The National Motor Museum is to display two standout vehicles from its amazing collection at the Concours of Elegance

American Auburn 851 Speedster

The stylish art-deco American Auburn 851 Speedster dates from 1935. It was purchased in August 1963 by Edward Lord Montagu and Mr Phillip Pollock of Vintage Tyres and was originally coloured black. In 1971 Phillip Pollock’s share in the car was brought out and it was restored in Lyndhurst and coloured ‘old English white’ and completed with white-wall tyres.

A plaque on the dashboard states that “this certifies that this Auburn Automobile has been driven at 100.6 mph before shipment Ab Jenkins.” Ab Jenkins was a famous racing car driver of the period. The luggage compartment accessed via a side door has just enough room for a set of golf clubs and a spare tyre. It was said that this was one of the first cars to have a car radio. Price new was £800 and the car was imported via Brooklands via an import company owned by Malcolm Campbell. There is a rumour that the car was driven German American actress and singer Marlene Dietrich up to a film theatre in Scotland as the car was imported via Scotland. It was in a Harrods store display in 1968 and it appeared in the film ‘Here and Now” in 1964, the film ‘False Alarm’ in 1965 and the Eamonn Andrews TV Show in 1969 at Beaulieu.

 In 2007 it was driven from Shanghai to Beijing and through the Alps by Doug Hill, the Museum’s Manager and Chief Engineer. It visited EuroDisney following a Beaulieu to EuroDisney Rally raising funds for Children In Need. Winning the Concours of Elegance Germany Art of Car Style Award the then restoration was funded by money raised by Jewel Events.  Mary Montagu-Scott went with her father Edward Lord Montagu on a rally in France in 1991, driving the Auburn. During the Rallye Mondial FIVA Fédération Française des véhicules d'époque, she sat a number of cushions on the seat in order to see over the windscreen! 

The 1954 Triumph TR2

The 1954 Triumph TR2 was one of the first of the famous TR series of Triumph sports cars. Rivaling manufacturers such as MG and Jaguar, the TR2 achieved motor-sport success at international and amateur levels. The TR2, launched by the Triumph Motor Company in Coventry in 1953, became a marketing success throughout the 1950s and 60s, selling particularly well in North America.

This Triumph TR2 was bequeathed by Mr D A Simes to the National Motor Museum Trust and the Museum used a legacy from the family of Mr John Weeks to have the car recommissioned and partially restored by Anthony Hamilton’s team at the Hertfordshire based 110 Garage. Anthony established the Hertfordshire based 110 Garage so that such restoration projects not only make the most of their heritage skills but also assist with the team members’ well-being and professional development.

The 1954 Triumph TR2 makes regular appearances outside the Museum at Beaulieu at the daily Summer parades of historic and feature vehicles in the arena.