A half term trip to the National Motor Museum. WARNING Pic Heavy

[Smashie]

and possibly the longest post I have ever made

Last week my son was on half term break from school so as the weather was rubbish (again) I thought we could go there, It's based around the British motor industry as was and is on the site of Jaguar Landrover. A larger part of the Jaguar Herritage collection is here as well including many prototypes.

The first Landrover off the production line



the first Mini



and the first E-Type



Triumph TR6



1947 Nuffield Gutty military prototype



Mini Moke 4x4 Protoype with the very nice MG EX-E in the backgound



4x4 in such a small car? Simples, fit two engines



Interesting Rover P6 design



Gas turbine powered Rover BRM





Racing Jaguar XK-120



1953 Jaguar C-type



1954 Jaguar D-type



Series 3 E-Type



XJ-12C (one of my 3 all time favourites)



XJS, Never have liked this one much



XJ13 from 1966, they really should have put his into production



1952 XK120 Montlhey World Record car



Royal Mail Robin Regal van (Yes the same type that Clarkson kept rolling)



This is taking forever, any questions just ask!

[hiraethus]

So many cool cars.

6R4!  Cab-forward Landies!  XJ220!  MG streamliners!

Is that a straight-6 Metro?  Bonkers.

And what's the story here?

[ducttapetech]

Wow! There are some nice rides in there. Thanks for sharing.

[dks]

Nice!

[Smashie]

So many cool cars.

6R4!  Cab-forward Landies!  XJ220!  MG streamliners!

Is that a straight-6 Metro?  Bonkers.

And what's the story here?
(Image removed from quote.)

A stunt car from James Bond

[jaya_man]

Boy, you weren't kidding when you said pic heavy... lots of cool rides... excellent showcase of British cars...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[jaya_man]

Forgot to mention, I like that pink car... what is it anyway and why is it significant?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Smashie]

Forgot to mention, I like that pink car... what is it anyway and why is it significant?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

It was the Ford made FAB 1 from the awful 2004 Thunderbirds are go film.

The tricked out landrover on the other hand was from Tomb Raider

[Grant Lamontagne]

Some gorgeous stuff there for sure!

I realise the Moke has a very tiny engine, but wouldn't it be easier to just add a transfer case and second axle rather than try to synchronise two different engines?

So many thoughts, I don't know what to ask next!

Def

[Smashie]

Some gorgeous stuff there for sure!

I realise the Moke has a very tiny engine, but wouldn't it be easier to just add a transfer case and second axle rather than try to synchronise two different engines?

So many thoughts, I don't know what to ask next!

Def

Iirc they couldn't fit a transfer case because of the engine over the gearbox arrangement and the serious lack of horse power in the engine. Also as was common for the time they competing against Landrover so that wouldn't have ended well for them either.

[jaya_man]

Forgot to mention, I like that pink car... what is it anyway and why is it significant?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

It was the Ford made FAB 1 from the awful 2004 Thunderbirds are go film.

The tricked out landrover on the other hand was from Tomb Raider

Thanks for the info...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Grant Lamontagne]

I think I might have tried to shoehorn a bigger engine in it then.... 

BTW, I love the XJS- that is a gorgeous car.  I know they aren't for everyone, but I really like them, although I'd rather have the convertible version.



It'snot as iconic as the E Type maybe, but I see less XJS's these days than E-Types.

That is of course if I was a car guy.... which I really am not since I much prefer trucks, and honestly some of those Land Rovers are simply to die for, and would be my first choices on the list, despite the Jaguar with the minigun being very tempting!

This is probably my favorite of the bunch:



Ford Bronco:


Def

[Smashie]

I think I might have tried to shoehorn a bigger engine in it then.... 

BTW, I love the XJS- that is a gorgeous car.  I know they aren't for everyone, but I really like them, although I'd rather have the convertible version.

(Image removed from quote.)

It'snot as iconic as the E Type maybe, but I see less XJS's these days than E-Types.

That is of course if I was a car guy.... which I really am not since I much prefer trucks, and honestly some of those Land Rovers are simply to die for, and would be my first choices on the list, despite the Jaguar with the minigun being very tempting!

This is probably my favorite of the bunch:

(Image removed from quote.)

I didn't annotate these but the Black convertible E-type was the last off the production line and the E-Type next to the Silk Cut Le Mans car was the original launch car. Which in typical fashion was finished the night before the Geneva motor show and they drove it through the night so it could be there for the opening.

The XJS I don't mind so much, but unfortunately they were badly built and there aren't many spares left for them.

[Grant Lamontagne]

My understanding of the Geneva Auto Show was that demand to test drive the first E-Type was so significant that they had to call the factory and have the second one finished up and driven all night to Geneva as well.

And you are absolutely right- the XJS doesn't have much of a reliability rating, and is often cited as the source for the jokes on Married With Children about European cars, specifically the lines uttered by Jefferson Darcy:

"I love my European car.  You can ask anyone on the bus how much I enjoy it."

(while showing photos around) "..and here are all the technicians standing around it, and here is the big box they are going to send it back to Europe in."

Al asks if they even know what is wrong with the car and Jefferson responds "No, not yet, but it's definitely something very sexy and European."

But then, the great cars are never the super reliable or very practical or easy to drive, now are they?  The "best" cars have HUGE blind spots, often drive like crap and you have to do silly things like open the door and sit halfways out of the car to back it up.... assuming that it ever started in the first place!  Heck, the Corvette is probably one of the worst cars on the road if you live in a place where you are required to turn once in a while.  And the only thing worse than owning a Corvette is having to associate with other Corvette owners:



Def

Def

[Smashie]

So many cool cars.

6R4!  Cab-forward Landies!  XJ220!  MG streamliners!

Is that a straight-6 Metro?  Bonkers.

And what's the story here?
(Image removed from quote.)

A stunt car from James Bond

Sorry propper reply now, the Landrover was a film car from Skyfall, the 6R4 was and still is the most hatstand, madder than sack full of snakes car ever made.

The 6 pot Metro is terrifying, when you realise how badly the MG Metro Turbo handled.

10 points to the person who spots the Queens personal Landrover

[ColoSwiss]

Looks like a great museum and a fun day!   

[Syncop8r]

Thanks for sharing - some interesting vehicles there.

I always wanted a Moke.

I think I might have tried to shoehorn a bigger engine in it then.... 

The 1275cc engine from that family is no bigger... I think the Australians brought out Mokes with them in.

[hiraethus]

So many cool cars.

6R4!  Cab-forward Landies!  XJ220!  MG streamliners!

Is that a straight-6 Metro?  Bonkers.

And what's the story here?
(Image removed from quote.)

A stunt car from James Bond

Sorry propper reply now, the Landrover was a film car from Skyfall, the 6R4 was and still is the most hatstand, madder than sack full of snakes car ever made.

The 6 pot Metro is terrifying, when you realise how badly the MG Metro Turbo handled.

10 points to the person who spots the Queens personal Landrover

Thanks Smashie.  Thought the beaten up Land Rover looked familiar but couldn't place it.

[moonweasel]

Needs moar Triumph, preferably Spitfires.
 



Looks like a place I would spend a lot of time boring the better half to tears.

[Smashie]

Needs moar Triumph, preferably Spitfires.
 



Looks like a place I would spend a lot of time boring the better half to tears.

Yes I agree, there was the TR6, a TR4 that I couldn't get a photo of and two TR7's (well one was a TR8). I was also expecting Spitfires, GT6's (I love them) and perhaps a Dolomite Sprint (like them too).

[Etherealicer]

Forgot to mention, I like that pink car... what is it anyway and why is it significant?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

It was the Ford made FAB 1 from the awful 2004 Thunderbirds are go film.

The tricked out landrover on the other hand was from Tomb Raider

The yellow Truck is from Judge Dredd (the old one with Stallone)

[kirk13]

That's a helluva set of photos Mark! That's all at Gaydon?

There's some fantastic cars there(Group 44 XJR8 and IMSA E-type!!!) but you know what hit me most? How big Matthew's got!

[Smashie]

That's a helluva set of photos Mark! That's all at Gaydon?

There's some fantastic cars there(Group 44 XJR8 and IMSA E-type!!!) but you know what hit me most? How big Matthew's got!

Hey John, yes that's all at Gaydon. I'm going back there so I spend more time looking, reading and talking the people there. Chasing the boy around didn't leave a lot of time to look properly.

The guy I chatted to while in the Jaguar Heritage collection was a former Jaguar employee and so knowledgeable.

I'm surprised no one has commented on the 'Pinkie' as well

[Sparky415]

Great pictures! 

Those old Jags 

[AlephZero]

Awesome rides there, Mark! Thank you so much for the tour, especially for us from abroad