I've got a bit of treat today for all you petrol heads out there. For this week's Wednesday Afternoon Wandering I paid a visit to the British Motor Museum. It had been a long time indeed since I'd last been there and much had changed, but there were, of course, still lots of cars to admire and lust after.
The museum is located on the same site as Jaguar Land Rover's Gaydon factory, which is located in the English Midlands. You can see some of the JLR buildings in the near distance, behind the trees.
As usual on these trips my first stop was the cafe, for some lunch, which in this case was a Cornish pasty.
For smaller visitors there was parent-powered transport available.
There were, as you would expect, plenty of Jaguars and Land Rovers on display, including this 1948 Land Rover Series 1, the first of the line.
And this more recent Land Rover concept vehicle.
Next to them was this fascinating piece of motoring heritage, a large figure of Luey the Lion. Luey stems from Land Rover's long-standing collaboration with the Born Free Foundation and was inspired by 'HUE 166' the very first Land Rover (see above).
Of course, part of the problem in a place like this is the amount of vehicles on display, which can make it bewildering when deciding where to go next.
But let's stick with the Jaguars and Land Rovers for now, including this drop-dead gorgeous and unique Jaguar XJ13. The photos don't fully do it justice. I spent ages drooling over it and, as far as I am concerned, it's the most beautiful car in the museum.
Or how about a 1950 Jaguar XK120 with a fascinating history?
Fancy something a little more recent and faster? Then why not try Eddie Irvine's F1 car from the year 2000 or a 2017 Jaguar Formula E car.
Or this 1970 March Ford F1 car.
But there are more than just cars to be explored, including this recreation of a garage from the 1950s, complete with audio story.
When I turned a corner and saw this huge pink machine it put a very big smile on my face. Fab1 was designed by Ford of Europe for the 2004 Thunderbirds movie and was Lady Penelope's car.
I did, however, smile even more when I saw this 2017 Mini Cooper built with Lego bricks. Fantastic! By the way, the weird effect in the photo was caused by the way the light bounced off the bricks. Most unexpected.
There was also this unusual exhibit. Can you guess what it was used for? The answer is below.
And now back to more serious stuff with this gorgeous looking 1957 MG EX181 which was built for a speed record attempt. You can see it in action in the background.
Whilst this stunning looking machine was inspired by its 1957 predecessor.
I also found an Aston Martin DB5 on display, though no sign of 007.
But let's finish with a true golden oldie, this 1904 Vauxhall 6hp which was one of the last to use the tiller steering system. It still, apparently, takes part every year in the London to Brighton Veteran Car Run.
I took photos of many, many more vehicles but I think that's enough for now. In fact, I only had time to visit part of the museum. Across the road there is a separate building that houses Jaguar Land Rovers' own collection, so I will have to go back to visit that another time. I will, of course, be sure to share some photos of that visit here.
You can find out more about the museum, including their online resources, here.
