Latest News Archives - Page 2 of 4 - Great British Car Journey

New Drive Dads Car Themed Bundles

November 9, 2023 Andrew Talbot

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Some of the most frequent feedback we get from people taking our Drive Dad’s Car driving experiences is that they “wish they could try more cars” or that “their drive reminded them of a particular moment in their life” – this feedback gave us the idea to launch a new range of multi car bundles tp help people get more out of their experience. Detailed below are the first of our new themed bundles being launched at a very special price just for this Christmas. Do you know anyone that might enjoy one of these?

If you like, loved or ever owned a Mini then you are bound to enjoy this 3 car experience.

You will get to drive 3 different Minis starting with the original MK1 Mini then see how it evolved and changed into the MK2 and then finally how it was refined to become the legendary racing car the Mini Cooper.

You will also get to see even more Minis as entrance to our interactive museum is also included as part of the bundle

60 Minutes Driving Time around our road circuit
Supported by a trained instructor
More £50 Off Normal Multi Car Bundle
Includes Museum Entrance for Voucher Holder (Worth £18.50)
Each drive only costing £33

If you enjoyed TV detectives from the 70s and 80s then you will love our 3 car detective package.

Whether you are being Jack Regan from the Sweeney, Bodie or Doyle from the Professionals or the slightly more sedate Foyle you are bound to have a great day driving those 3 classic vehicles

You will also get to see even more Detectives Cars as entrance to our interactive museum is also included as part of the bundle. Including Morse’s Jaguar

60 Minutes Driving Time around our road circuit
Supported by a trained instructor
More £50 Off Normal Multi Car Bundle
Includes Museum Entrance for Voucher Holder (Worth £18.50)
Each drive only costing £33

Herbert Austin was a pioneer of the British Car Industry and this unique bundle will let you experience how his cars evolved from 1937 to 1971.

You will drive 3 classic Austins starting with an Austin Seven you will then experience the next generation Austin A30 (launched to compete with the Morris Minor) and finally get to drive an iconic Austin 1275 GT

You will also get to see even more Austins as entrance to our interactive museum is also included as part of the bundle

60 Minutes Driving Time around our road circuit
Supported by a trained instructor
More £50 Off Normal Multi Car Bundle
Includes Museum Entrance for Voucher Holder (Worth £18.50)
Each drive only costing £33

Career route starts at Great British Car Journey for new apprentice

November 2, 2023 Emma Loughlin

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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.

What’s Your Favourite Classic British Car?

October 22, 2023 Riley Smith

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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

1. Select favourite car from over 80 different models
2. Decide what colour t-shirt is needed
3. 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

‘Molly’ motors towards milestone birthday at Great British Car Journey

October 19, 2023 Emma Loughlin

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The only unrestored early Austin Seven AB Tourer in existence has arrived at Great British Car Journey. She will be on public display throughout half term.

‘The Austin Seven ‘Chummy’ or Molly’ as she is known to her owner David Mawby, celebrated her 100^th birthday at the award- winning classic car attraction in Ambergate, Derbyshire.

Despite being 100 years old, the car has just 19,000 miles on her clock and is in all original condition, including the paintwork, upholstery, engine and hood.

Molly was one of the very first Austin Sevens to roll off the production line in 1923 when the world’s first affordable mass-produced family car went into production. By 1939 when production finally ended, 290,000 Austin Seven cars and vans had been made.

A small handful of Austin Sevens remain to this day; however, Molly is the only one not to have been restored in any way. Although fragile, she can even still be driven.

First registered in 1923, Molly has had a fascinating history, including an appearance on TV, when she was awarded the prize for the most original Austin Seven by Top Gear in 1982.

She spent just three years on the road after being purchased from new before being laid up in 1926 when her first owner died. She remained hidden away until 1950 when his widow died, and the car was then sold.

The car was then purchased by a garage where it was mainly used for display purposes. The garage owner retained the car when he retired and only lightly used it. Molly has since had a couple of other owners, who have also resisted the temptation to restore her.

Current owner David explained how he acquired this unique piece of motoring history in 2007: “My interest in her began on my 21^st birthday when I was given a copy of the ‘Original Austin Seven’ magazine featuring Molly as the main story. I had always admired original cars and had dreamt of owning this AB Tourer. I traced her owner, and he sold it to me under the strict condition that I would never sell her.”

Delighted to welcome Molly to the museum exhibition, Richard Usher, founder and CEO of Great British Car Journey who was treated to a ride in Molly, said; “It is always a pleasure to welcome significant historic cars to the museum, especially when they were made at Longbridge. As a Brummie boy myself, I am always overwhelmed by the magic of the Austin Seven and a ride in Molly was a real lifetime motoring highlight.

“The Austin Seven is one of the hero cars of Great British Car Journey so to have Molly with us for her 100^th birthday is extraordinary, She’s a must-see for all Austin enthusiasts. But be quick, she’s not with us for long!”

This October half term (from Saturday 21st October until Sunday 5th November), kids go free at Great British Car Journey. Just use the code KGF23 when booking online and any child’s ticket you buy with a full price adult ticket will be free. Find out more here.

For details of all opening times, visit here.

A very big Italian Mini adventure for Practical Classics editor starts at Great British Car Journey

October 4, 2023 Emma Loughlin

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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

Photo Prints of Classic Cars Now Available

September 12, 2023 Riley Smith

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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

Special Deal

Buy 2 Get 1 Free – 3 Prints for Under £20

Browse over 75 iconic images of classic British Cars all photographed taken of actual cars from our interactive museum and driving experience

Choose your favourite 3 cars – we know its hard to pick from so many classics
Add them to your shopping basket
This will automatically give you the 3rd product free of charge
Checkout and pay for your order
Prints will be delivered in approximately 5 days
Keep to yourself or share with friends

Stylish New Clear Water Bottle Range Launched

August 22, 2023 Andrew Talbot

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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.

See the Designs

Great British Cars Merchandise Range Now Available

August 3, 2023 Andrew Talbot

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Great British Cars Range Now Available

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.

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.

Our vision is to offer something for every car in the museum and every car on the Drive Dad’s Car fleet.

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.

New Cars Added to the Drive Dads Car Fleet

June 11, 2023 Andrew Talbot

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We are excited to announce that we have now increased our Drive Dads Car Fleet to over 40 classic cars that are all available to be driven. We think we were already the widest selection of classic cars available to drive in the UK so these 7 new models just make it even more likely we will be able to take you or your loved ones on a nostalgic trip down memory lane

If you want to find our more about our Drive Dads Car driving experience please click on the button below to visit our dedicated website that shows all the other cars available and gives you lots more information about the booking process, costs and the format

Great British Car Journey named as a top new tourism business in national awards

June 9, 2023 Emma Loughlin

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Just two years after opening, the Great British Car Journey, an interactive car museum in Derbyshire, has been named as one of the top new tourism businesses in the national VisitEngland Awards for Excellence 2023.

The annual awards, which celebrate the tourism industry’s brightest stars, were held on Thursday 7 June at a glittering award ceremony hosted by Alex Polizzi at Warner Bros. Studio Tour London.

Great British Car Journey was one of 48 winners selected from hundreds of tourism businesses across England, including hotels, self-catering accommodation, B&Bs, glamping operators, attractions, restaurants, pubs and museums.

Accepting the bronze award for New Tourism Business of the Year Richard Usher, Founder and CEO of Great British Car Journey, said: “What a phenomenal journey the last two years have been for Great British Car Journey. To be recognised in the national VisitEngland Awards for Excellence has just blown us all away. We knew we had something special when we opened the museum in May 2021 but to have it confirmed is wonderful.

“It’s onwards and upwards for Great British Car Journey. We have many exciting plans in the pipeline which will ensure we continue to stand out in both the classic car and visitor attraction market.”

Since opening amid Covid restrictions, the museum has been a hit, welcoming more than 60,000 visitors from through the UK and the world.

To maintain and increase visitor interest, the attraction continues to add unique and fascinating cars to its exhibition, including the Rolls-Royce which was owned by the founder of the Scouting movement Lord Baden Powell, the last Morris Minor ever made, and a Lotus driven by world champion racing driver Mario Andretti.

It has also further developed its offer to hosting regular events, launching a car club, an online shop, and its own YouTube series, Great British Car Share, with motoring personalities Sarah Crabtree and Paul Woodford.

The museum, which is located in Ambergate on the edge of the Peak District, now boasts more than 150 classic British cars in the exhibition which tells the story of car design and production in the UK from the 1923 to 2000. Uniquely, the museum also has more than 40 classic cars, ranging from the Austin Seven to the Ford Capri, which visitors to the attraction can take for a drive.

Richard added: “2023 has been a fantastic year so far. We won Gold at the Visit Peak District and Derbyshire Tourism Awards earlier in the year and also narrowly missed out on the Tourism Superstar of the Year Award for our young heritage apprentice Luke Henshaw. We’ll keep on doing what we do as it is evidently working!”

To book discounted entry tickets to Great British Car Journey visit here or to book a drive in one the cars on the Drive Dad’s Car fleet visit here

Unique piece of BMC history goes on display at Great British Car Journey

June 7, 2023 Emma Loughlin

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A unique piece of BMC history – a restored ‘skeleton’ example of the Austin 1100 Countryman – is now on display at Great British Car Journey after being generously lent to us by The 1100 Club.

The skeleton body of the unique vehicle is designed to show the electric motors which control the movement of front and rear seats, demonstrating its carrying capacity to the full.

The arrival at Great British Car Journey follows the end of an eight-year search by the club for a new home for the car following the closure of its former home, Stondon Motor Museum in 2015. Since the museum’s closure the car has been in storage, only being brought out by the club for shows and exhibitions. During this time, members of the Essex branch of The 1100 Club restored the rare model to its former glory.

“Absolutely over the moon” to finally bring the car out of storage, Gordon Diffey, The 1100 Club committee member who is responsible for looking after the car, explained: “After learning about the Great British Car Journey at the Classic Car Show last year where I had my car on display and then visiting the museum myself, I was very impressed and realised it would be an absolutely perfect place to display the car. Now that it is on display again at the museum, members of The 1100 Club and all other classic car enthusiasts have the opportunity to see it whenever they want.”

Originally produced by Austin to demonstrate the still unique BMC engine and transmission layout at the 1966 Geneva Motor Show, the car also appeared the following year at the 1967 Earls Court Motor Show on a turntable alongside a fully bodied version.

At the end of the show the Austin 1100 skeleton car was put into storage at the British Motor Museum at Gaydon before being purchased by The 1100 Club in 1998 and subsequently displayed at Stondon Motor Museum in Bedfordshire.

Delighted to have the Austin 1100 skeleton on display in the exhibition, Richard Usher, CEO and founder of Great British Car Journey said: “This is a truly unique car and an important piece of BMC’s history which we are delighted to now have on display. It’s a real talking point, like so many of the wonderful cars designed and produced by British manufacturers over the last 100 years. I am grateful to Gordon and The 1100 Club for giving us the opportunity to share this car with so many people.”

The Austin 1100 skeleton car is available to view seven days a week alongside more than 130 classic cars at Great British Car journey.

Single admission is just £17.50 but, when booked online, visitors pay just £16.00. Concessions and family tickets are also available.

Save money and book your entry tickets online here.

Happy 2nd Birthday to Great British Car Journey!

May 22, 2023 Emma Loughlin

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Two years ago today Great British Car Journey opened its doors to the public!

We want to thank everyone who has visited us and continues to support us along the way – we’ve had yet another incredible year!

Some of the highlights this year include:

Winning GOLD at the Visit Peak District and Derbyshire Tourism Awards.
Shortlisted as finalists in the VisitEngland Awards for Excellence which takes place in London next month – wish us luck!
Our wonderful Apprentice Luke Henshaw finishing 2nd in the NATIONAL VisitEngland Tourism Superstar Awards!
BBC Breakfast spending the morning with us to meet Luke and acknowledge his success.
The amazing Paul Woodford and Sarah Crabtree joining the team as Ambassadors.
Launching our very own Great British Car Share YouTube series to rave reviews!
Relaunching one of our most popular events The Gathering as the Great British Car Meet for 2023, which continues to be as well attended as ever!
The launch of our online store selling the iconic Autocar magazine front covers.

None of this could have been achieved without our amazing team who work tirelessly to make sure every visitor has an unforgettable experience. From our skilled vehicle technicians and calm and collected driving instructors to the army of volunteers and café team and everyone in between – we are grateful to work alongside such passionate people.

Thanks also go to the wonderful owners who have allowed us to display their cars in our exhibition; as well as the army of car enthusiasts who turn out in their droves in their much-loved classics at our car meets – you enable us to showcase the best of British automotive engineering and design. And, of course, a big thank you to the incredible car clubs and everyone who visits us – we appreciate your support.

As we look forward to what 2023/24 has in-store. We already have some exciting new events and projects in the pipeline, including the addition of more classic cars to the Drive Dad’s Car fleet that you won’t want to miss (discover them at Meet the Fleet Day this Saturday!), more quirky and historic vehicles to the exhibitions and some stunning new Autocar front covers available for purchase.

So why not come and celebrate with us and experience the magic of Great British Car Journey for yourself? With themed events, fascinating interactive audio tours and the most wonderful classic cars with their own story to tell, there’s something for everyone to enjoy!

Join us this week and next for :

Merchandise Range Update for 2023

May 18, 2023 Andrew Talbot

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Last year we launched our first foray into car merchandise with our licensing deal with Autocar Magazine for their beautiful cover illustrations . After speaking with our visitors, members and fans we have found that there is an appetite for a much more comprehensive range of classic car merchandise so we have been hard at work getting this organised and today sees the roll out of an ambitious programme to satisfy the demand for quality merchandise for all the classic cars on display at the Great British Car Journey

50+ New Autocar Cover Illustrations Released Today

We have curated 53 new Autocar covers that look great and celebrate some of the classics then we have added them to our wall art range on our online gift shop. To celebrate this until the 31st May 2023 we have reduced the prices on our entry level wall art so everybody can enjoy these iconic designs – just click on the buttons below to search the full range of 150+ covers

This is just the start and over the next few weeks we will be launching the “Great British Cars” merchandise range followed by lots of new products and a completely revamped online shop – please sign up to our newsletter to be kept informed

For the Great British Cars range we want to create products for every classic in the museum and we are using photos of our actual cars to create more visually appealing merchandise – take a look at the samples below. If you have a favourite car in the museum that you would love to buy merchandise for then please email me and I am sure we can help

We are launching with 39 classic cars in June
We will start with mugs, metal plates, coasters, t-shirts for each car
We will then move onto Cushions, Notebooks, Flasks, Postcards, & Greetings Cards
Everything will be produced on demand so we can create products for 100s of cars
A small stock range of the most popular cars will be kept in the onsite gift shop

Great British Car Journey announced as finalist in VisitEngland Awards for Excellence

April 28, 2023 Emma Loughlin

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Great British Car journey has reached the finals of the prestigious VisitEngland Awards for Excellence.

Great British Car journey is one of five tourism businesses from the Peak District and Derbyshire that have reached the finals of the prestigious VisitEngland Awards for Excellence.

Great British Car Journey has been shortlisted has been shortlisted for New Tourism Business of the Year in the national awards after winning gold at the 2023 Peak District & Derbyshire Tourism Awards earlier this year.

Gold winners of the 2023 Visit Peak District & Derbyshire Tourism Awards

Judges for the Peak District & Derbyshire Tourism Awards described Great British Car journey as ‘a well thought through structured experience which captures in creative detail the timeline of the British Motor Industry over the last 100 years. It is of interest not only to motoring enthusiasts but provides a window into the nation’s social history from working families in the 20s, to the swinging 60s, the industrial struggles of the 70’s to the emerging high tech vehicles of now. The historic vehicle apprenticeship programme adopted by the Great British Journey is to be commended.’

The VisitEngland Awards for Excellence awards are the highest accolades in English tourism and champion the very best of the country’s tourism industry celebrating quality, innovation, best practice and exceptional customer service.

Richard Usher, CEO and founder of Great British Car Journey, finalists in the New Tourism Business category, said: “Since we opened in Derbyshire in 2021, the attraction has really struck a chord with the general public, whether they are classic car enthusiasts or not, offering the ultimate trip down memory lane. The exhibition, driving experience and our events are attracting visitors and tourist groups from all over the world. It’s been an exciting journey for the entire Great British Car Journey team. To be a finalist in the VisitEngland Awards for Excellence is just the icing on the cake.”

Alongside Great British Car Journey, fellow Peak District and Derbyshire businesses – Wildhive Callow Hall, The Blind Bull, Pure Outdoor and myGuidedWalks – have also been shortlisted in the national awards.

Wildhive Callow Hall near Ashbourne has reached the finals for Small Hotel of the Year; and The Blind Bull at Little Hucklow, near Buxton, has been shortlisted for the Pub of the Year Award, Outdoor activity and training providers Pure Outdoor have been shortlisted for the Ethical, Responsible and Sustainable Tourism Award; and myGuidedWalks, a Peak District walking experience provider, has been shortlisted in the Experience of the Year category.

“Good luck to our fellow Derbyshire and Peak District nominees in these prestigious awards,” added Richard.

The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony held at Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter on Wednesday 7 June 2023.

Jo Dilley, Managing Director of Visit Peak District & Derbyshire said: “It’s an excellent achievement to be shortlisted for these prestigious national awards and we’re proud that the Peak District and Derbyshire is represented by five fantastic finalists.

“This serves as a timely reminder of the value and sheer quality of our world-class tourism offer, and is testament to our passionate businesses who are dedicated to providing visitors with unforgettable experiences.

“Entering locally aligned awards is the only way to qualify for the VisitEngland Awards for Excellence, so we encourage tourism businesses to look out for when entries open for the 2024 Peak District & Derbyshire Tourism Awards this summer. We wish our finalists the very best of luck!”

To discover why Great British Car Journey is

Come & Meet the Fleet on the 27th May

April 21, 2023 Andrew Talbot

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With over 35 cars available to drive as part of the Drive Dads Car Experience it is not often you get to see them all on display at the same time and to add to the excitement we will be adding 5 new cars to the fleet on the day. This will take our cars available to drive to over 40 different models – the largest selection of its kind in the UK by some way.

This means you will get to see all 40 Drive Dads cars alongside the 130+ cars in the museum making this a very special day for all classic car fans.

Tickets for the day are for museum entry and to view the full fleet – drives must be booked separately and are not available on the 27th. You can pay for entry on the day but if you book online in advance you will save 10% on your tickets.

We will also be offering some very special deals that will only be available to visitors attending the Meet the Fleet day that will make great Father’s Day presents or just enable you to try out more and more cars with extra discounts…

Classic Collection car drives will be reduced from £49 to to £30!

Premium Collection car drives reduced from £65 to £39!

Luxury Collection car drives from £75 down to £49!

NB: Cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer.

To book tickets for the day click the red button below.

This blog is on the Great British Car Journey website so please click here if you want to go back to the Drive Dads Car Website.

Book Tickets

Mystery Solved?

March 29, 2023 Emma Loughlin

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Back in January we appealed to the public to help us solve the mystery surrounding our pristine 1971 Vauxhall Victor.

The car, which had been bought new by Peter Milner, had spent virtually all its life unused (save for 88 miles on the clock), hidden away and with a boot full of spare parts and petrol cans.

The mystery captured the imagination of the nation with the national press, TV and radio all picking up on the story and sharing our appeal.

Thanks to the appeal, Mr Milner’s nephew (also called Peter Milner) very kindly came forward to shed some light on the mystery. We awaited our speculation to come to an end.

Richard met with Peter at Great British Car Journey, where he sat in his uncle’s car for the first time on 11 February 2023, nearly half a century after it was bought. The meeting was captured by the team at BBC East Midlands. Watch the broadcast here.

Here’s what we discovered…

Peter Milner was born in 1923 and was one of seven children. The family lived in Ilkeston, Derbyshire. Peter worked for most of his life for the GPO which was the telephone arm of the Post Office. By all accounts, Mr Milner was a clever engineer who was often summoned to fix local exchanges whenever there was a problem. He was a shy and reclusive character and he lived with his sister at 16 Gregory Street.

On 12 April 1974, Mr Milner bought the Vauxhall Victor from Mercury Garage. It was not his first car purchase from them as he already owned a Victor Estate which was only two years old. The Victor, as we know, underwent Ziebart treatment before being stored away forever with just 88 miles on the clock.

Mr Milner retired in 1983 and he became even more invisible. His nephew remembers visiting the house and ringing the bell. The door would be opened and a figure would scuttle upstairs leaving Peter to talk to his aunt.

On Mr Milner’s death in 2018, he left a sizeable estate which exceeded seven figures in value. The estate also included a Victor Estate along with a 1990s Honda and a fork-lift truck on an extremely overgrown allotment.

And, beyond this, we know no more. Peter Milner remains a man of mystery.

However, amongst his belongings his nephew found an unopened pay packet from the Ministry of Defence. We’ll leave it there and allow you to draw your conclusions.

And that is where the story ends. Mystery solved? Probably not, but we had a lot of fun trying to work it out.

Book a drive in a Vauxhall

If you have fond memories of old Vauxhalls, did you know that we have three in our Drive Dad’s Car collection which you can take for a drive? For just £49.00, you can drive a Vauxhall Viva, Astra MK1 or Cavalier 1.6 on a private on-site route at Great British Car Journey. Book your drive today here

Is your Car Club interested in a Great British Event?

March 15, 2023 Andrew Talbot

Car enthusiasts have been getting together for well over 100 years in the UK and when they get together, they like to talk about the pleasure of car ownership, driving and enjoying whatever car or cars are the source of their enthusiasm.

If such enthusiasm can be shared over a beer and some well cooked food…so much the better…and the more cars there are to see, the happier most enthusiasts will be.

For the 2023 season, Great British Car Journey and Great British Car Club are delighted to be promoting a number of themed days when owners of various marques will be invited to park up and enjoy the very unique ambience of the site and the car collection housed there. We are also very happy to host more informal get togethers for your club

The owners and their guests will be given a special one day only rate for admission to the Great British Car Journey exhibition and food and drinks will be available in “The Filling Station” Café . Full details of all events can be found on our events calendar.

The video opposite shows what happened when our friends from the Triumph owners club visited the Great British Car Journey in August 2022 and how we can accommodate hundreds of car enthusiasts in a single day

All makes of car and types of club welcome
Reduced rates for museum entry
Full access to our catering & facilities
Large car park can accommodate several hundred cars
Discounts if you want to try Drive Dads Car

We already have lots of clubs visiting us in 2023 please click on the button below to check out our event calendar and serif there is anything that grabs your interest

To find out more about what we can offer and what others thought about holding an event at GBCJ please click on the button below to visit our group visits page.

If you are interested in discussing hosting an event for you own club then please click the button below to contact us and see what we can offer your club

We won GOLD!

March 3, 2023 Emma Loughlin

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Great British Car Journey has been named as the overall winner of the New Tourism Business category in the 2023 Visit Peak District & Derbyshire Tourism Awards.

The Buxton Crescent Heritage Experience and The George at Hathersage told the silver and bronze awards respectively.

The announcement was made at a glittering awards ceremony held at Casa Hotel in Chesterfield on the 2 March.

Unfortunately, Great British Car Journey’s founder and CEO Richard was ill so missed out on the fantastic night, however General Manager Ian Gardecki was there to collect the award. He said: “We were so happy to win, and it was brilliant to be able to share the news with all the team at Great British Car Journey the next day. The very late finish on the night and early start the next day was definitely worth the slight headache!”

Great British Car Journey was one of 14 gold winners on the night. As the winner of one of the 13 core categories in the awards, we now progress onto the national VisitEngland Awards for Excellence 2023, which represent the highest accolades in English tourism. The awards will be held later this year in June.

Gold winners were each presented with hand-crafted awards, designed and made by Derbyshire-based C W Sellors Fine Jewellery & Luxury Watches, whilst Silver and Bronze winners each received a certificate identifying them as one of the finest tourism businesses in the area.

Jo Dilley, managing director of tourist board Visit Peak District & Derbyshire, said: “The awards are a celebration of all that’s great about the tourism industry locally, and recognise its vital importance to the economy as well as the hard work, talent and dedication of those who work in this important sector.

“The quality and diversity of our tourism offer is immense and, in light of the many difficulties faced by the industry over the past three years, we should be tremendously proud of not only our award-winners, but of all our finalists.

“They have shown adaptability, innovation, and commitment to delivering world-class experiences to visitors day in, day out and help make the Peak District and Derbyshire such a fantastic place to live, work and visit. Congratulations everyone.”

We were also delighted to see our Peak District and Derwent Valley neighbours Matlock Farm Park, Heights of Abraham and Thornbridge Estate secure awards at the event. The 2023 gold Young Achiever was announced as Josh Butler of Longbow Bars and Restaurants. He takes over the accolade from our own heritage apprentice Luke Henshaw who won it last year.

Luke has since been shortlisted for the prestigious VisitEngland Tourism Superstar Award, the winner of which will be announced during English Tourism Week (Friday 17 – Sunday 26 March 2023).

Voting closes at midnight on 20 March, to vote for Luke to win the 2023 VisitEngland Tourism Superstar Award complete the form here.

Help Luke win VisitEngland’s Tourism Superstar 2023 Award

February 5, 2023 Andrew Talbot

Great British Car Journey’s classic car apprentice – Luke Henshaw – has been nominated for the prestigious VisitEngland Tourism Superstar Award. And we want you to vote and help Luke win the award.

Luke (18) is just one of 10 finalists throughout England who are in the running for the prestigious award.

Last year the title was won by Matlock Farm Park’s George Finlay. George was the first ever winner of the award in Derbyshire and the Peak District, and now the area has the unique opportunity to win again.

Luke Henshaw, Great British Car Journey’s classic car apprentice

Organised by national tourist board VisitEngland and supported by The Mirror, the Tourism Superstar competition recognises the dedication and passion of those working in the tourism industry.

The winner is decided by a public vote. The competition invites members of the public to visit mirror.co.uk/travel to watch a short film created for each of the 10 finalists and then to vote for their favourite. People have just six weeks to vote and help Luke, Derbyshire and the Peak District win the award.

Luke has worked at the classic car visitor attraction since it opened in May 2021 following his successful application to the Heritage Skills Academy (HSA) in Bicester. He is now one of only a few apprentices in the country who are training to become qualified craftspeople and heritage professionals to ensure the appropriate conservation, repair and maintenance of historic assets.

Luke, who lives in Mansfield and attended Brunts Academy, described the apprenticeship as a ‘dream come true’.

As part of his role at Great British Car Journey, Luke ensures nearly 150 classic British cars – which range in age from 1903 to 2000, are in working order. Luke also helps to keep a fleet of 38 cars maintained and fully roadworthy for the Drive Dad’s Car experience.

Luke is no stranger to awards. Last year he won the Tourism Young Achiever Gold Award in the 2022 Peak District & Derbyshire Tourism Awards, organised by Visit Peak District & Derbyshire.

Delighted to be shortlisted for the Tourism Superstar Award, Luke said: “I am absolutely blown away. I love working at Great British Car Journey. Being able to combine my passion for classic cars with a career is just brilliant. I get to work on them every day, learn new skills and also talk to other classic car enthusiasts who visit. I also love that my role enables me to inspire visitors of all ages to learn more about these unique vehicles, helping them have an enjoyable time here.”

Richard Usher, owner and founder of Great British Car Journey, added: “Luke is already a superstar to us. If he wins the VisitEngland title, then it will very much be the icing on the cake for all of us.

“Luke has impressed us from day one. He is keen to learn, enthusiastic and also a really personable young man who all the team enjoy working with and our visitors also enjoy talking to. He surprises many of our visitors with his knowledge of not only the cars at Great British Car Journey but classic cars in general. His youth belies his knowledge and the enthusiasm for these wonderful vehicles.”

Jo Dilley, Managing Director of Visit Peak District & Derbyshire, added: “Luke is a fantastic role model and a brilliant ambassador for the tourism sector, demonstrating the rewarding careers and great opportunities available for young people in the industry. He is clearly passionate about inspiring visitors of all ages to have a memorable visit and we’re delighted to see him reach the final. Now we urge Derbyshire residents, businesses and visitors alike to get behind Luke and vote!”

The winner of the award will be announced during English Tourism Week 2023 (Friday 17 – Sunday 26 March 2023).

Each of the finalists are highlighted in a short video on the Mirror website. Simply watch the video, then vote for Luke. Voting is open until midnight on 20 March 2023.

To vote for Luke Henshaw to win the 2023 VisitEngland Tourism Superstar Award complete the form here.

Help us solve the mystery of our latest exhibit

January 18, 2023 Andrew Talbot

A new car at Great British Car Journey has the attraction’s team scratching their heads.

The latest exhibit to join the 140-strong collection of classic cars – a 1974 Vauxhall Victor FE that has travelled just under 100 miles in 50 years and is in pristine condition – comes with a mystery to solve.

The car was discovered following the owner’s death – a Mr Milner. It was purchased by him in the summer of 1974 from Mercury Garage in Ilkeston. Six years later the car was taken to Derby to undergo Ziebart rustproofing – a popular option at the time – and then put back into storage. It was finally unearthed following Mr Milner’s death.

Before being stored away, the brightwork had been removed, covered in oil and bagged up and the interior was covered in polythene; all of which served to keep the vehicle in pristine condition over the years.

A range of spare parts for the vehicle, a number of petrol storage containers and a Haynes manual were all found in the boot of the car and remain there where it is on display at Great British Car Journey.

The museum’s social media has blown up since details of the mystery car was shared on it, with people speculating that Mr Milner bought the car, didn’t like it so confined it to storage; the odometer is broken; that it was Bully’s Star Prize on the 80s gameshow Bull’s Eye, and even alien abduction of the owner!

Richard Usher, founder and owner of Great British Car Journey, said: “We would love to know more about this Victor and why the owner never used it. It really is a one of a kind story that we’re desperate to know more about.

“If the name of Mr Milner or the car description rings any bells, please get in touch with us as we would love to solve the puzzle of this mystery car.”

The award-winning visitor attraction and Drive Dad’s Car experience are open throughout the year. Currently operating reduced winter opening hours, Great British Car Journey will open seven days a week during half term from Saturday 11 February until Sunday 26 February.

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We won GOLD!

Help Luke win VisitEngland’s Tourism Superstar 2023 Award

Help us solve the mystery of our latest exhibit

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