Coventry Transport Museum
Encyclopedia
The Coventry Transport Museum (formerly known as the Museum of British Road Transport) is a motor museum
, located in Coventry
City Centre, England. It houses a collection of British-made road transport
. It is located in Coventry because the city was previously the centre of the British car industry. There are more than 240 cars
and commercial vehicles, 100 motorcycle
s, 200 bicycle
s.
Admission to the museum is free. It has a full time archive department, which deals with an array of historical items, and offers a public enquiry service answering questions and finding items and information.
Notable exhibits in the museum are Thrust2
and ThrustSSC
, the British jet cars which broke the land speed record
in 1983 and 1997 respectively and some of the Royal cars - Queen Mary's and King George VI's State limousines.
Many "conventional" cars are in the collection, including an Austin Allegro
, an Austin Metro previously owned by Lady Diana Spencer, a Ford Escort MK2, Hillman Imp
, Triumph Acclaim
, Talbot Sunbeam
, Talbot Horizon
, Peugeot 206
, Peugeot 405
and a DeLorean DMC-12 car made famous by the Back to The Future films. A Humber staff car used by General Montgomery
during the Second World War is also on display.
The museum displays many Jaguars and other Coventry built cars such as the Triumph
, Humber
and Standard
marques, an Alvis tank, Massey Ferguson
tractors, and Coventry built buses, including the bus that the Coventry City football team paraded in after their victory in the 1987 FA Cup Final
. Coventry motorcycle marques are also represented in the museum's collection including: Triumph, Francis-Barnett
, Rudge-Whitworth, and Coventry-Eagle
and it is affiliated to the British Motorcycle Charitable Trust
.
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
, located in Coventry
Coventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
City Centre, England. It houses a collection of British-made road transport
Road transport
Road transport or road transportation is transport on roads of passengers or goods. A hybrid of road transport and ship transport is the historic horse-drawn boat.-History:...
. It is located in Coventry because the city was previously the centre of the British car industry. There are more than 240 cars
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
and commercial vehicles, 100 motorcycle
Motorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
s, 200 bicycle
Bicycle
A bicycle, also known as a bike, pushbike or cycle, is a human-powered, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A person who rides a bicycle is called a cyclist, or bicyclist....
s.
Admission to the museum is free. It has a full time archive department, which deals with an array of historical items, and offers a public enquiry service answering questions and finding items and information.
Notable exhibits in the museum are Thrust2
Thrust2
Thrust2 is a British designed and built jet propelled car, which held the world land speed record from 4 October 1983 to 25 September 1997.The car was designed by John Ackroyd and driven by Richard Noble. On October 4, 1983 the car reached a top speed of and broke the record at . This was...
and ThrustSSC
ThrustSSC
ThrustSSC, also spelt Thrust SSC by secondary sources, is a British jet-propelled car developed by Richard Noble, Glynne Bowsher, Ron Ayers and Jeremy Bliss....
, the British jet cars which broke the land speed record
Land speed record
The land speed record is the highest speed achieved by a wheeled vehicle on land. There is no single body for validation and regulation; in practice the Category C flying start regulations are used, officiated by regional or national organizations under the auspices of the Fédération...
in 1983 and 1997 respectively and some of the Royal cars - Queen Mary's and King George VI's State limousines.
Many "conventional" cars are in the collection, including an Austin Allegro
Austin Allegro
The Austin Allegro is a small family car manufactured by British Leyland under the Austin name from 1973 until 1983. The same vehicle was built in Italy by Innocenti between 1974 and 1975 and sold as the Innocenti Regent...
, an Austin Metro previously owned by Lady Diana Spencer, a Ford Escort MK2, Hillman Imp
Hillman Imp
The Hillman Imp is a compact, rear-engined saloon car that was manufactured under the Hillman marque by the Rootes Group from 1963 to 1976...
, Triumph Acclaim
Triumph Acclaim
The Triumph Acclaim was a front-wheel drive medium-sized family car made by British Leyland from 1981 to 1984. It was based on the Honda Ballade and used a Honda-designed engine, but met United Kingdom component-content requirements...
, Talbot Sunbeam
Chrysler Sunbeam
The Chrysler Sunbeam is a small supermini 3-door hatchback manufactured by Chrysler Europe at the former Rootes Group factory in Linwood in Scotland. The Sunbeam's development was funded by a British government grant with the aim to keep the Linwood plant running, and the small car was based on the...
, Talbot Horizon
Chrysler Horizon
The Horizon was a subcompact automobile developed by Chrysler Europe and was sold in Europe between 1977 and 1985 under the Chrysler, Simca and Talbot nameplates...
, Peugeot 206
Peugeot 206
The Peugeot 206 is a supermini car, manufactured by the French automaker Peugeot from 1998 to 2010.Even though the 206 has finished production in most markets as of 2010, in Europe since 2009, it is available the 206+, with a back and especially a front design that resembles the Peugeot 207.-The...
, Peugeot 405
Peugeot 405
The Peugeot 405 is a large family car released by the French automaker Peugeot in July 1987 and which continues to be manufactured under licence outside France. It used TU/XU petrol and XUD diesel engines....
and a DeLorean DMC-12 car made famous by the Back to The Future films. A Humber staff car used by General Montgomery
Bernard Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein
Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein, KG, GCB, DSO, PC , nicknamed "Monty" and the "Spartan General" was a British Army officer. He saw action in the First World War, when he was seriously wounded, and during the Second World War he commanded the 8th Army from...
during the Second World War is also on display.
The museum displays many Jaguars and other Coventry built cars such as the Triumph
Triumph Motor Company
The Triumph Motor Company was a British car and motor manufacturing company. The Triumph marque is owned currently by BMW. The marque had its origins in 1885 when Siegfried Bettmann of Nuremberg initiated S. Bettmann & Co and started importing bicycles from Europe and selling them with his own...
, Humber
Humber (car)
Humber is a dormant British automobile marque which could date its beginnings to Thomas Humber's bicycle company founded in 1868. Following their involvement in Humber through Hillman in 1928 the Rootes brothers acquired a controlling interest and joined the Humber board in 1932 making Humber part...
and Standard
Standard Motor Company
The Standard Motor Company was founded in Coventry, England in 1903 by Reginald Walter Maudslay . The Standard name was last used in Britain in 1963, and in India in 1987.-1903–1914:...
marques, an Alvis tank, Massey Ferguson
Massey Ferguson
Massey Ferguson Limited was a major agricultural equipment manufacturer which was based in Canada before its purchase by AGCO. The company was formed by a merger between Massey Harris and the Ferguson tractor company in 1953, creating the company Massey Harris Ferguson. However in 1958 the name was...
tractors, and Coventry built buses, including the bus that the Coventry City football team paraded in after their victory in the 1987 FA Cup Final
1987 FA Cup Final
The 1987 FA Cup Final took place on 16 May 1987 at Wembley Stadium. It was contested between Coventry City and Tottenham Hotspur. Spurs were appearing in their third final in seven seasons, having won the trophy in 1981 and 1982 and were strong favourites, while unfancied Coventry were appearing...
. Coventry motorcycle marques are also represented in the museum's collection including: Triumph, Francis-Barnett
Francis-Barnett
Francis-Barnett was a British motorcycle manufacturer founded in 1919, by Gordon Inglesby Francis and Arthur Barnett, and based in Lower Ford Street, Coventry, England,...
, Rudge-Whitworth, and Coventry-Eagle
Coventry-Eagle
Coventry-Eagle was a British motorcycle manufacturer. Established as a Victorian bicycle maker, the company began under the name of Hotchkiss, Mayo & Meek. The company name was changed to Coventry Eagle in 1897 when John Meek left the company .. By 1898 they had begun to experiment with motorised...
and it is affiliated to the British Motorcycle Charitable Trust
British Motorcycle Charitable Trust
The British Motorcycle Charitable Trust is a Charitable Trust dedicated to promoting and supporting the preservation and restoration of British motorcycles...
.