‘Wheels’ clocks-up historic mileage milestone

This summer, one of the National Motor Museum’s most popular features, ‘Wheels’, travelled its 66,500th mile – the astonishing equivalent of  two and a half times around the earth, or half way to the moon!

Wheels clocked-up its amazing 66,500th mile after a running time of 59,378 hours.

The 75 wheels which keep the ‘wheels’ ride in motion and transport the 37 space-age ‘pods’, carrying visitors on a spectacular tour through time, travel at a speed of 0.3 metres per second, on a track 148.6 metres long, with each ‘pod’ making 8.479 circuits an hour.

“Welcome to the world of Wheels” is the message visitors hear when they first step aboard the ride. This has now been heard a staggering 18.7 million times!

‘Wheels’ was conceived, planned and designed by Beaulieu staff, using the most advanced  computer-controlled audio-visual technology available at the time.   Installed to commemorating the centenary of the motor car, the ride was officially opened by HRH the Prince of Wales in June 1985.

The following year, ‘Wheels’ received one of the top prizes in Britain’s’ Travel Oscars’, awarded annually by the British Tourist Authority.

‘Wheels’ takes visitors on a journey through 100 years of motoring in Britain, from a period when the car was not universally welcome, through milestones in the history of land transport, up to present day motoring and even looks at motoring of the future.

‘Wheels’ is open and running 364 days a year and can be enjoyed as part of a visit to the whole Beaulieu attraction.  For more information visit beaulieu.co.uk.