Gaydon British Motor Museum pics

[quicksilver]

I wasn't going to do this but by popular demand I've been persuaded to share some pics from my visit to Gaydon on Sunday. It's taken a while to get them all sorted and online, not helped by Flickr doing a BL and going on strike in the middle of uploading, but they're all there now so here we go.

 

I'll break you in gently with some from the main museum and the Jaguar Heritage Trust collection on the ground floor of the Collections Centre.

 

1982 Ford Cortina 2.0 Ghia by Adam Floyd, on Flickr

 

1976 Broadspeed Jaguar XJ12C by Adam Floyd, on Flickr

 

1984 TWR Jaguar XJ-S by Adam Floyd, on Flickr

 

1952 Austin A30 convertible prototype by Adam Floyd, on Flickr

 

No idea why these are stacked up like this but it makes the Spitfire very difficult to see

A stack of sports cars by Adam Floyd, on Flickr

 

This thing is weird. Tiller steering mounted on the right arm of the driver's seat. Push the windshield forwards and the back of the wings fold down and reveal a step.

1901 Lanchester 10/12hp by Adam Floyd, on Flickr

 

1992 Jaguar XJ6 estate prototype by Adam Floyd, on Flickr

 

1996 Daimler Corsica concept by Adam Floyd, on Flickr

 

1955 Daimler Regency Sportsman by Adam Floyd, on Flickr

 

1994 Jaguar XJ12 Coupe prototype by Adam Floyd, on Flickr

 

Princess Di's XJS

1987 Jaguar XJ-SC V12 by Adam Floyd, on Flickr

 

Weird little diesel coupe

2003 Jaguar R-D6 concept by Adam Floyd, on Flickr

 

Pov spec with cloth

1988 Jaguar XJ6 3.6 by Adam Floyd, on Flickr

 

The last XJ40

1994 Jaguar Sovereign by Adam Floyd, on Flickr

 

And the last XJS

1996 Jaguar XJ-S 6.0 V12 by Adam Floyd, on Flickr

 

Lots of modern Jags too but I didn't bother with them. Stay tuned for more!

[quicksilver]

Before we continue, I must warn you: the top shelf (well the top floor of the Collections Centre) is where they keep some hardcore BL porn that may cause a multiple yoghurt truck pile-up. View these photos at your own risk as I accept no liability for the consequences.

 

Sherpa coupes can be improved with the addition of a periscope

1972 MGB GT SSV1 by Adam Floyd, on Flickr

 

The Allegro 3 sure is ugly

1982 Austin Allegro 3 1.5 HL by Adam Floyd, on Flickr

 

What happens when you put a K-series in a Mini? You get a Minki of course

1995 Rover Minki II prototype by Adam Floyd, on Flickr

 

Something that might get Vulgalour all excited

1975 Vanden Plas Princess 2200 prototype by Adam Floyd, on Flickr

 

Pretty car but it looks like a Fiat

1972 Michelotti Triumph Dolomite 1850 by Adam Floyd, on Flickr

 

Best car for Woollarding of evah

1974 Morris Marina SRV2 by Adam Floyd, on Flickr

 

Soichiro Honda gave this to Sir Michael Edwardes. I wonder what he received from BL in return, probably an Ital or something

1980 Honda Prelude by Adam Floyd, on Flickr

 

What we should have got instead of the Rover Metro

1985 Austin AR6 prototype by Adam Floyd, on Flickr

 

Especially for Lord Sterling

1986 Rover 825i by Adam Floyd, on Flickr

 

Fugly fat-arsed Metro

1980 Austin Metro saloon prototype by Adam Floyd, on Flickr

 

The first Maestro. Much beigeness.

1983 Austin Maestro 1.3 L by Adam Floyd, on Flickr

 

Metro opens wide and says NOM

1986 MG Metro six-cylinder prototype by Adam Floyd, on Flickr

 

Hang on, that ain't no A-series under there

1986 MG Metro six-cylinder prototype by Adam Floyd, on Flickr

 

Sad times, the last Rover

2005 Rover 75 CDT by Adam Floyd, on Flickr

 

The famous Pizza Van

1994 MGF 'Pizza Van' development mule by Adam Floyd, on Flickr

 

The last Montego

1995 Rover Montego 2.0 DLX by Adam Floyd, on Flickr

 

A plastic Mini from Venezuela

1992 Mini Cord FA by Adam Floyd, on Flickr

 

If you're still conscious after that lot and haven't over-exerted yourself, there's more on Flickr and a report on my blog.

[Tayne]

I can see that a30 convertible being used in the manner of those Fiat 500 Jollys.

 

Acting as tenders to the yacht's of the rich and shameless, zipping about Torquay on the English riviera picking up friends from the station or collecting fresh bread.

[fred]

Hopefully going there early July , couple of events going going on outside on the 9th so, take the lot in then   Looks pretty cool

[trigger]

I'll have to make a revisit this summer i think, theres a lot more new stuff there at last.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Ooooh a placca mini!!!!! I'd like to have a look at that

[anonymous user]

Ooooh a placca mini!!!!! I'd like to have a look at that

A mini that doesn't rust? That will never catch on.

[Dick Cheeseburger]

I regret that Cornwall is so bloody far from everywhere. I'd love to visit this place. I'm going to assume that the Spitfire is a rare model with actual floorpans, hence it's up in the air to show people the evidence. As for the six cylinder MG Mattress, phwoar!!!! Any more info on it?

[Negative Creep]

Am I the only one who quite likes the looks of the late Allegros?

[alf892]

That little Jag coupe is pretty......

[MarvinsMom]

Am I the only one who quite likes the looks of the late Allegros?

no i like series 3 allegro's too.

 

and the 6 cylinder metro is using one of the prototype 9X engines developed by alec issigonis.

 

the plan was that there would be a family of engines starting at 800cc 4-pot, and 60bhp, with the larger 6 cylinder engine displacing around 1500cc..

 

the engine is an iron block with al alloy head, with belt driven OHC sat on top of its gearbox, but this one didn't need the lay shaft in it that the mini's had.

 

Donald Stokes decreed that the 9X prototype cars, engines, drawings and tooling was all to be destroyed, fortunately the blue 9X hatchback was saved, cos some one hid it in the tunnels under longbridge, before some one took it home and put it in their garage, and the green gearless automatic prototype, which looks like a mini was taken by Issy as his own car, while 2 engines got ferreted away.

 

in 1987? someone found it, and someone thought it would be a good thing to take a metro off of the production line, and modify it to take the 9X engine. i guess they wanted to try one for themselves?

 

still its good that these vehicles have survived.

 

we are going on Sunday with the Metro and the Mini, for the Metro and Mini Show.

 

the 9X prototype

 

and the 9X gearless-automatic prototype

[DaveAspley]

Had our wedding reception at Gaydon in 2010, awesome day and having the run of the place was awesome!! Got a lot of strange looks from Joe public but they really do a brilliant job of it in the top floor conference room. Cost £3.5k for 120 people with all the trimmings mind....

[MarvinsMom]

£3.5K that sounds pretty reasonable to cater for 120!

[DaveAspley]

 

Need to raid the old photo CD collection for decent shots of the cars.

 

3.5k was for the room, dinner, lots of wine, staff, museum hire, furniture hire, table cloths, evening buffet etc , a ton of other stuff, very good deal! Would recommend!

[Inspector Morose]

That metro was issigoniss' last prototype. Fitted with a 1275 ohc 9x engine previously fitted to a maestro IIRC. All four cars (two minis, 9x proper and the metro)of the 9x programme were kept at his house until his death then passed directly on to Gaydon.

[inconsistant]

I went to Gaydon a couple of weeks ago for the slot car festival, I was going to start a thread but I'll bung my pix up here if that's OK. Lots had changed since last year, and the extra shed is fab. Top BL shite upstairs, Daim & Jag stuff downstairs. Nice to see the XJ220 prototype alongside the eventual production XJ220. They're quite different when you start comparing. Also that Longbridge tunnel clubman, and several cars I'd only ever heard of or seen b/w images of. The SD2 in particular looks very different in the flesh.

 

[inconsistant]

[inconsistant]

[inconsistant]

[inconsistant]

 

 

prototype XJ220

 

prototype XJ220

 

prototype XJ220

 

production XJ220

 

production XJ220

 

 

 

[Walter White]

Great photos,thanks for taking the time to add them. I have never got around to going to Gaydon but I really should. More effort required. There is a Skoda meet there at the end of July so 2 birds with one stone possibility.

 

 

No idea why these are stacked up like this but it makes the Spitfire very difficult to see. Quote from the photo with the stack of TR 7 Midget and Spitfire.

 

The Midget EOL733V was the last Midget manufactured so I guess the TR7 and Spitfire are also the last ones made, the years of registration look right so a stack of the last British Leyland sports cars is my guess.

[Dick Cheeseburger]

^ So that's where the longbridge clubman ended up. I knew that the bloke who dragged it out eventually flogged it for <£1500 iirc, but didn't know what had happened since.

[sierraman]

I love how they've written Hot on the exhaust of the Pizza van. Obvious or what!

 

Is that green hatchback the Acquilla prototype?

[MarvinsMom]

more BL wonders/lunacy/missed opportunities and might-have beens.

 

Triumph Lynx.

 

Micheal Edwards Rover SD1 prototype

 

last of the line Rover Metro 100 signed by the assembly line workers.

 

Austin Ant, 4x4 light SUV thing that almost, ALMOST made it into production, before been axed by Donald Stokes, cos this would have competed with Land Rover, apparently. A-series power, modified mini subframes and 4 wheeled drive. and all this 15 odd years ahead of Suzuki etc.. sad....

 

last of the line Mini

 

and her majesty's Rover P5B

[quicksilver]

I love how they've written Hot on the exhaust of the Pizza van. Obvious or what!

 

Is that green hatchback the Acquilla prototype?

No, it's the Triumph SD2, the intended replacement for the Dolomite.

 

Also, they've put the wrong label on the blue Road Rover. That one is a 1955 Series I (based on the P4) and this grey one is the Series II (based on the P5)

1959 Road Rover Series II prototype by Adam Floyd, on Flickr

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

I like the last Montego. How many times can you write 'thank fuck for that' on a car?