Car Archives - Page 4 of 7

Made In Scotland – Exhibition At Transport Museum

Jun 052015

With thanks to Martyn Smith.

The Grampian Transport Museum in Alford is looking for surviving examples from the Scottish Motor Industry to take part in a one off event which is taking place in July.

Vehicles produced, designed or with major components manufactured in Scotland will be eligible to enter Made in Scotland – an event which will bring alive an exhibition of the same name in the museum building.

Made in Scotland tells the fascinating story of the Scottish motor industry.

Having had a great start with the famous 3 A’s (Albion, Argyll and Arrol-Johnston) the industry was once considered the envy of the motoring world, in fact Argyll’s factory in Alexandria was often referred to as ‘Palatial’. Sadly the fortunes of the three manufacturers took a turn for the worse in the depression years between the first and second world wars.

There was a brief revival in the 1960s thanks to the volume production of the Hillman Imp at the Rootes plant at Linwood, Paisley. It is anticipated that the largest number of preserved vehicles at Made in Scotland will be Imps, or their derivatives.

One of these will be a 1973 Davrian Imp racing car, owned by Dave Cooper from Midhurst in West Sussex. Dave plans to drive up for the event and will also be giving a talk to the museum’s Young Engineers club and advising them on how best to restore the museums own 1965 Hillman Imp.

It is also hoped that commercial and specialist vehicles, for which Scotland is well known, will be in attendance in large numbers.

Pride of the museums collection is a Glasgow built 1914 Sentinel Steam Waggon – the oldest fully operational example remaining – which will play a key role in the event, offering museum visitors a rare chance to ride onboard this venerable veteran! The Sentinel will also demonstrate the difference between steam and motor lorries of its era, with the results likely to surprise a few onlookers!

Mike Ward, museum curator, explains the rationale behind the event.

“Grampian Transport Museum pursues a policy of ‘ringing the changes’ with seasonal exhibits, in order to constantly engage with its catchment audience. We often take the opportunity to bring exhibits to life by building an event around the same subject.

“One of the main themes this season only is Made in Scotland which looks at the fascinating story of the Scottish motor industry and this new event echoes the indoor exhibition. It gives us the chance to show these amazing vehicles on our specially developed site.“

There is no vehicle entry fee for Made in Scotland, however entrants will receive complimentary museum admission and 2 vouchers for a special entrants BBQ. Entry forms for Made in Scotland can be downloaded from the museums website – www.gtm.org.uk/whatson

Made in Scotland.
Grampian Transport Museum
Sunday 19th July 2015 from 12noon – 4pm

Supercars Return To NE Scotland’s Premier Motoring Event.

Aberdeenshire, Featured, Information No Responses »

May 292015

With thanks to Martyn Smith.

Outlaw Anglia dragster.

Enthusiasts will soon be heading to Aberdeenshire for the annual SpeedFest, ready to be thrilled by the largest gathering of rare supercars, exciting performance cars, and historic racing cars in the North East of Scotland.
The Organisers are delighted to welcome back Park’s Motor Group of Hamilton who will be showcasing another iconic collection of McLaren, Bentley and Maserati sports cars.

They also wish to welcome back Town and County Porsche who are returning with a very exciting stand for 2015.

Additionally, the Organisers are thrilled to welcome The Leven Car Company (Aston Martin & Rolls Royce), Murray Motor Company (Lotus) and Sytners (Lamborghini and Ferrari) to the event for the first time.

SpeedFest is an established flagship event organised and hosted by Black Dog Events and held at the Grampian Transport Museum in Alford. SpeedFest always generates a huge amount of excitement and this year will showcase over 100 specially selected and invited cars to make up what the Organisers believe will be the best entry list ever seen in the North East.

All cars participating in the event shall be made as accessible as possible to the public.

The hub of the event is the short oval road circuit, which will play host to the famous ‘Alford Pursuit’ along with a new event for 2015, the Kinghorn Bodyshop-sponsored ‘Alford Drag’. As well as seeing the cars being put through their paces, spectators will have the opportunity to experience the thrill of on-track action for themselves by riding ‘shotgun’ in some fast car rides (available for the first 150 ‘Early Birds’ through the gate before the event gets fully underway).

However you can ensure you get an Early Bird Fast Car ride by purchasing a advanced ticket via our website www.alfordspeedfest.co.uk.

Organisers James Parker and Tony Yule comment that Alford SpeedFest15 is ready but are keeping their lips (mostly) sealed regarding what spectators can hope to see at the event:

“It’s going to be a pretty full programme of on-track activities,” says James. “We will be featuring some old favourites such as the Drifters, the dragsters and the aerobatic display, but we will also have some new and exciting things to showcase too – such as karting and mini-moto demonstrations along with a rather special finale – a specially designed rally super special stage featuring some very impressive rally cars!”

“We don’t want to give too much away,” adds Tony, “we have to keep our powder dry a bit… But we are just so excited by this year as it should be one to remember – we have gathered together a fantastic range of manufacturers to display their current models, along with some interesting and exciting trade stands…. Not to mention all of the on-track stuff which has taken months to organise and arrange. We’ve ordered good weather for the event!”

Colin Millar from ‘Flyin Fyfer Drag Racing Team’ will be on hand to demonstrate his 1150bhp nitrous powered ‘Outlaw Anglia’ dragster in an ear splitting, earth shaking and tyre burning display of POWER!! The Anglia can cover the fabled quarter mile sprint in an amazing 7 seconds.

SpeedFest15 will also play host to 2 returning cars loaned to the event by Mr E. Dean Butler: the ‘Jim Robbins Special’ Indycar which took pole at the 1955 Indianapolis 500 and the ‘Charles Bang Special’ slingshot dragster powered by a flathead Ford V8 with Offenhauser heads which set the US ‘D’ class quarter miles record at 10.32 seconds in 1966.

Historic racer Chris Williams returns to SpeedFest15 with another unique and powerful Bentley.

Fresh from his demonstration of the ‘Packard Bentley’ in 2014; Chris will unleash the might of his ‘Napier Bentley’ vintage racing car.

The Napier is a one-off special built on the chassis of a 1929 Bentley. It features a 24-litre Napier Sea Lion W12 boat engine that develops approximately 550bhp through the rear wheels (which are almost constantly smoking!!) whilst the stubby exhausts emit sparks, flames and smoke! The sound of this car is not to missed – having been likened to a World War I bi-plane or a cluster of mortar bombs being detonated!!

Both James and Tony promise a great day for enthusiasts and families with exciting non-stop action on the circuit, and a range of side stands and activities for families.

Local and national companies are providing support for the event, including Park’s Motor Group, Sytners (Edinburgh), The Leven Car Company, Town and County Porsche (Aberdeen), Murray Motor Company, Kinghorn Bodyshop, Glack Attack mud run, EDB Racing, Autoglym, Quantum Remapping, Aberdeen Alarm Company, AM Details, Fennel Media and Terraclean.

Alford SpeedFest15
Sun 5 July 2015: 11:00am- 5:00pm
Grampian Transport Museum, Alford, Aberdeenshire AB33 8AE
Adult £10, Child £5, OAP £7, Family £25

How Many Left? This Sunday At GTM

Aberdeen City, Information No Responses »

May 222015

Final preparations are well underway for an exciting new event at the Grampian Transport Museum. With thanks to Martyn Smith.

How Many Left? will celebrate mass-produced vehicles which are now considered ‘endangered’ – those which have less than 500 of any specific model still licensed, according to DVLA statistics.

More than one hundred entries have been received for the inaugural event, including vehicles once considered every day cars – those which played an active part in many people’s day to day lives.

How Many Left? will feature static displays which will be further complimented with the addition of two vehicles believed to be the only examples of their type left; a 1976 Ford Granada Ghia Coupe and a 1978 Opel Commodore Coupe. The Opel has been owned by Alan Norrie of Longside, near Peterhead, for the last four years and was fully restored by a previous owner.

Visitors will be encouraged to take a trip down memory lane, with a number of vehicles taking to the museum’s road circuit for the ever popular passenger rides sessions at 12noon and 3pm. The light hearted event will feature further track activity including a grand vehicle parade (1.15pm – 1.45pm) and parallel auto test (2.00pm – 2.30pm), complete with expert commentary, will also add to the occasion!

There will be a presentation of awards at 2.35pm for the rarest vehicles of the day, assessed by the museums unique Rarity Index; a calculation which takes account of numbers known to exist and the original production run.

Public admission to How Many Left? is £5 for adults with children under the age of 16 and gtm+ members are admitted free! Museum admission will also be discounted on the day with adults £5, concessions £4 and students £2. 2 children are admitted FREE with every adult.

How Many Left? gets underway at 12noon and runs until 4pm.

How Many Left? Museum Appeals For Forgotten Gems

Aberdeenshire, Information No Responses »

May 072015

Vauxhall Cavalier MK2

With thanks to Martyn Smith.

With just under three weeks to go entries are still being accepted for the inaugural How Many Left? at the Grampian Transport Museum in Alford.
‘How Many Left?’ is open to any mass-produced car from the 1960s onwards, which has less than 500 licensed examples left, according to DVLA records.

The event, which takes place on Sunday 24th May from 12noon – 4pm, is designed to celebrate some of the not quite classics of the motoring world.

Take, for example, the Vauxhall Cavalier MK2. First introduced in August 1981, the car was considered a huge success, challenging the Ford Cortina as the front runner amongst company car fleet buyers.

By 1982 Cavalier sales topped 100,000 effectively establishing a two horse race between Vauxhall and Ford. Ultimately over 800,000 examples of the second generation Cavalier were sold, making it the third most common car on Britain’s roads. Staggeringly there are now as few as 1,300 of the 800,000 on the records of the DVLA!

Appearing at How Many Left will be a great example of the Cavalier, restored by current owner Robert McLean, of Banchory in 2010. His special edition Antibes – only ever available in red, blue or white – is now reduced to just 7 examples in the UK and will be appearing at How Many Left.

How Many Left will feature prizes awarded to the rarest survivors, assessed by the museums unique Rarity Index; a calculation that takes account of numbers known to exist and the original production run.

The event will feature static display areas as well as the ever popular public passenger rides, where visitors can jump into participating vehicles for a trip down memory lane. There will also be a chronological vehicle pageant and parallel autotests with expert commentary to enjoy.

Commenting on the event Martyn Smith, Marketing & Events Organiser said:

“It’s fascinating to look at some of the vehicle entries we’ve already received, the original production numbers and then the latest DVLA figures. Cars which were produced in their thousands and were once a common sight on the roads are simply disappearing!

“‘How Many Left’ is bound to rekindle lots of memories – some good, some perhaps not so good, but the ethos of the event is to celebrate these cars with light hearted track activity and of course our Rarity Index where we’ll identify the rarest car of the show”

Entries for How Many Left are being accepted until Monday 18th May. As well as entry to the event, vehicle owners will receive free museum admission and free BBQ. Full information and entry forms can be found online at www.gtm.org.uk

Emergency Services Return To Transport Museum

Aberdeenshire, Information No Responses »

Apr 032015

With thanks to Martyn Smith.

The emergency services will be returning to the Grampian Transport Museum on Friday 10th April for the annual ‘Emergency Vehicle Rides’ afternoon.

The inaugural event, which took place in 2014, proved extremely popular with over 900 visitors flocking to the museum for the opportunity of a ride in a police car or fire engine and there are even more vehicles confirmed for this years event!

The museums recently acquired Rover SD1 Vitesse police car will make its first public appearance since returning to the North East in January. It will be driven by Ian Slorach, a former officer with the Grampian Police Force.

Ian will be taking to the wheel and chatting to passengers about the vehicle, which was a one-off in the Grampian fleet when commissioned in 1985.

A privately owned 1970s Commer Fire Engine, which made its debut appearance at the first Emergency Vehicle Rides event, is also set to return.

Other vehicles already confirmed include a Mountain Rescue Land Rover and Green Goddess fire engine – the type originally used by the Auxiliary Fire Service and latterly held in reserve by the Home Office. The Green Goddess famously made a return to service during the fire fighters strikes in 1977 and, more recently, in 2002 when they were operated by members of the Armed Forces.

Emergency Vehicle Rides take place from 2pm to 4pm and are included in the museums standard admission. Due to popular demand there will be a second Emergency Vehicle Rides afternoon taking place on Thursday 6th August.

On Wednesday 15th April the Easter fun continues with a Spring Activities afternoon. There will be fun activities, crafts and quizzes for all of the family plus face painting and performances from local magicians ‘Allan’s Magic’

Exciting New Displays At Transport Museum

Aberdeenshire, Information No Responses »

Mar 242015

With thanks to Martyn Smith.

The award winning Grampian Transport Museum in Alford is preparing to open for the 2015 season with exciting new displays and a packed outdoor arena programme.

The museum has been closed to the public since the end of October, allowing the team of volunteers and staff to refresh and update the exhibition.

Following on from last years Independence referendum the museum will be unashamedly showcasing vehicles produced in Scotland with ‘Made in Scotland’.

Few people realise that in the dawn of the last century Scotland was amongst the world leaders in car production – Argyll’s palatial factory in Alexandria was often described as being amongst the most modern and advanced in the world!

Made in Scotland will include examples of each of the famous 3 ‘A’s (Albion, Argyll and Arrol Johnston) and will be brought forward to the modern era with the evocative Linwood story. Included is the very first Hillman Imp to be produced in the plant, which was sent to the national motor museum and has been loaned to the Grampian Transport Museum for the season.

The sense of lost opportunities is captured by the Proclaimers 1987 hit ‘Letter from America’ playing in the background.

A Rover SD1 Vitesse Police Car, a unique addition to the fleet of the then Grampian force, will also be on display and is due to appear on the forthcoming second series of the Channel 4 show ‘For the Love of Cars’ Presented by Life on Mars & Ashes to Ashes star Philip Glenister. Commissioned in 1985 the vehicle was bought at the Coy’s auction at the NEC in Birmingham at beginning of the year for a world record price of £9,750.

The vehicle will also be making a star appearance at the museums first activity of the season ‘Emergency Vehicle Rides’ which takes place on Friday 10th April.

The majority of the motorcycle display has been changed and for the first time in the museums 32 year history is headlined by one of the rarest and most sought after of all vintage motorcycles, the Brough Superior SS80.

Another key exhibit for the forthcoming season is a Foster Traction Engine – affectionately known as Olive – so named as it was new to the military in WW1 and has been repainted by the museums volunteers into War Department olive green livery.

Every year the museum aims to refresh around one third of the vehicles on display, however a few old favourites remain. Billy Connolly’s famous Boom Lowrider Motortrike, as seen on his ‘World Tour of England, Ireland and Wales’ TV series, can be enjoyed for another season. The popular Pop Icons collection, charting the rise of popular culture

Volunteer Vacancies At GTM

Aberdeenshire, Information No Responses »

Jan 082015

With thanks to Martyn Smith, Marketing & Events Organiser, Grampian Transport Museum.

The Grampian Transport Museum in Alford is expanding its range of services and activities and needs to add to its teams of volunteers.

An educational charity, GTM runs much of its operation with the assistance of volunteers, who give up their time on a regular basis or as required.
Each year the museum changes around one third of the exhibition, which means there is always something new to see.

Behind the scenes, however, it takes a lot of planning and assistance to execute these changes in time for the start of each season.

On event days it’s difficult to get any closer to the action, but at the same time Event Volunteers provide information and guidance to museum visitors. Many of the museum’s volunteers get ‘hands-on’ with the vehicles, giving them some much needed TLC before they take pride of place in the exhibition.

There are a number of exciting volunteer roles at GTM throughout 2015 – these are based on a short term agreement of up to 12 months and cover a wide range of disciplines.

Current volunteer vacancies include the following:

Market Intelligence Officer – The Museum aims to survey one in every ten visitors, to gain all important feedback which will help to shape the future direction of major projects and day to day improvements. Our Market Intel Officer is crucial to ensuring that the target survey sample is met and results noted for the Marketing sub-committee.

Collections Assistant – Assisting with the photographing and filing of all items as they are acquired by the museum.
Membership Support – The museum runs a popular membership scheme which operates on an annual basis. The membership support role will ensure that all members have a first point of contact with the organisation and are kept up to date with special events and members-only exclusives.

Exhibition / Customer Care Assistants – Part of the Front of House team, the Customer Care Assistants are always on hand to share their knowledge and passion for the displays with museum visitors.

Junior Driving School Instructors – A key part of the museums remit is to educate youngsters on the basics of road safety. This can be achieved through initiatives such as the Junior Driving School. This is a ‘learning through play’ facility, designed for 4-10 year olds.

Social Media Assistant – An ideal opportunity for a school leaver or University student to add to their CV! The museum is looking for enthusiastic volunteers to help maintain an active presence across all social media channels; Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Instagram.

The above are all voluntary posts, however museum volunteers receive a range of benefits and incentives throughout the season. To find out more about volunteering at Grampian Transport Museum please contact Cheree Pithie, Administrative Assistant, on 019755 62292 or email events@gtm.org.uk

Grampian Transport Museum received the title ‘Visitor Attraction of the Year’ at the 2014 Aberdeen City & Shire Tourism Awards in March 2014 and is a 4 star Visit Scotland accredited attraction.

2000 Attend Grampian Motorcycle Convention

Aberdeenshire, Featured, Information No Responses »

Sep 122014

The 32nd annual Grampian Motorcycle Convention took place at the Grampian Transport Museum on Sunday 7th September. With thanks to Martyn Smith.

The ‘Moped Mayhem’ was introduced to the North East of Scotland in 1984

Despite atrocious weather conditions around 2,000 stalwarts descended on the outdoor arena to enjoy one of the very best motorcycle shows in Britain.
Performances from Scotland’s number one stunt rider Kevin Carmichael wowed the crowds throughout the afternoon.
Kevin’s competitive career began at the age of 7 when he took up schoolboy motocross and in 2002 Kevin was crowned World Champion in Texas.

The Convention introduced Moped Mayhem to the North East of Scotland in 1984 and this year’s Convention was no exception with a number of enthusiastic riders taking to the circuit and also to the custom built off road sections, which proved to be an interesting spectacle given the weather conditions.

Also taking place on the arena were the popular pursuits and Supermoto races, demonstrating speedway style riding skills in front of the packed grandstand.

Ever since the Convention began in 1983 there has been a vintage and classic bike parade – this year there were over thirty bikes of all ages on display and on the track. Museum Trustee, Peter Donaldson brought along his 1962 Ariel Leader which took to the circuit during the Classic Bike Parade.

Peter has been taking part in the Convention for the last 10 years and commented:

“Considering the awful weather I thought it was a fantastic day. The Grampian Motorcycle Convention really is the highlight of the year as far as the Biking calendar is concerned and I can’t wait for the 2015 Convention”

Also in attendance for the first time was Honda’s ‘My First License’ – providing youngsters with the opportunity to learn to ride in a safe and controlled environment.

The Grampian Motorcycle Convention is run by the Bon Accord Motorcycle Club and is a regular fixture in the Grampian Transport Museum’s busy outdoor calendar.

Fast Car Rides at Grampian Transport Museum

Aberdeenshire, Events, Information No Responses »

Jul 182014

The summer holiday fun continues at the Grampian Transport Museum on Wednesday 23rd July with the next rides session – Fast Car Rides. With thanks to Martyn Smith.

A selection of supercars and high-performance cars will once again take to the circuit to offer museum visitors a shot in the passenger seat for a couple of laps.
Some of the vehicles already confirmed to take part include a Ferrari 430 F1, Toniq R900, Aston Martin DB7 and a beautiful Morgan Plus 4.

This unique event is an ‘added value’ extra and is available to visitors over the age of 8, as part of the standard admission – £9.50 for adults, £7.50 for concessions and two children are admitted FREE with every adult ticket.

Following on from the Fast Car Rides session there will be an American Car Rides session on Thursday 7th August and a Family Fun Day on Wednesday 13th August from 1pm – 4.30pm. This will include arts & crafts, balloon maker, puppet show, vehicle rides and face painting.

Transport Museum To Host Classic And Vintage Gathering

Aberdeenshire, History No Responses »

Jul 162014

With thanks to Martyn Smith.

A wide selection of cars, commercial vehicles and motorcycles will descend on the village of Alford for the annual Classic and Vintage Gathering, this Sunday at the Grampian Transport Museum, from 1pm until 4pm

Visitors will be able to view displays of pre-1990 vehicles, including cars from the likes of Austin, Ferrari, Triumph and MG, as well as a selection of vintage buses and other commercial vehicles.

Anyone interested in entering a pre-1990 vehicle can do so on the day, simply by turning up between 11.30 and 12.45. For just £15 the driver and one guest will get entry to the event, complimentary access to the museum, and light refreshments.

Visitor admission to the event is included in the standard museum admission fee. Adult admission is £9.50, concessions are £7.50 and two children are admitted free with every adult.

Further information on the museum and all its outdoor events is available online at www.gtm.org.uk

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