The National Motor Museum Trust is set to relocate its collection after more than 50 years at Beaulieu
Words: Tristan Young
Fresh details have emerged over the split between the National Motor Museum Trust and Beaulieu, revealing further insight into the ownership of the museum’s collection, the funding dispute that led to the separation and what the future holds for some of Britain’s best-known motoring events.
The Trust announced last week that it intends to relocate its collection of cars and motorbikes from its home at Beaulieu, where it has been based for more than 50 years. The Trust said it was seeking a “transformational new home” that would allow it to expand its educational work, improve public access and better fulfil its charitable remit.
Beaulieu, meanwhile, responded a day later by stressing that visitors would see no immediate changes and that it intends to continue operating a motor museum and events after the National Motor Museum eventually departs.
While both organisations have presented a united public message that visitors should not be affected in the short term, conversations with both the trust and a source knowledgeable of the subject reveal a more detailed picture of the issues behind the separation.
Last week, Autocar reported that disagreements over funding and governance lay behind the split. A source knowledgeable of the subject said the Trust had spent several years developing plans to modernise the museum and secure major investment through the National Lottery Heritage Fund, a fact confirmed by a Trust spokesman. However, those ambitions depended on agreeing revised commercial arrangements with Beaulieu Enterprises, the commercial company that owns and runs the Beaulieu estate where the current collection is housed.
“The situation was that there was no new lease to be granted,” the source said. “And the split of gate receipts is such that they [the National Motor Museum] couldn’t continue there in a viable fashion, and they couldn’t get the Lottery money without changing the fundamental structure.”
Speaking to Classics World, a spokesperson for the National Motor Museum Trust confirmed a National Lottery bid had been unsuccessful and acknowledged that one of the principal issues raised was the need for a clearer separation between the charity and the commercial business operating the wider Beaulieu attraction.
The spokesperson stopped short of describing the relocation as a straightforward choice, saying the Trust had effectively been “left with no other option other than to consider moving”.
The Trust also emphasised the financial relationship between the two organisations is more complex than simply dividing ticket income, as it also pays Beaulieu Enterprises for services including marketing, IT and finance. However, the source, speaking to Classic Car Buyer said that one of the reasons for the split was that the National Motor Museum attracts the vast majority of visitors to Beaulieu, but only receives a very small proportion of the ticket price.
One area that prompted confusion following the initial statements was ownership of the vehicles on display. Beaulieu said that “a significant amount” of the vehicles exhibited at the museum are either owned by or on loan to the Montagu family and were not part of the Trust’s collection.
The Trust has now clarified its position, reporting the museum displays nearly 300 cars and bikes in total with Beaulieu owning 48 cars and 23 motorcycles.
The split between the two parties has led to suggestions that Lord Montagu’s position as a National Motor Museum Trustee and a director of Beaulieu Enterprises is a conflict of interest; however, the Trust spokesman declined to comment on the matter.
Alongside the vehicles, the Trust also owns the National Motor Museum name and is responsible for an archive of more than 1.9 million motoring-related items, including photographs, books, film, documents and artefacts. These are housed separately in the Collections Centre at Beaulieu and are subject to a separate lease that runs until 2036.
One of the biggest concerns among enthusiasts has been the future of Beaulieu’s famous motoring events. The Trust has confirmed that flagship events including the International Autojumble, the Simply rallies and the Supercar Weekend are owned and organised by Beaulieu Enterprises and will remain at Beaulieu irrespective of the National Motor Museum’s eventual departure.
The Trust itself runs a much smaller programme, including Transport Torques talks and Classic Grilles evening events. However it expects to develop new events wherever the museum is eventually relocated.
According to the Trust spokesperson, the search for a new location is already under way. The Trust says it has begun identifying potential sites capable of accommodating not only the museum’s vehicle collection but also its extensive archives and conservation facilities. Any future home would need to meet the standards required of an Arts Council-designated museum while supporting the Trust’s ambitions to expand its educational and outreach work.
The well-placed source told Classics World the trust is seeking premises offering around 50,000 square feet and believed a more central UK location could make Britain’s National Motor Museum accessible to a much wider population than its current New Forest home.
While no formal approaches have been made, the source said areas with notable motoring ties include Brooklands, Bicester, the Midlands and Yorkshire.
Beaulieu Enterprises declined to comment beyond its official statement which can be viewed here.
