Quingo Haynes International Motor Museum 2
Attractions, Days Out, Quingo Scooters, Tips and Advice

Quingo Accessible Attractions: Haynes International Motor Museum

At Quingo Scooters we’re rejuvenating our Accessible Attractions series with another spectacular attraction for you to visit. This week we’ve discovered one for the motor heads amongst our readers!

We’re taking you to Sparkford in Somerset, to the UK’s largest collection of great cars from around the world, at The Haynes International Motor Museum. Buckle up your seatbelts, you’re in for a fun ride…

Quingo Haynes International Motor Museum 1
Editorial credit: Dave Goodman / Shutterstock.com

The museum

As the UK’s largest collection of cars; the museum boasts 400 amazing cars and bikes from the dawn of motoring in the late 1800s, to the classics of the 1950s and 60s. Keep your eyes peeled for beautiful Bentleys and Rolls Royces, to world renowned supercars such as the Jaguar XJ220.

The museum currently offers 19 individual exhibitions, with frequent tours, talks and activities for families, children and car enthusiasts. Each exhibition covers a specific period in the motoring industry, such as:

  • The Dawn of Motoring – displaying some of the oldest vehicles throughout the museum. With references to motoring pioneers such as Volta, Barsanti, Matteucci, Benz, Daimler and Olds.
  • Minis and Micros – a collection of the museum’s smallest vehicles, including those from Great Britain, Germany, Italy, Japan, India and (former) East Germany. Displaying quirky European ‘bubble’ cars which became popular in the 1950s within the British motor industry. Following on, this resulted in Britain presenting the Mini to the world.
  • Custom and Bespoke – since motor cars were introduced onto the roads they have been customised/modified by their owners. This collection displays how owners interpret ‘different’.
  • Supercar Century – within the display are popular supercars such as a 1930 Bentley 4.5 Litre, 1973 E Type Jaguar and a 1995 Dodge Viper. The range is one of the most desirable and exclusive within the museum – certainly not one to miss!
  • Ferrari: The Man, The Machine, The Myth – high performance brands such as Ferrari have become innovators within sports and racing cars. As one of the most expensive and beautiful brands in the world, the collection is a homage to the innovation behind Ferrari’s brand.
Quingo Haynes International Motor Museum 2
Credit: Haynes International Motor Museum/ Unsplash

Accessibility

The museum is generally a ground floor attraction with a range of hands-on exhibits, the first-floor Motorcycle Mezzanine level has lift access up from the rest of the museum. There are accessible toilets within the reception area, at the AA display and in the Supercar Century exhibition. There are ramps within the Red Room and the Auto Games Area, as well as a large ramp for access to the Café 750. There are 7 blue badge bays within the car park, located just a few metres away from reception. For more information visit the accessibility section of the website here.

Prices and opening times

Ticket prices for adults (aged 16+) are £14.50, children (aged 4-15 years) £9 and children (under 4 years) are free. Concessions (disabled adult, senior citizens over 65 years, students, forces and disabled senior citizens) are £13.50 and disabled children (aged 4-15 years) £7. The museum is open from 9.30am to 5.30pm from 2 March to 28 October (Monday-Sunday), and 9.30am to 4.30pm from 29 October to 1 March (Monday-Sunday).

Planning a visit

Travelling to the museum is very accessible. For people planning to visit by rail, the main line station at Castle Cary is 5 miles away from the museum and has a high-speed link between Paddington and Penzance. The line also has a daily route between Bristol and Weymouth with regular stops at Yeovil. For more information visit the National Rail website here.

By bus, there are regular bus services to Sparkford Village from Castle Cary and Yeovil. Further information can be found on the Travel South West website here.

For visitors travelling by car, the museum is situated just off the A303 near Sparkford on the A359 Sparkford to Castle Cary Road. High profile brown tourist signs from all the major trunk roads provide easy to follow local directions.

About Quingo

The Quingo Scooter range features six models to suit your needs and budget. New models are now available from just £22/week on our new contract hire scheme which includes all servicing and maintenance, Insurance, Roadside Recovery, Call Outs and Consumables including Batteries and Tyres. For more information on this or the latest Quingo Scooter range, please visit our website. Alternatively, if you have any Service questions you can always contact us or call customer services on 01582 430 900.

Keep up to date with the latest mobility scooter advice, tips and interesting places to visit on the Quingo Scooter Users Blog. Connect with Quingo and keep up to date with all our latest news on Facebook and Twitter.

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