British Car Museum
British Car Museum
4.5
This location was reported permanently closed
About
A unique personal collection of over 400 Classic British cars, commercials and motoring memorabilia. Please note there may be some dust and oil among the cars as the owner is not as young as he was and cannot get around them as often as he would like. Volunteer cleaners very welcome!
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
4.5
84 reviews
Excellent
49
Very good
28
Average
4
Poor
2
Terrible
1
Nyree13
Guildford, UK200 contributions
Feb 2013 • Couples
My goodness, this is a real Aladdin's cave of old British cars. Ian, the owner/manager, is a very friendly chap and opened up just for the two of us to visit. We were absolutely gobsmacked by the number and variety of cars packed, many double-decked, into these large barns - everything from an army of Morris Minors, to more Austin 1100's than I've ever seen in one place before, a Daimler, a Humber Super Snipe, a number of Ford Prefects of various ages, Jaguars, Bentley, a Rolls-Royce... it just went on and on, one wonderful discovery after another! I think every possible model of Vauxhall is there. At least 360 cars of various makes.
Now, they're not all in concours condition. Some are pretty ancient and rusty. But they're all kept in damp-proof, secure surroundings, with considerable amounts of information on each model and (where applicable) its donors. The walls are covered with old number plates, badges, and car-related ephemera.
We took nearly an hour to look around, and that wasn't exhausting all the interest of the place.
The museum is easy to find, out towards Cape Kidnappers, where there's a very good cafe for refreshment. You'll know you're in the right place when you see the ancient gold Daimler Sovereign up on a stand out front.
Now, they're not all in concours condition. Some are pretty ancient and rusty. But they're all kept in damp-proof, secure surroundings, with considerable amounts of information on each model and (where applicable) its donors. The walls are covered with old number plates, badges, and car-related ephemera.
We took nearly an hour to look around, and that wasn't exhausting all the interest of the place.
The museum is easy to find, out towards Cape Kidnappers, where there's a very good cafe for refreshment. You'll know you're in the right place when you see the ancient gold Daimler Sovereign up on a stand out front.
Written February 7, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Denise O
6 contributions
Feb 2019
If you can't find your first car here it didn't exist! An amazing collection. A great trip back in time.
Written January 25, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bob M
Gold Coast, Australia27 contributions
Dec 2018
I was there in September 2018, found it by chance was out taking photos. I am a fan of British Cars and planned to visit on a Saturday Morning, I thought it would be crowded. Arrived and there was no one there even when I left later, I was the only one visiting. Strange. The smell of the place gave me a bad headache old English oil leaking I guess, it was a spooky place and you would not want to be in there of a night with the Mannequins playing the Pianola and the vintage radios playing twenties music. Overall there was something very sad about this place, it could be a fabulous Museum if the NZ Government was willing to get behind. My feeling on leaving was to sneak back in the night open all the doors and let these beautiful old cars go free. The Prince of Darkness resides in Napier in this big shed, his name is LUCAS so be careful. PS I love those Old British Cars, I was raised on them hence the sadness. The Mechanic from Australia.
Written November 10, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
CAS
3 contributions
Mar 2019 • Couples
My husband being English decided he wanted to visit the museum, I tagged along not sure if this was my thing. Boy was I wrong, I just love that it’s not like any other car collection. We spent over an hour there and was thoroughly entertained by the owner. He even put the pianola on for us. This is a must visit they even had the make of car that my husband courted me in,we are now in our 70s.
Written March 26, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you Carol - delighted you enjoyed your visit!
Written May 27, 2019
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
raymondb944
London, United Kingdom451 contributions
Mar 2019 • Couples
Saw this place on the map and thought as visiting from England O had to go. The place is an Aladins cave with so many cars, some racked up on others, but almost every model you can think of. I went down memory lane finding my Morris Oxford, Austin 11, Vauxhall 101 and many more. This place is a good mine but with some great exhibits. The owner admits it started as a hobby and became an obsession, but there are so many good examples and memories here it's worth a visit.
Written March 18, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ThomsHongKong
Kent, UK8 contributions
Feb 2019 • Couples
A most amazing experience- never seen anything quite like it any where in the world. For those classic car enthusuasts, it’s a must and bucket list experience. Well worth experiencing.
Written February 12, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you - pleased you enjoyed your visit.
Written February 15, 2019
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Louise M
Woodbridge, UK14 contributions
Feb 2019 • Family
A stupendous collection of more than 400 cars and light commercials mainly of the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s. All crammed in to a massive warehouse with some double decked. I challenged the owner to find a Wolseley 1500, a car from my past and he took me right there. Awesome. They are not laid out and restored in pristine fashion like the Southward Car Museum at Paraparaumu but, with a few exceptions are left in their original unrestored state. Well worth an hour or three of your time.
Written February 9, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks - really pleased you enjoyed your visit. That's what it's all about!
Written February 10, 2019
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
swannythemoose
Lifton, UK117 contributions
Nov 2018 • Couples
We stumbled on this place by accident, we just passed it on the road and decided to go in. At 10 NZD per person (ÂŁ5 per person) it was a bargain. It was stacked with old British cars that I loved and owned (some) when I grew up. There was no attempt to display them in any other way than how they were received i.e. with no restoration, which I think added to the experience. All were clearly identified and I took great delight in identifying which type I had owned or driven. The owner was welcoming and welcomed us in. Several times during our visit he asked us how we were enjoying it. There was so much other stuff on display as well, I could have spent hours more looking around. A total amazing couple of hours spent exploring the place. For any British car enthusiast it would be Mecca. Loved it.
Written November 26, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks for the review - very pleased to hear you enjoyed your visit.
Written November 27, 2018
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
KarenJDG
Napier, New Zealand259 contributions
Sep 2018 • Couples
We took our cousin and partner here as an unplanned visit on a Saturday afternoon.
The “horn” door bell is a hoot! It made us all jump!
The museum is huge and along with the 450 (or so) cars there are heaps of other old things to look at.
Worth a visit.
It’s cheap entry, just $10 each.
The “horn” door bell is a hoot! It made us all jump!
The museum is huge and along with the 450 (or so) cars there are heaps of other old things to look at.
Worth a visit.
It’s cheap entry, just $10 each.
Written September 23, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks for the review - do come again!
Written November 27, 2018
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
JaneMay
Northamptonshire, UK317 contributions
Aug 2018 • Couples
I am not mad about cars but my husband was totally absorbed in the many, many British cars of all ages on display here. Not commercial - no shop, cafe and just basic toilet facilities, but any car buff would love to visit. How he collects and manages to display so many vehicles is incredible. Not for the faint hearted, though!
Written September 13, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks for visiting and for the review
Written November 27, 2018
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
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