THE GREAT BRITISH CAR JOURNEY

Many of us are old enough to remember when a family picnic tended to involve egg and cress sandwiches, explosive bottles of R Whites lemonade and an overheating Morris 1100 De Luxe just outside of Weymouth. Others will recall those journeys along the A33 in a Ford Cortina GL Mk 4, where the radio has jammed on Woolston AM, a station which seems to play nothing but the hits of Val Doonican. And then there was the fun-packed experience of trying to hand-crank a recalcitrant Standard Vanguard Phase 1A on a November morning.

Such memories are fundamental to the world of classic cars, as celebrated by The Great British Car Journey. Opened on the 22 May 2021, it showcases more than 140 British-made vehicles, from a Morris Minor Million and the last-ever MG Metro, and a Ford Fiesta XR2i to a Reliant Regal; this is the story of an industry.

The brainchild behind it all is Richard Usher, who admitted: “At 64, I am of the age to remember so many of these cars. My dad once owned a Morris Minor with a supercharged engine, a Singer Gazelle Convertible and a Ford Consul Corsair GT fitted with wire wheels.” The last-named proved a stylish aftermarket accessory, even if they were not quite able to cope with the rigours of a long holiday journey.

The Great British Car Journey features a pioneering interactive audio-visual guide to each exhibit arranged in a nine-chapter journey. It starts in 1921, as this was the year that the Austin Motor Company went into receivership. The conclusion is 2005 when the MG Rover group went into administration and Dagenham no longer manufactured cars. Richard spent four years selecting the exhibits, and he was determined that the displays reflected the complete story of the British motor industry,

Enroute, the visitor will encounter such automotive gems as a Bristol 401, a 1989 Special Edition Mini, a DeLorean and one of the last Wolseley 16/60s dating from 1971. Meanwhile, an Austin Allegro Series 3 belongs in the ‘when did you last see one of those?’ category. A Sinclair C5 is a surreal reminder of the lost realm of the 1980s, just as a Victor FC Estate is the embodiment of 1960s suburbia. In fact, my last encounter with such a Vauxhall was via the 1968 Hammer horror The Anniversary.

Within the complex is a second museum, which will allow visitors to drive one of 32 classic cars – thereby allowing the modern generation to appreciate a time before PAS, when a vinyl roof denoted social status and when ‘air conditioning’ meant winding down a window. One of the most challenging vehicles sourced by Mr. Usher was a 1982 Chevette: “This one is ex-Vauxhall Heritage. They seemed to have almost entirely vanished from the road.” Yet they were once as familiar as the sound of an ADO16’s A-series engine, or the transmission whine of a Hillman Avenger.

With thanks to: Richard Usher & The Great British Car Journey