I took the kids to this museum yesterday because it's only half an hour from home and sometimes it's just nice to go places in the VW for fun. Their website is here: www.transportmuseum.co.uk/
What a place! Not just a few cars roped off, lots and lots of stuff and the ropes are dragging against the sides of the cars, you really can get close to them ;D They're also packed in so tightly that if rain got in through the roof not a drop would hit the floor.
At the start there were a few 1920s - 30s saloons that I'd just love to spend time with, they looked like older restorations or even original condition. Kids were dragging me around so no time for photos, but we then passed an early 60s Austin Princess with what looked like a TV in the back and police radio. Also a full compliment of curtains but sadly no explanation of what this very special car was. Royal transport? Dunno
There's not much in the way of continuity to the collection because the cars next to it were a few 70s Vauxhall saloons, 3 or 4 Rolls Royces, an MGB and the first of lots of bicycles and mopeds. The obvious car to have next is a Jag XJ13 which is the first time I've seen one for real
Fantastic looking thing, as my son agrees. Note also the De Tomaso behind it without any bumpers.
Next there were a few microcars, the usual BMW Isetta, Fiat 500 and these things here. The blue jeep seemed to be Fiat 126 or 127 based?
Imagine recomissioning one of these? You'd be tracing bad earth connections until you were a hundred years old ;D Lovely though
Pug 104, Rover, streamlined scooter. Mostly without information and the kids dragging me at speed again
Another De Tomaso with Sinclair C5 for comedy value. The kids were very puzzled by this so I felt the need to sit on the floor of the museum and demostrate the riding position. I hope they don't have security cameras there
What's the car just to the left?
It's one of these! First time I've seen one outside of a Top Trumps packet, a Panther J72. Not sure if this is the straight 6 or V12 version but just lovely to see
Another Panther, Vaux, XJ6 and Citroen SM, the back corner of a Jensen Interceptor Spotter's paradise!
Beemer, I love these!
Various American stuff, think that's an Imperial closest to us, it's got suicide rear doors and was just enormous. Think there's a Fifth Avenue there too? Alistair?
Escort camper!
Trabant jeep, Russian jeep which I think is amphibious? My memory fails me, sadly. Volkswagen 412 just behind with NSU Ro80 behind that.
Gyrocopter! Handy because on Saturday James Bond was flying Little Nellie ;D
Russian truck with missile. Just the thing for not being a road-rage victim
London bus. As you can see the exhibits are far from all being polished, but that doesn't bother me, much prefer to see stuff on display like this than hidden away until it's restored.
Talbot and moped, blurred as kids pulled me at speed!
Rusty Tatra 603
Where I parked. Next to the museum's CX and Jag. Is this a Mk7 or Mk8? I can't really tell without looking at the windscreen. It's where Jaguar's tagline of Grace, Pace and Space came from.
If you're close to Hitchin, Luton or Bedford it's well worth a trip over. Some of the cars are for sale but I couldn't think about that or I wouldn't have slept at all last night
What a place! Not just a few cars roped off, lots and lots of stuff and the ropes are dragging against the sides of the cars, you really can get close to them ;D They're also packed in so tightly that if rain got in through the roof not a drop would hit the floor.
At the start there were a few 1920s - 30s saloons that I'd just love to spend time with, they looked like older restorations or even original condition. Kids were dragging me around so no time for photos, but we then passed an early 60s Austin Princess with what looked like a TV in the back and police radio. Also a full compliment of curtains but sadly no explanation of what this very special car was. Royal transport? Dunno
There's not much in the way of continuity to the collection because the cars next to it were a few 70s Vauxhall saloons, 3 or 4 Rolls Royces, an MGB and the first of lots of bicycles and mopeds. The obvious car to have next is a Jag XJ13 which is the first time I've seen one for real
Fantastic looking thing, as my son agrees. Note also the De Tomaso behind it without any bumpers.Next there were a few microcars, the usual BMW Isetta, Fiat 500 and these things here. The blue jeep seemed to be Fiat 126 or 127 based?
Imagine recomissioning one of these? You'd be tracing bad earth connections until you were a hundred years old ;D Lovely though
Pug 104, Rover, streamlined scooter. Mostly without information and the kids dragging me at speed again
Another De Tomaso with Sinclair C5 for comedy value. The kids were very puzzled by this so I felt the need to sit on the floor of the museum and demostrate the riding position. I hope they don't have security cameras there
What's the car just to the left?It's one of these! First time I've seen one outside of a Top Trumps packet, a Panther J72. Not sure if this is the straight 6 or V12 version but just lovely to see
Another Panther, Vaux, XJ6 and Citroen SM, the back corner of a Jensen Interceptor
Spotter's paradise!Beemer, I love these!
Various American stuff, think that's an Imperial closest to us, it's got suicide rear doors and was just enormous. Think there's a Fifth Avenue there too? Alistair?
Escort camper!
Trabant jeep, Russian jeep which I think is amphibious? My memory fails me, sadly. Volkswagen 412 just behind with NSU Ro80 behind that.
Gyrocopter! Handy because on Saturday James Bond was flying Little Nellie ;D
Russian truck with missile. Just the thing for not being a road-rage victim
London bus. As you can see the exhibits are far from all being polished, but that doesn't bother me, much prefer to see stuff on display like this than hidden away until it's restored.
Talbot and moped, blurred as kids pulled me at speed!
Rusty Tatra 603
Where I parked. Next to the museum's CX and Jag. Is this a Mk7 or Mk8? I can't really tell without looking at the windscreen. It's where Jaguar's tagline of Grace, Pace and Space came from.
If you're close to Hitchin, Luton or Bedford it's well worth a trip over. Some of the cars are for sale but I couldn't think about that or I wouldn't have slept at all last night
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