The National Museum tells us:
(Photograph and all words from The National Motor Museum).
The National Motor Museum at Beaulieu won the ultimate prestigious accolade of Museums & Collections of the Year in the 2024 Royal Automobile Club Historic Awards.
The trophy was presented to Dr Jon Murden, the Museum’s Chief Executive, at the Royal Automobile Club in Pall Mall, London. The awards are an annual celebration of excellence in the UK’s historic motoring & motorsport worlds.
The award category nominees are assessed by an independent panels of specialist judges, handpicked for their expertise. The judges commended the Museum on the renewed focus on the social and cultural history of the motor vehicle. This has been evident with the Museum’s new gallery, Streets Ahead, and other exhibitions and events throughout the year. The “We had one of those” experience outside the Museum at Beaulieu, which enabled visitors to renew memories by sitting in the cars of their youth, was also commended. Beaulieu’s National Motor Museum was a finalist alongside the Tyrrell Shed at Goodwood and the British Motor Museum.
Accepting the award Dr Jon Murden, National Motor Museum Chief Executive said, “We are honoured and thrilled to have won this museums and collections of the year award. It has been a very busy year for us at the National Motor Museum. A year of re-identifying our purpose, telling the story of motoring, channelling the spirit of motoring’s past into a new range of social and cultural stories. It is really gratifying to see that appreciated. This award is a recognition of an amazing team of knowledgeable staff and volunteers who have contributed to our new displays and events throughout 2024.”
Jon Murden says, “The National Motor Museum is embarking on a masterplan that will transform the ways we look after, use, display and interpret our collections, and the stories we tell, all with the goal of making us attractive to successive generations of visitors, making us more sustainable and ensuring our continued economic viability.”
Read more about the awards on the Royal Automobile Club website: https://royalautomobileclubhistoricawards.co.uk/2024-winners and read more about the Museum’s vision at https://nationalmotormuseum.org.uk/motoring-into-the- future/
About the National Motor Museum
- The National Motor Museum Trust Limited is a charitable organisation founded in 1972, which runs the National Motor Museum at Beaulieu in the New Forest. Continuing the work of the flagship Montagu Motor Museum, the Trust has a world-famous collection of 250 vehicles and associated motoring items, which are on display in the National Motor Museum.
- The nearby Collections Centre houses and cares for a vast array of motoring artefacts, photographic images, specialist reference library and film and video library. For more information about its collection and services see www.nationalmotormuseum.org.uk
- Visitors to Beaulieu can enjoy a full day out with features including the ancestral Montagu home Palace House, 13th century Beaulieu Abbey, adventure play area Little Beaulieu, and grounds and gardens. Tickets can be bought in advance. For tickets or more information, see www.beaulieu.co.uk or call 01590 612345.
- A full calendar of events and exhibitions is held at Beaulieu by the National Motor Museum, including Collection Centre Open Days, Classic Grille Evenings, Meet the Curator events and Transport Torques. Details are available at: www.nationalmotormuseum.org.uk/events