Britain's National Motor Museum

Filed in archive Museums on February 17, 2007

My, how time passes. Way, way back when... I was a staff announcer at radio station CKFH in Toronto. Totally dedicated to motorsport, I was given a weekly slot for race and rally news. Thus I received a phone call asking if I would like to interview Lord Montagu, who had authored a book on motoring history and was participating in a world-wide promotional tour. Naturally I agreed, curious to meet a member of the aristocracy and wondering if he'd be stuffy and unapproachable. Quite the contrary. Lord Montagu was like the rest of us. Well, almost. He presented me with a signed copy of the book and oh, how I wish I'd kept it instead of tossing it away with an endless stash of goods casually discarded during a Gypsy-like life.

Years later I became aware of Lord Montagu's extraordinary museum on the grounds of Beaulieu, the ancestral property in England. It is now known as the National Motor Museum and is, without doubt, the finest in a country where automobile museums are almost as common as fashionable pubs. The Collection now comprises some 250 vehicles from the earliest examples of motoring to legendary world record breakers. It is also the home of the world-famous Beaulieu International Autojumble and Automart. Year-round, all sorts of events take place on the Beaulieu grounds; for example, the Art of Citroën Exhibition, which continues until March11. The National Motor Museum is now presided over by Lord Montagu's son (in the photo) who, if anything, is even more a classic car enthusiast than his father. You can visit the Web site here. There's also a library where I will visit to see if I can obtain a copy of that long-ago book.