Strangs' Visit to the National Motor Museum

On August 20th Pat and Dave Strang visited the New Forest National Preserve and the National Motor Museum in Beaulieu near Southampton, England. When it comes to cars, motorbikes, commercial vehicles, motoring eccentricities and memorabilia, the National Motor Museum is firmly in the driving seat.

With the Collection now comprising some 250 vehicles - from some of the earliest examples of motoring to legendary World Record Breakers like Bluebird and Golden Arrow - it is a place worth visiting. The latest exhibition, Supercars, showcases a selection of the fastest, most expensive and exotic sports cars. Exhibits include:
Enzo Ferrari
Named after the company founder Enzo Ferrari, this car was designed to bridge the gap between race prepared and road-going cars.
McLaren F1 GTR
The 6.1 Litre V12 BMW engine makes this car capable of accelerating from 0 to 100km/h in 3.1 seconds and reaches a top speed of 240.14mph
Aston Martin V8 Coupe
Aston Martin launched the new V8 Coupé in 1996 to replace the Virage Coupé. With a power output of 349bhp@ 6,000rpm this car is capable of accelerating from 0 to 100km/h in 5.8 seconds.
Light Car Company Rocket
Performance was never going to be disappointing with a 0 to 100km/h figure of 3.9 seconds and a top speed of 143mph. At £40,000, this car might be described as representing the budget supercar!
Maserati Gransport
The name ‘Gransport’ was first used by Maserati in the 1950s for the elegant two-litre coupé, created by styling house Carrozzeria Frua and utilising the chassis of the celebrated A6G model.
Ariel Atom
With a 1,998cc 4-cylinder Honda iVTEC engine producing 300bhp @ 8,200rpm, the Atom is capable of travelling from 0-100mph-0 again in just 10.88 seconds
There were numerous vintage cars such as Rolls Royces and Bentleys, as well as the traditional British sports cars.
On the grounds of the motor museum there were the remains of an old Abbey which was partially destroyed when King Henry VIII outlawed the Catholic Church in Britain and started the Anglican Church. Lord Montagu’s ancestors were granted the stones and destroyed property. The stone was used in the construction of a palace close to the abbey. Part of the estate was used a training school for spies during the Second World War. All in all it is a very interesting place to visit for a day.
On the way back to Southampton we briefly stopped outside of the Beaulieu Garage and it had just closed for the day, but I took a few photos through the window of some of the cars they had for sale. All the cars looked completely restored.
We also came across a Mini while out “walking the Walls in Southampton” with “Never underestimate a Mini” across its windshield.
Lots more pictures here. (By the way, when you are viewing these photos, if you click on any picture in the slideshow, it will tell you what it is.)