Museum restores vintage truck

A much-loved 1937 Austin Seven Special pick-up truck has been fully restored to its former glory and returned to the Cotswold’s Motoring Museum forecourt to welcome visitors as part of the museum’s 40th anniversary celebration. 

A cornerstone of the automobile collection, the antique truck was badly weathered and in need of a makeover. Passionate volunteers stripped the truck back, repaired the metal work, overhauled the engine, replaced the wood, fitted a smart new hood, and finished up with a fresh coat of shiny paint.

‘This little truck has been a favourite piece of the collection since the very beginning,’ museum curator, Michael Tambini, commented. ‘The important heritage of the Austin Seven cannot be overstated, as it helped to revive the British automotive industry after the First World War. It is an important milestone in the history of motoring and I am so proud of the hard work that went into restoring this gem. I am delighted to see visitors dazzled by the charm of the truck.’

The museum also unveiled a display of 1978 memorabilia to commemorate the occasion. The new ’40 Year Flashback’ display recalls the year of the museum’s inauguration and paints a nostalgic picture of Britain four decades ago, featuring photographs, posters, and popular music charts of the time.

The Cotswold Motoring Museum was established in 1978 when founder Mike Cavanagh returned from South Africa with his impressive personal motoring collection. From 1991, Mike and the motoring museum featured in each episode of beloved children’s programme, Brum, for more than a decade, and CMM is still home to the adventurous little car today. In 1999, experiences company Boundless acquired the museum and has since welcomed more than one million visitors with last year marking its busiest year to date.

Today, the museum takes visitors on a fascinating journey through the 20th century by presenting a vast collection of motoring curiosities. Its seven galleries are overflowing with more than 50 vintage vehicles, including cars, motorcycles, pedal cars and caravans, and hundreds of original enamel signs.

For more information, visit: www.cotswoldmotoringmuseum.co.uk.