A brand-new classic car visitor attraction is set to open near Derby later this year.
Featuring more than 150 classic British cars in a covered exhibition, the Great British Car Journey, scheduled to open in summer 2021, will take visitors on an interactive journey through the golden years of British car design and manufacturing from the 1930s – 1990s.
And alongside the new exhibition, visitors will also have a chance to ‘Drive Dad’s Car’ – joining an instructor to take a spin in one of over 30 iconic British cars, from the Austin Seven to a Rolls Royce Silver Spirit, on a special onsite driving experience.
As well as the opportunity to take a trip down memory lane, literally on the ‘Drive Dads Car’ experience, the Great British Car Journey aims to celebrate Great British innovation.
Fully interactive with an audio-visual guide, visitors to the exhibition will meet the two founding fathers of the industry: Herbert Austin and William Morris, whose manufacturing plants in the Midlands produced millions of cars that were exported all over the world.
Originally due to open in 2020, plans for the attraction had to be shelved following serious health issues with two of its founders. Now back to full health, Great British Car Journey is out of the garage, back on the road and all set to open later this year with even more cars joining the original line up.
The four-acre site on the former Wire Works site in Ambergate, a 20-minute drive from Derby city, is currently undergoing an extensive refurbishment ahead of its opening.
Located beside the River Derwent, and within the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site, the line-up of classic British cars, which were at the forefront of a global transport revolution, will be exhibited at the new family-friendly attraction.
The brainchild of former Auto Windscreens and Blyton Park circuit owner Richard Usher, it will feature vehicles from a bygone age, including Austin Sevens and Morris Minors as well as the more modern classics including the original Mini, Ford Cortina and Vauxhall Cavalier.
With a timeline starting in 1921, the Great British Car Journey charts the rise and demise of an industry with the audio-visual guide transporting visitors through the decades as the cars roll out before them.
Keep up-to-date with developments at Great British Car Journey at www.Greatbritishcarjourney.com
For tourist information about Derby, and for the latest updates on what’s open, see www.visitderby.co.uk