Beaulieu’s stunning new display The Luxury of Motoring with glittering Lalique mascots, brand new group visit tours which take you behind the scenes and new events for next season’s calendar are all reasons to visit in 2018.
Beaulieu’s stunning new display The Luxury of Motoring with glittering Lalique mascots, brand new group visit tours which take you behind the scenes and new events for next season’s calendar are all reasons to visit in 2018.
The National Motor Museum with its collection of more than 250 vehicles from throughout motoring history, the new-look World of Top Gear, On Screen Cars, the ancestral Montagu family home of Palace House, 13th century Beaulieu Abbey and the stunning grounds and gardens are all included in a general admission ticket. Tickets can be bought in advance online. For tickets or more information see www.beaulieu.co.uk or call 01590 612345.
New for 2018
The Luxury of Motoring
A stunning collection of 28 Lalique glass car mascots will be on show together for the first time as the glittering centrepiece of The Luxury of Motoring, a new display which opens early in 2018 at the National Motor Museum, Beaulieu.
This brand new gallery showcases a selection of the most luxurious cars ever built and tells the story of their design, the people who owned them and the chauffeurs who drove them.
Spanning the golden age of luxury motoring to today’s aspirational cars, perceptions of taste and class are themes that are explored through a range of fascinating objects, films and rarely seen images from the National Motor Museum Trust’s archives.
Group visit tours
New tours for 2018 offer expert guides who are keen to share their passion for the 800 years of history and heritage on show at Beaulieu, bringing together more than 60 years’ experience of welcoming group visits.
The Luxury of Motoring offers a tour of the new display with its stunning collection of Lalique glass car mascots, showcase of the most luxurious cars and the stories of the people who designed, owned and drove them.
In the exclusive new Chief Engineer Tour gain behind-the-scenes access to Beaulieu’s workshop and hear the stories of National Motor Museum Manager and Chief Engineer Doug Hill, who started work as an apprentice at Beaulieu 40 years ago. Book early for this limited availability tour. For more details see www.beaulieu.co.uk/groups.
Events calendar
An exciting new event and extra feature are part of Beaulieu’s 2018 calendar line-up for motoring enthusiasts and fabulous family entertainment. Building on a record-breaking Simply season in 2017, brand new Simply Audi on April 29th will be added to the rallies where owners of popular marques gather in the grounds of the National Motor Museum. In the 70thanniversary year of the Land Rover in 2018, Beaulieu will also add the new feature of Simply Rummage to its popular Simply Land Rover on June 24th.
Award-winning International Autojumble on September 1st-2nd and Spring Autojumble on May 19th-20th offer thousands of stands selling classic and vintage spares, memorabilia and cars for sale. While Beaulieu Supercar Weekend on August 4th-5th is a high octane two-day showdown of some of the most impressive cars on the planet. For tickets and more information see www.beaulieu.co.uk/events or call 01590 612888.
Recently opened
A new-look World of Top Gear
After an exciting launch with Top Gear presenter Chris Harris, the new-look World of Top Gear reflects the changes to the new-look BBC Top Gear. Amazing new exhibits from the world’s biggest motoring show include the impressive Ssangyacht built from the world’s ugliest people carrier, the longest limousine selfie opportunity ever and a marine feature displaying boat challenge vehicles. While the Enormodrome boasts a brand new studio in keeping with the style of the latest series. In homage to the past, there will still be plenty of vehicles and rarely seen images from the National Motor Museum Trust’s archives.
Working Victorian Kitchen
In an exciting recent project, Beaulieu has opened the newly restored Victorian Kitchen at Palace House where you can see Lord Montagu’s cook preparing authentic dishes on the range during school holidays. Her homemade cakes, biscuits and preserves are also on sale in the kitchen shop. The original kitchen from the Victorian era was gutted to make way for a motorcycle display in the early 1950s and has been fully restored to working order for visitors to Beaulieu.
Mythical tree carvings and fairy doors
A set of three mythical creature tree carvings have been added to the attraction. A legendary Green Man, many-headed serpent stretching out across the Beaulieu River and a tree-top griffin, the mythical creature which supports the Montagu family coat of arms, are all on the walking trail. Enter the realms of magic with a stroll along Mill Pond Walk and find fairy doors and statues in woodland trees along the pathway.
To keep up with the latest news, find us on Twitter @Beaulieu_Hants, Facebook at /nationalmotormuseum or Instagram @national_motor_museum.