About the National Motor Museum

The story of motoring is the story of us and our world. As an independent charity, the National Motor Museum is the custodian of these stories. We were created and are shaped by a love of motoring. We believe the spirit of motoring should be preserved, promoted and shared.

The National Motor Museum Trust is a charitable organisation founded in 1972, which runs the National Motor Museum at Beaulieu. Continuing the work of the flagship Montagu Motor Museum, it has a world famous collection of cars, motorcycles and motoring memorabilia.

The vehicles in the museum are what we are known for - there are currently around 300 in the care of the Museum - but that's only the start. There are around 1.9 million items in our Collections Centre and our mission is to use our collection to tell the story of motoring on the roads of Great Britain.

As a charity the National Motor Museum Trust aims to engage and inspire people through our world-class collections. We are committed to promoting education, research and conservation in motoring history for the benefit of everyone now and into the future.

Who owns the vehicles?

There are approximately 185 cars and commercial vehicles in the Museum, 51% are owned by the National Motor Museum Trust, 26% are owned by Beaulieu Enterprises Ltd and on long-term loan to the National Motor Museum Trust, and 23% are on loan to the Trust from other organisations and private individuals.

There are approximately 114 motorcycles. 48% owned by the National Motor Museum Trust, 20% owned by Beaulieu Enterprises Ltd and on long-term loan to the National Motor Museum Trust, and 32% on loan from other organisations and private individuals.

The National Motor Museum is Accredited and its Collections Designated. What does that mean?

The National Motor Museum is a nationally-styled, Accredited Museum. All the collections owned by the Trust are designated by Arts Council England as being of national and international importance. These include the vehicles, objects, photographs, film, archives, and our reference library.

The UK Museum Accreditation Scheme is the official industry standard for museums and galleries across the United Kingdom, setting nationally agreed good practice. Gaining accreditation is an endorsement. It shows our organisation, the National Motor Museum Trust as professionally run, sustainable and trustworthy.

The Designation Scheme by Arts Council England identifies and celebrates pre-eminent collections of national and international importance held in England's non-national museums, libraries, and archives. Collections held in England’s non-national museums (not funded directly by the government), libraries and archives can apply for Designated status, recognising how their collections play a significant role in deepening our understanding of the world and our shared cultural heritage.

Museum Mezzanine showcase showing objects from the collections

Strategy

We are embarking on the next stage of the Trust’s long-term strategy to secure the future of the National Motor Museum. This strategy is focussed on reimagining and reinvigorating the Museum, engaging with new generations of motoring enthusiasts and diverse communities, while developing and preserving the Designated collections for generations to come.

Our strategy sees the Museum greatly expand its work in learning and community engagement, including a vision for the development of a training centre for heritage engineering apprenticeships, and by better fulfilling the Museum’s national remit by finding a suitable new home to reflect that and new ways to share the stories of motoring heritage more widely than ever before.

Over the last two years the Trust and the Montagu family have explored ways to achieve these ambitions in the Museum at Beaulieu through major donor investment and potential redevelopment but have now concluded that the next stage of the National Motor Museum’s ambitious plans and charitable purpose as the national repository of British motoring heritage can best be achieved through a move to a new home.

Sustainability

The National Motor Museum are carbon balancing out all miles covered by the museum’s own vehicles and the miles covered by the attendees of our National Motor Museum events this summer. As members of the Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs (FBHVC) we are pleased to take part in their Carbon Capturing Scheme.

Read more about Beaulieu’s Environmental Policy.