for our most popular cars.
The designs feature small images of our actual cars (from the Great British Cars Range) printed on the clear bottles with a durable UV cured ink to make them both practical and stylish for all car lovers.
This style of water bottle has become increasing popular and ours are both unique and priced at just £12.95 each.
This 750ml capacity clear water bottle is a great way to keep yourself hydrated and fits perfectly in most car cup holders. It is easy to carry around so stops you using disposable plastic bottles so both saves you money and the planet!
It has a screw top lid with a foldable spout that helps you to avoid spills and the internal straw means it’s easy to drink from without tipping the bottle.
When I was a youngster, August was always the month of the family holiday, which meant a long drive to Dorset in a car which was rarely fit for purpose! The Singer Gazelle Convertible was pretty cramped with five of us and the dog, particularly with the hood down. My Dad liked to personalise his cars but fitting wire wheels to the Corsair GT was eccentric and caused the wheels to wobble violently at 50 mph or more… the Ford dealer in Bournemouth was baffled which was fair enough! The horn stuck on the Cortina Estate in Castle Bromwich, and Dad ignored it until Mum went ballistic, at which point he stopped and grumpily yanked a wire off somewhere! You get the picture!
So August always went by in a flash and the family car almost always created drama and tension both on the way to Dorset and on the way back… A journey of more than 160 miles which took the best part of a day.
Back to this August and the weather has been a bit kinder and I am pleased to say that we have been blessed with plenty of visitors. I have been enjoying the little Metro Cabriolet. It goes well with its 1400cc engine and is a fun drive especially with the hood down. I can really recommend these late Metros / Rover 100s… The K series is a zippy engine, the five speed box is smooth and the handling is very much like a Mini. The only problem is finding one, as like so many cars of the 90s, they have become pretty rare.
We are grateful to Liz Wilson and Helen Mosley for the donation of two remarkable cars. Liz has given us her MG ZS which she has cherished for many years, having bought it with only 10,000 miles on the clock. The ZS was another successful restyle by the multi-talented Pete Stevens, turning a rather humble Rover into a svelte looking performance MG. This car has been cherished and still good extremely well. You can drive the 2.5 litre V6 version on the Drive Dad’s Car fleet.
Helen has gifted us her Grandmother’s Vauxhall Cavalier Envoy 1.8 Auto Saloon. For many years, the Cavalier and Sierra were locked in a battle for supremacy in the big family car market and both were substantially remodelled over the years. This car has done under 50,000 miles and is in great mechanical and bodily condition thanks to Helen’s Grandfather who looked after it. I have taken a photo of a device on the dashboard – can anyone identify what it is?
Both these cars will be checked over by our technicians before joining the main collection and we are very pleased to be able to offer them a dignified retirement from their long service to their owners who have preserved them for so many years.
As I write this, there is rain coming down in biblical proportions and sadly Cromford Steam Rally has been unable to open today. The Derwent is looking brown and soupy but our weir is keeping our precious cargo of cars safe, although the roof is ensuring a few cars slightly watered!
I taxed the Rover 100 Cabriolet this week and I am extremely impressed with my first experience of K series Metro Motoring. The 1400 cc engine gives about 85bhp so it has plenty of go along with a sweet five speed gear box. The steering is very well weighted and for a car with a cloth roof, there is only a hint of scuttle shake when you hit one of the many potholes on the Derbyshire back roads. Of course at over £12,000 when it was new, it was always going to be a minority choice and it was only ever made to special order on the line at Longbridge. However, with the electric hood in the up position, it is completely water tight and free from draughts and wind noise. It is not clear how many were made but almost certainly less than 2000 and only a handful are registered today.
On the subject of hoods, I also drove my trusty and much loved MGB roadster this week. The hood is a truly terrible affair and quite impossible to put up in a hurry. The hood on my Austin Seven is much, much easier and faster to put up and does not involve lots of pulling, pushing and profane language. It also leaves your finger nails intact. The final struggle with the B are the dreaded Tenax fasteners – I would like to meet the genius responsible for these and challenge him to get them all securely fastened! Maybe having a new hood a few years ago was not such a great move but compared to the hood on an MX 5, the hoods on Sprites, Midgets and Bs are a woeful effort which surely should have been improved?
Of course with the roof down on the MGB, you forgive this one fairly major fault. Although in winter I would also add the heater to the list of things that could have been improved. I suppose if I had a handbook, the mysteries of the two rotary controls might be solved but without one demisting or indeed cabin heater, it does seem to rely on a fairly random twirling of those two knobs conveniently located in front of the passenger!
Stop moaning Richard! The B is still a lovely thing to drive and when I parked it in a car park full of modern cars, I admired its great shape and how gracefully it has aged. You certainly want one with overdrive if you intend to do many long journeys but on a warm sunny day (remember those?), a standard MGB or indeed GT is a very pleasant way to enjoy driving and admire the great British countryside, particularly the very green Derbyshire Dales.
Since we opened over two years ago we have always wanted to offer a wider range of merchandise featuring all the cars in our museum and providing options for all tastes and budgets. The Great British Cars range is the result of more than 12 months of research, design and testing which, we believe, represents the widest selection of classic British car merchandise available. Please take a look and tell us what you think.
Over 80 Iconic British Cars
12 Different Products for every car - with more to follow
The Great British Cars range is a celebration of the most iconic cars ever made in the UK. The range comprises a collection of high quality products, all created using stylish photos of actual cars from the Great British Car Journey exhibition and Drive Dad’s Car fleet.
We have focussed on proven popular product types, like t-shirts, mugs, drinks bottles, fridge magnets, and coasters, but we aim to soon introduce other products following customer feedback.
We already stock some of the more popular car / product combinations in our onsite gift shop, we are using the latest print-on-demand technology to ensure we have 1000s of additional products always available in our online gift shop.
I am delighted to have purchased a Rover 114 Cabriolet which is probably the rarest variant of the car we all more commonly know as the Metro.
The car has been lovingly looked after by Joan Watson for the last 12 years and been garaged and serviced so that it belies its 28 years of age.
By the mid 1990s cabriolets were very much in fashion again and the Metro had been reborn as the Rover 100 series and at last had a modern OHC engine and a five speed gearbox. Sadly, BMW who had bought Rover Group in 1994 had no appetite for a total facelift. However, the car was substantially updated and the cabriolet was available as a very limited edition model built on the main production line at Longbridge.
It would appear that only around 2000 were made but with an electric roof and around 75bhp on tap this was a peppy little car. Unfortunately, with a list price of over £12,000, it was also very expensive.
My new car was first registered on 16 June 1995 to a Mrs Jeffery who bought it from Lookers in Southend. The sales invoice shows she paid £12,134.25 for it.
I am now the sixth owner and she has covered 72,000 miles in that time.
I am very grateful to Joan for giving us the opportunity to buy a much-loved little car and I look forward to giving you my road test in due course.
There are less than ten of these cars still taxed on the road in 2023.
It was great to meet Ben and the enthusiastic team from Imperial College London and act as a dormitory for their very precious 1902 James & Browne car overnight stay.
A small group of students from the College maintain and run ‘Bo’ and have rebuilt this vintage car to an amazing standard recently. They are currently taking a ‘tour’ through the Peak District and then onwards to Snowdonia. Naturally, they thought the Great British Car Journey would make an excellent stop on the trip!
Visitors to Great British Car Journey will have seen ‘Bo’ being driven around the site today and I was lucky enough to enjoy a ride. ‘Bo’ is not dissimilar mechanically to our resident Arrol-Johnston in which I have also been a passenger. These are pioneering cars and for those lucky enough to have been able to afford them, they offered an adventure every day.
The Imperial car is one of only two survivors of the James & Browne marque and was bought by three students at the City and Guilds College back in 1934. It completed the London to Brighton run in 1933 at an average speed of 19.61 mph and has done the run many times since then.
Very well done to all those responsible for preserving and using this wonderful car and thanks again for bringing ‘Bo’ along for us all to enjoy.
I continue to run in “Dinky” my Austin Seven in preparation for the Pre-War Austin Seven Club Cumbrian tour in two week’s time and so far… so good. Dinky’s former owner has also been in touch, and as a result, I am now the proud owner of my third Reliant; a wonderful 1962 Regal Mk V1. This is the third car I have bought from Eric Taylor who I met at the Ashover Show several years ago when I bought Dinky from him.
My second purchase was also a Reliant but one with four wheels; a 1987 Scimitar SS1. I drove the Scimitar this week and decided that an MOT was needed so we could do some road miles. Reliant had great plans to build 1000 of these a year but the hot hatch ruled the roads in the 1980s, so just over 1000 of these little two seaters left Tamworth in an eight year production run. It’s perhaps not one of Michelotti’s greatest designs but it’s light, nippy and a lot of fun to drive. MOT passed but a few jobs for Luke and Doc Lawrence before we buy the road tax…
The Regal has been fully restored and was a great success for Reliant in the early 60s with well over 10,000 being produced. We need a new fuel pump for mine and then we will report on the driving experience!!
Good to see so many Great British Car Club members for Breakfast on Sunday including this wonderful convertible Citroen Traction Avant which completed the Peking to Paris run back in 2007. Also this lovely S1 Bentley… surely the most elegant of the standard bodied Bentley and Rolls-Royce models.
Finally, I was very excited to get the Eight track stereo in our Mk3 Cortina playing T Rex yesterday. Find the video on Facebook here!!
Stay safe and enjoy the Sun whilst it lasts… we are on holiday in Norfolk next week so its probably going to rain!
A busy week at Great British Car Journey finished off with Father’s Day and hundreds of cars and visitors.
My daily commute has been in my 2000 Mini Cooper Sport which has covered only 10600 miles from new. The classic Mini is a work of pure genius and reconnects you with the road like nothing else. A huge “Thank you” must go to Sir Alec Issigonis for his creation, although as I turned 66 last Thursday, I realised that my springs aren’t quite what they were!
Much of the middle of the week was committed to familiarisation in the Dutton, as we finally braved the slipway and took to the Derwent. On Friday, my old friend Rob Gill who is the motoring editor of The Sun came to get aquatic. See what he thought in this Thursday’s paper or read and watch it here.
In preparation for Austin Day on Saturday, I drove our A70 Hereford and our beautiful Austin 16 Woodie, the latter in preparation for a reunion with the family who rebuilt her over 40 years ago. These big post war Austins have so much to recommend them; comfort and serenity on wheels.
Austin Day was well attended on Saturday with another fine Paralanian Camper stealing my heart – truly the Rolls Royce of camper vans! Thanks to the Austin Counties crowd for providing such an array of Devons, Dorsets, Herefords, Hampshires and Somersets.
Doc Lawrence our resident mechanical genius has also changed the bearings in Dinky, my Austin 7 in preparation for the Pre War Austin 7 Cumbrian run in July. She has never run so sweetly but I am under pain of death to run her in carefully.
A truly wonderful selection of Jowetts joined us for Father’s day so we had to get our Bradford Lorry (on loan from Joe Stocks) out to meet a friend. Thank you Jowetteers for joining us and happy 100th birthday to the oldest one make car club in the world!
