Visit the Great British Car Journey with our Great Savings Guide
Discover the Great British Car Journey’s interactive car museum in Derbyshire for a fun and nostalgic outing
We all remember our first cars, yes? Or the family motor that took us on trips to the seaside and back? And have you ever wondered what happened to these once ubiquitous cars that seem to have vanished from our roads? So too did Richard Usher, founder of the Great British Car Journey - a museum celebrating Britain’s golden age of mass-produced motors.
Though only opened in 2021, the museum already boasts over 150 cars on permanent display - from the earliest Austin Sevens, through Morris Minors and Ford Capris to the latest hydrogen-powered Toyota (built only 15 miles away) - with 100 more as either reserve or available for hire.
Housed in an old wire-making factory, between Matlock and Derby, the cars are crammed cheek by jowl, beneath huge banners showing period adverts, immersing visitors in a richly nostalgic atmosphere.
Visitors follow nine ‘chapters’ of British motoring history via a handheld audiovisual guide, while QR codes at each display unlock Top Trumps-style stats and stories about the cars and their owners.
The nostalgia is visceral - whether you’re spotting your Dad’s old Ford Granada, your first Mini Metro or a beloved Rover 75. Open windows invite a closer look at the details that spark memories: ashtrays, leatherette seats and fluffy steering wheel covers. And you’ll be comforted in your reminiscing by the similarly excited yelps from visitors around you.
Gallery
According to Richard, the most popular car here is the Mini (both original and modern flavours) - but look out for the Land Rover 90 Brenda Blethyn drove in ‘Vera’, and Princess Anne’s Reliant Scimitar - while other not-so-common models include Baden Powell’s Rolls Royce (with the Scouts’ fleur-de-lis emblem replacing the Spirit of Ecstasy), James Bond’s Lotus Esprit and a rare 1921 Horstman Super Sports racing car.
Of particular interest to members might be the 1971 Ford Transit campervan, with its deckchair-striped pop-top roof, or the 1934 Austin Seven towing its tiny box-caravan.
A bright and spacious cafe serves hot and cold food, with souvenirs cannily offered at a child’s eye level. And while your young companions might not get why you’re SO excited by that Vauxhall Cavalier, they’ll enjoy the child-sized replicas dotted about the collection or the chance to drive a mini Land Rover on the bookable track outside.
The Great British Car Journey is an affectionate, nostalgic and refreshingly relatable trip down memory motorway. You really auto go.
Member offer: £3.50 discount on adult entry with the Great Savings Guide. Find out more here.
Stay at: The Firs, Carsington Water, Lickpenny Matlock Club campsites.
Please visit camc.com/greatsavingsguide for vouchers, discount codes, and pre-booking where applicable, along with terms and conditions for all offers. Make sure to check the site and attraction opening dates and times before your visit or travel.
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