John Haynes seemingly loved America and American cars. With examples like this, I wouldn’t challenge his taste.
You don’t need me to tell you much about a 1965 Cadillac de Ville, 1959 Edsel station wagon or 1959 Sedan de Ville.
1964 Chevrolet Impala SS – still a great name for a car.
1959 Ford Thunderbird – another great name.
1969 Dodge Charger and 1970 Chevy El Camino.
And to cap all the Americana, a 1968 Pontiac Superior Ambulance.
Elsewhere, a 1986 Tatra 613 – this was one of the last derivatives of the famous rear engined Tatra formula, restyled by Vignale for 1974 and sold in very limited numbers.
Underneath the very 1970s appearance was a direct descendant of the long line of classic air cooled rear engined Tatras. In its day, only the top political leadership and apparatchiks in the Czechoslovak economy could have access to this, along with some police and fire response vehicles.
And a bit of pint sized Italian fun – a Fiat X1/9 – everything you wanted the Triumph TR7 to be.
Of course, there were luxury British cars as well.
A 1951 Jaguar XK120 and its derivative the 1959 Jaguar XK150DHC.
A 1972 Jaguar E Type V12, seemingly having taken offence from something the XK220 said…
An XK8 and a 420G.
And a couple of less familiar shapes
A 1982 Lagonda saloon, seemingly styled with only a ruler and no French curves. Still has an appeal though, for some of us, even with that rather contrived grille.
The 1976-86 Rover 3500 (SD1) only ever came as hatch, with that distinctive profile. But BL toyed with an estate derivative, and rather thick rear pillars apart, it made a pretty decent estate car…. certainly more to my taste than a Volvo 265.
As a load carrier, it’s not going to supplant a Citroen CX, but it’s a decent looking effort. Sadly, BL were either too broke or confident in the SD1’a ability to fill the factory that they didn’t press the button.
But a big man like Haynes will often see something in another big man, in his case Enzo Ferrari. There is a section of the museum dedicated to il Commendatore. And reassuringly, John Haynes’s taste in Ferraris is close to mine. Incidentally, the standard of presentation throughout the museum is vey high, with strong supporting graphics in many areas and cars you can get close to but which are also clearly very well prepared and kept.
A 1982 Ferrari 308GTSi – I normally go for the GTB actually but this is certainly on my radar for the lottery win.
A 456GTA. The first automatic Ferrari, and suiting the calmer colour.
But perhaps I’ve saved the best for last – a 1960 Ferraro 250GT cabriolet, one of just 212 built. Is this Pininfarina’s finest ever work? Is there abetter looking car in the world?
If anyone asks you to name a more elegant car, or one with a longer list of imitators? From MGB, to Nissan Fairlady to Lancia Flaminia…. Peugeot 404 convertible anyone?
And the interior is not exactly shabby either. Somehow, this fits in the museum exactly – it’s not huge but the range is wide, the presentation of the exhibits and their condition is largely excellent, the staff friendly, it wasn’t busy when we were there (mid week, outside school holidays) and the personal feel comes through. Thank you, John Haynes.
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WOW! What a collection and history of this gent’s manuals as an enterprise.
Thanks for posting! Good photos that capture the feel. Having lived for two partial years in the UK in 1960 and 1964, my memories of the common British cars of the late fifties and early sixties are very strong, even though I was young. At the time I liked the Vauxhalls and Ford Consuls/Zephyrs/Zodiacs, perhaps because they reminded me of home, and found most of the older BMC and Rootes stuff to just look old. The front wheel drive BMC cars, and the Imp, were by contrast, unlike anything we had in the US. No Allegro’s then yet 😀.
Nice to have a place that has a representative collection of so many of the more popular pedestrian British offerings. Those are the cars that people actually owned and drove. Not just the Minis and MGs.
Parking those two cars that close together, and then one unexpected flat tire will create a messy situation and the likely need for repairs and partial repaints of two cars. So unnecessary.
Just needs one more… The Droogie mobile, aka Durango 95, M-505 Adams Brothers Probe 16.
Looks like a great museum. Thanks for sharing. I do like that Rover 3500 wagon and think it could have been viable were it to have been made.
I think it looks great, and I don’t see how it could not have been a success. Very reminiscent of a big Australian estate car of the era, maybe a Ford XE?
In my visit to that museum, I came across this sign that you may have noticed. Right next to that 64 Chevy is a 79 Ford Wagon. Sort of tongue in cheek, this is the sign posted in front of the Ford.
I had enough trouble navigating the narrow lanes (including the A303) of Somerset in my smallish rental car. Driving on the left hand side of the road, sitting on the right hand side of the car, but not for the first time. Not for the feint of heart I say ole’ chap!
A great museum to visit, probably a couple hours drive west of London as I recall. I was on my way to the town next to the River Yeo.
If folks in that museum consider the 79 Country Squire “enormous”, I wonder what word would have been used to describe a 1975-78 version? Or a fuselage Town & Country? “Gargantuan”? “Stupendous”? “Thumping”? “Mahoosive”? (I looked that last one up). Or maybe just “Prodigious”.
The A303 is quite road, with a history worthy of a CC post all of its own. From Neolithic origins, to the Romans, medieval England and now the route to the south west for holidays for many of us…..and right past Stonehenge as well…parts of it are dual carriageway now.
This is a really great museum! I always seeing Rootes cars on display. And I believe the 55 Anglia shown is the same series as the one my parents bought in the US in 1959 or 1960. That was such an odd choice for them, and it was not remembered fondly. But then it wasn’t really designed for the midwestern US with its growing network of interstate highways.
Those sidevalve 100Es were at home in built up areas where there is a low speed limit but useless on the open road, I have several Haynes workshop manuals but not for anything I currently own,
One little thing the Morris six was the stablemate of the Wolseley 6/80 and shared body and OHC powertrain the Isis didnt appear untill the series 2 Oxford hit the market and used the C series 6 cylinder shared with a A90 six Westminster.
So many great cars ! .
My ex wife worked as a temp for Haynes in Glendale, Ca. for a short time (maybe the U.S. printer ?) and told them I was a mechanic, they sent her home with bunches of free H.B.O.L.’s, none for the oldies I love .
Haynes
Book
Of
Lies
For the incredible amount of mistakes and wrong specs.
Better than Clymer but not by much .
-Nate
You said it (H.B.O.L.) more concisely than I said it.
Oh, so that’s why those two brands are equally useless! I didn’t know.
…and more reliable sources of accurate information on how to fix cars of whatever make, model, and age.
I’m not sorry for being a sourpuss on this. It really bothers me when people get wealthy by making the world worse with crappy products. Haynes/Chilton manuals, Microsoft Windows/Office/etc, and other suchlike.
Nice collection of cars. Haynes didn’t deserve to be able to collect them.