It’s time for an admission. My enthusiasm for cars doesn’t really go any further back than the mid-80s. Many of my motoring journalist colleagues have encyclopaedic knowledge of every car and make that ever existed. My knowledge pretty much drops off a cliff pre-1985.
The spin-off from this admission is that as well as having little knowledge of home-grown cars, I have no special fondness for brands such as Austin, Rover, Morris, British Leyland and many more.
With that in the open, I think this puts me in a good position to rationally, and neutrally, assess the UK’s newest car museum, one that’s dedicated to the British car industry.
The Great British Car Journey, based in Derbyshire and just on the southern edge of the Peak District, has a very specific remit; to showcase the rise and fall of our homegrown car manufacturing. If you’re like me, you’ll need a bit more detail. That means the bulk of the exhibits run from 1922 when the Austin Seven began production, through to the early 1990s when Rover (and associated brands) was sold to BMW. The Great British Car Journey then also includes a final take on the current industry with some of the latest and greatest of British cars.
Doors to the museum opened in May four years after founder Richard Usher had the idea for attraction.
Speaking at its opening, Usher explained: “I really wanted the cars to tell a story, so the journey charts the growth of car ownership from Austin’s Seven to the present day.”
“It has a motor show feel with cars grouped in the decades – or chapters – in which they were produced, with period adverts and graphics prominently displayed.
“The vehicles are easily accessible. We want people to smell the old car smell, marvel at the interiors and jog memories of trips in the family car, their first car or back seat fights with their siblings when they were growing up.
“Everyone who has been on the journey, whether a car nut like myself or not, doesn’t fail to have a smile on their face remembering days gone by. Great British Car Journey is the ultimate trip down memory lane.”
Arrival
Finding the museum is dead easy – entering the postcode (DE56 2HE) into our satnav took us to the right place and there’s plenty of parking. We (that’s me and my 12-year-old daughter who, despite my best efforts, isn’t particularly into cars) visited during the school half-term holidays and didn’t have any issues parking.
Like many attractions now, there’s an audio tour to help you along the way, but for the Great British Car Journey the e-guide goes a step further. Offering not just audio but also a screen and QR scanner you can pause the audio and look up extra details on every single car in the museum, and there are around 150 on display. There’s also even more information available on ‘hero’ cars and memorabilia such as the giant advertising posters that hang in every section.
The museum also provides a kids’ version of the guide which clearly worked well because my kid found it great and happily scooted off to specific cars to find out more detail. The kids’ version also has a simple built-in car design and assembly game which got a seal of approval too.
The tour
At the basic level the audio tour takes about 90 minutes. However, if you wanted to read-up on every car in the museum you could easily spend half a day getting to know the finer points of the cars on display such as an Austin Sixteen Shooting Brake or a 1958 Morgan 4/4.
While the idea of a museum that charts the rise and fall of a topic isn’t new, I was a bit worried the Great British Car Journey would either be on the depressing side or go the other way and celebrate something that didn’t, ultimately, succeed.
Fortunately, the tour strikes the perfect balance between these two points. You get an interesting and factual explanation of the history of the industry focussing on the interesting points which leaves you informed and ready to learn more.
Highlights
As someone with an interest in cars in general, if not specifically old British metal, I’d have to recommend the museum.
At the risk of a cliché there really is something for everyone. My daughter loved the Morris Minors, Minis and the DeLorean (yes, there’s even one of those).
For me it was seeing a Gilbern Invader for the first time IRL (as my kid would say). And if you don’t know, Gilbern is (was) the only Welsh car brand and ceased production in 1973.
But there was also the car that started my interest back in the mid-80s, a Vauxhall Cavalier MkII. It was my father’s first company car. Before that we’d had an Austin Maxi which I’d mostly hated due to horrid vinyl seats that would become dangerously hot in summer.
And that’s kind of the point, we all have motoring memories and this museum helps bring those back.
Driving
To take the experience that step further, the Great British Car Journey also offers the chance to drive some of the cars in a sections called ‘Drive dad’s car’.
For an additional fee of £49 you can take out up to three of the 30 on offer for 20 minutes per trip on the museum’s private roads.
We didn’t opt for this simply due to time constraints, but to me it looks like good value and something to look forward to for when we go back.
Verdict
Great for car enthusiasts of all ages and highly interesting even if your knowledge of British motor industry history is on the limited side. We’d recommend a visit if you’re in the area or even a special trip as it’s in a good location for a road-trip.
Details
Where
- Derbyshire, between Belper & Matlock. Just off the M1 near junctions 25 to 28.
Opening times
- 10am-6pm every day from May to October, times and days vary for the rest of the year (see website)
Prices
- Adults: £15 (includes e-guide)
- Children (5-15): £7, plus £1.50 for an e-guide
- Seniors (over 65): £13 (includes e-guide)
- For concessions such as family tickets and groups (see website)
Keyword: Great British Car Journey review, the UK’s newest car museum