Driven: Britain’s Motoring Story opened at the National Motor Museum

The sensational new display presents the development of motoring in the UK and opens to visitors today, ready for the Easter school holiday.
At the official opening Jon Bentley congratulated the National Motor Museum on the new gallery and as part of his humorous speech said “What's great about the museum is all the memories it stirs-up. One of the reasons I have so many car memories is that I've worked with cars most of my life and I remember events not necessarily by the people that were there, but by the car we drove at the occasion! Vibrant car collections such as the one at the National Motor Museum inspire the car enthusiast of the future and it's wonderful to be here at the exhibition's opening.”

“Driven: Britain’s Motoring Story” focuses on how Britain has changed over the decades, delving into the social and cultural impact of motoring. It features stories to surprise, engage and inspire. There’s a place for spotlight loan vehicles and fun interactive displays, previously unseen items from the Museum’s collections, along with opportunities to watch and hear videos and sounds from the Museum’s archives.

The £700,000 project was supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, Garfield Weston Foundation, the Wolfson Foundation, the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Community Foundation, DCMS/Wolfson Museums and Galleries Improvement Fund, Indigo Blue European, Brookspeed, Caroline Montagu Weston Fund, Beaulieu Beaufort Foundation, Lucas Oil and Marcos Motor Company.

Dr Jon Murden, Chief Executive of the National Motor Museum says, “This exhibition’s new displays have an overarching story of motoring from its earliest times to the present day. Britain without cars and motorcycles would be unrecognisable – they have changed the shape of our cities, nations and landscapes, revolutionised the way we make and sell things, and transformed how we live our lives.”

“From assembly-line mass-production to electric cars, the new gallery will share the stories that have moved us.”

Gail Stewart-Bye, Senior Curator of Objects and Exhibitions at the National Motor Museum says, “The stories behind the vehicles are at the forefront of this display; the people who drove the cars, the impact on our lives and landscape and the influence on science, art and design. We also go under the bonnet to look at nuts and bolts and the huge technological changes that you would normally associate with a motor museum.”

Visitors to the new exhibition can also unlock extra content from the Museum’s collection via the Smartify app. Showcasing archival film footage and photographs, the app offers in-depth insights into several of the iconic vehicles on display and explores their importance in the history of motoring. 

Further information and background articles on Driven: Britain’s Motoring Story is available on the National Motor Museum’s website: https://nationalmotormuseum.org.uk/story-of-motoring/exhibitions/driven-britains-motoring-story/

The exhibition opens to the public on Friday 27th March 2026 and is included in the Beaulieu admission ticket. Tickets are available at https://www.beaulieu.co.uk/