Let’s be honest, very few of us need much of a reason to get out and about in our classic cars, but having a destination in mind can make a road trip more worthwhile. There are plenty of automotive-themed places to visit dotted up and down the UK, from magnificent museums to cute cafes and trendy coffee shops, all designed with classic car enthusiasts in mind. In the pages that follow we’ve picked out 18 top driving destinations that give you an excuse to jump behind the wheel for a day trip to remember this spring or summer.
We’ve tried to cover all the bases here; from the established major motor museums such as Haynes Motor Museum, the National Motor Museum, Beaulieu and Lakeland Motor Museum, to smaller and newer destinations catering for car enthusiasts, such as Caffeine and Machine in Stratford-upon-Avon, The Motorist in Leeds and Gilks’ Garage Café in Warwickshire.
Ultimately, we hope there is something amongst our selection that appeals and motivates you to get out and about. However, if we’ve missed your favourite driving destination then we’d love to hear from you. Drop us a line so that we can share it with the rest of the classic car community via ccb.ed@kelsey.co.uk.
HAYNES MOTOR MUSEUM
Chances are that if you don’t already know about the Haynes Motor Museum then you will still know the Haynes name via its illustrious workshop manuals. The history of both the museum and publications date back to 1954, when founder John H Haynes acquired a worn-out Austin Seven. The 16-year-old boarding schoolboy set about using the car as a basis for building his own Austin ‘750 Special’. During the process of construction, he made notes along the way, illustrated by sketches –you can tell where this is going, right? John eventually sold his ‘750 special’ but he was taken aback by the level of interest in the car, so much so that in 1956 he decided to publish a 44-page booklet, stapled together we might add, called ‘Building a 750 Special’. Off the back of a small advert in Motor Sport magazine, John sold 250 copies and the Haynes Manual was born. Some 200 million manuals have been sold since 1966, with John awarded an OBE in 1995. He passed away in 2019, with new manuals moved online a couple of years ago, though the older ones remain available.
Haynes’ publishing empire allowed him to create the Haynes Motor Museum, which opened its doors on July 10, 1985. The location is a former American munitions depot in Sparkford, Somerset; the only place John could find that would be suitable for housing his growing collection of cars, which he was desperate to share with the public. By gaining the status of a UK independent charitable trust, the collection’s future would be protected. Land Speed Record holder, Richard Noble OBE, cut the opening ribbon on the 29-strong vehicle collection.
All these years later the museum has become a multi award-winning attraction with around 400 exhibits housed within 15 exhibition areas. Renowned all over the world, it welcomes over two million visitors through its doors each year. In fact, it is advertised as the UK’s largest collection of cars and bikes, dating from 1885 to the present day, taking visitors on a journey through the history of motoring. The museum is divided into sections, including its Memory Lane exhibition, Wheels Around the World, Minis and Micros, Great British Marques and a display dedicated to the Williams F1 team. There will also be a brand-new exhibition this year, Life on Two Wheels.
Preservation is key to the care of the collection; importantly all of the cars on show are driven regularly, often at special visitor events. The museum is keen to point out that this is an ever-evolving beast that’s continually growing, changing and improving. That means that even if you have visited in the past, there is sure to be plenty to make a return visit worthwhile. The full list of vehicles on display is nothing short of mind-blowing, and you can read it in its entirely on the website –listed from A for AC to Z for Zip kart. You’ll also be able to see the few vehicles in the collection that are
