The Great British Car Journey has now opened in Ambergate in Derbyshire. An idea that came from the purchase of a 1989 Austin Maestro four years ago. This initial purchase started something big, and the collection has now got over 130 cars.
The old wire works factory in Ambergate along the banks of the river Derwent is now full of old cars. The collection extends to nearly a century of British motoring history. For example, iconic British cars like the Morris Minor, Ford Capri and many more cars that were once regular sights on Britain’s roads. Many of these are rarer than exclusive supercars costing ten to twenty times more.
Richard Usher, CEO of Great British Car Journey explained: “Four years ago, when I owned and managed Blyton Circuit, a gentleman approached me asking if I’d like to buy his 1989 Austin Maestro in mint condition with just 10,000 miles on the clock. My first thought was ‘no’, but it then got me thinking about when I last saw an Austin Allegro, Metro, original Mini, or even a Ford Cortina on the road. These were cars that were once on virtually every street in Britain and sold in their millions.”
Richard took his idea and got together with four private investors and started to gather one of the largest privately owned collections of British designed and manufactured cars in the country.
Visitors will be guided around the exhibition with a handheld audio device telling the story of the individual vehicles and the UK motor industry.
The collection starts with an Austin Seven from 1922 and telling storied of the design and production of cars in the UK right the way through to the modern McLaren 650S which has been lent to the museum by the British supercar manufacturer.
Mike Flewitt, CEO of McLaren Automotive said: “Richard and the team have done an amazing job bringing Great British Car Journey to life. I am delighted that McLaren is able to support the exhibition which celebrates Britain’s motoring history from Bruce McLaren’s Austin Seven, where our brand story began, through to modern day supercars such as our 650S.”
