Sparkford, Nr Yeovil, Somerset, England, 22 October, 2002
Foundations
The Haynes Motor Museum is a charitable trust that was set up by John Haynes OBE the
founder of the Haynes Publishing Group, and first opened its doors to the public in July
1985, with an inventory of 49 cars and 3 motorcycles. Since then the museum has grown
vastly in size to accommodate an ever growing range of exhibits, such that it now
comprises ten interlinked halls housing nearly 300 cars and over 70 motorcycles,
together with a vast array of motoring memorabilia and toys, ranging from 1/87 scale
Matchbox models to children’s pedal cars. It is not only the museum that has grown in
size, but also the facilities surrounding it, with a landscaped picnic area, an outside
military vehicle display, a children’s adventure play area, a restaurant providing genuinely
home cooked food, a well stocked souvenir and gift shop, together with a vehicle test and
display circuit.
Halls With Themes
Each of the ten halls is devoted to a particular theme, the first one upon entering the
complex being ”The Dawn of Motoring” with low lighting as befits dawn, featuring cars
built before 1910. Leaving this darkened hall one enters ”The Red Room” a stunning
eyeful of cars with a common denominator, they are all painted red, hence the name of
the room. These include a rare Facel Vega HK 500, AC Ace, 428 Frua convertible and
Cobra, a Maserati Merak SS, a Lamborghini Countach, and of course examples of the
most famous red cars of all, Ferraris, represented by a 250 GT PF S2 cabriolet, chassis
# 1815GT, and a BB512, chassis # 33131.
From the ”Red Room” you have access to the other halls, so you can choose the
direction you take to view the exhibits. However, continuing in chronological order, one
goes into Hall 3, the theme of which is ”International”, with exhibits as varied as a Sinclair
C5 electric scooter, a range of Chevrolet Corvettes, through to the epitome of luxury in the
form of Rolls Royce. Along the way there is a Ferrari 400i Auto, chassis # 43803, and an
example of the futuristic when announced Aston Martin Lagonda. This hall also features
the Camelot Auditorium, a small screen cinema where historic motoring films are shown
throughout the day. Hall 4 is called British American & Specialist, with exhibits that range
from the minimalist Mini, to the excesses of the 1959 Cadillac Sedan DeVille, with the
”Specialist” section including the first ever newspaper delivery van, an Albion 40/50 cwt
LCA44 van, and a 1968 Pontiac Superior Ambulance that saw duty in Lewistown,
Montana for a number of years.
Veteran, Vintage, Edwardian & Classics is the theme of Hall 5, and contains some of the
museum’s most valuable exhibits, the stars of which are displayed on a raised section
at the end of the hall, a 1931 Cadillac 452 V16 Madame X Cabriolet, one of the
museum’s latest acquisitions, and a stunning 1931 Duesenberg Model J Derham
bodied Tourster, the only one outside the USA of the eight examples of this type that were
built. Other transatlantic gems include a 1936 Auburn 852 Supercharged Boat Tail
Speedster, and a Cord 810 Beverly from the same year. To the side of this hall is the
narrow Hall 6 containing the Speedway collection of motorcycles, which comprises of 31
motorcycles, seven engines and a mass of memorabilia from the Forshaw Collection
that encapsulates this branch of motorcycle sport. On the opposite side of Hall 5 is Hall
7, which is the ”Hall of Motorsport” where exhibits include a Delahaye 135 Course, a
Bugatti T35B, a Connaught F2, a Lola Cosworth T370/HU3 F1 car, and a Ferrari F310
Static Show Car.
Halls 8, 9 and 10 run into each other, the first being devoted to British cars covering a
period of over sixty years, and including a facsimile of the original Morris Garages in
Longwall Street, Oxford, behind which is the museum’s workshop and restoration area.
Hall 9 is dedicated to the art of customising and the kit car, and the exhibits include a
spectacular V12 Jaguar engined ”Model T” hot rod. Hall 10 ”The Millenium Hall”
completes the tour, and comprises of what are considered possible future collectibles,
ranging from a 1981 VW Golf GTI, through a bright yellow 1995 Ferrari 456 GT, chassis #
100903, a 1997 Dodge Viper RT10, a 1998 Jaguar XJ 220, to a 2000 Bentley Arnage.
Motorcycles & Memorabilia
Throughout the halls there are a number of classic motorcycles amongst their four wheel
cousins, including British icons like the BSA Gold Star and Manx Norton. Everywhere
there is also a vast and diverse array of automobilia, including the previously mentioned
scale models, together with road and garage signs, and even an old AA call box with
appropriate motorcycle and sidecar parked outside.
Function?
The museum also offers a range of facilities for private and corporate functions, from
weddings to business seminars. You can incorporate go-kart racing, quad bike riding,
tank driving or a variety of other activities into the programme, or if you just want a
pleasant day out at a motor museum with diverse displays, then the Haynes Motor
Museum is the place for you
General Information
Location
Just north of Yeovil on the A359, a short distance from its junction with the A303 north of
Sparkford.
Opening Times
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