National Motor Museum celebrates its outstanding collections

The National Motor Museum celebrated recent successes, and its unique collections of items related to the history of motoring in Great Britain, at an event in Beaulieu on October 22nd.

The Collections of the National Motor Museum include over 1 million Photographic Images, 100 metres of Motoring Archives, in excess of 43,000 Motoring Objects and specialist Motoring Reference and Film Libraries. The Museum's display of world famous cars and motorcycles are visited by around 340,000 people each year. The collections were given Designation status in 1997 by the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) recognising their national and international significance.

The MLA has further supported the Museum by providing £400,000 over the last ten years through the Designation Challenge Fund (DCF) to help care for, research and record information about its collections. The funding has enabled the Museum to produce its first ever touring exhibition in 2007 - High Days and Holidays was enjoyed by over 80,000 visitors in five museum venues across the country. Additionally, people of all ages enjoyed the exhibition in schools, libraries, railway stations and healthcare venues across Hampshire and Dorset. This exhibition now continues as a permanent display at the National Motor Museum.

Most recently the DCF allowed the National Motor Museum Trust to create a new interactive learning experience website, launched at the October event. It showcases all the Collections and provides enhanced access to facilities including the Motoring Research Service. The website has been designed to appeal to all, from motoring enthusiasts to children, providing illustrated information and educational interactive games.

To mark the 10th anniversary of MLA's support, Hedley Swain, Director of Programmes at the MLA presented Lord Montagu of Beaulieu with a Designated Collection plaque for the National Motor Museum.

Paula Brikci, Designation Manager at MLA said, "Designated collections provide people with inspiration, enjoyment, understanding and knowledge. The National Motor Museum at Beaulieu shows how motoring has shaped contemporary life through one of the finest collections on a given subject matter. The outstanding collection represents a vital part of our national cultural heritage and the MLA is delighted to support the museum via the Designation Scheme".

Andrea Bishop, Director of Collections at the National Motor Museum said, “With support from the MLA Designation Scheme, we have brought the superb collections at the National Motor Museum to a wider audience. Enhanced care, documentation and digitisation have provided robust content for our new website, helped us create inspiring exhibitions, engaging outreach programmes, and extended the scope of our research and enquiry service”.

The event also announced a new logo for the National Motor Museum Trust and the renaming of the building housing the collections not on display. The National Motor Museum Trust Centre, accessible by appointment and through the Museum's Research Service, has become the National Motor Museum Collections Centre.

The new National Motor Museum Trust website can be found at nationalmotormuseum.org.uk