About
The Haynes International Motor Museum in Sparkford, Somerset, is one of the world's finest motor museums, housing one of the largest collections of historic vehicles in Britain. Founded by the late John Haynes OBE, the legendary publisher of the famous Haynes car manuals, the museum opened in 1985 and has grown to display over 400 vehicles spanning more than a century of motoring history.
The collection ranges from the earliest pioneering horseless carriages of the 1880s to iconic racing cars of the modern era, with particular strengths in British motoring heritage. Among the highlights are the spectacular Red Room, dedicated to Ferrari, displaying a magnificent array of Prancing Horse models from racing legends to road cars of breathtaking beauty. The American Dream exhibition showcases a dazzling selection of classic American automobiles from the golden age of Detroit, including fabulous chrome-laden fins, muscle cars, and roadsters that epitomise the romance of the open road.
The museum's Motorsport Hall celebrates the golden age of grand prix racing, with single-seater Formula One cars from legendary teams and drivers filling the gallery. Visitors can explore vehicles driven by some of the greatest names in racing history, with detailed histories and photographs bringing each car's story to life. The British Motoring gallery traces the development of home-grown marques from Austin and Morris to Jaguar and Aston Martin.
A dedicated motorcycle section features machines from BSA, Triumph, Norton, and other classic British manufacturers alongside European and Japanese icons. The rural Somerset setting provides ample space for the museum's impressive footprint, with substantial on-site facilities including a well-stocked gift shop specialising in motoring books, memorabilia and die-cast models, a licensed restaurant, and extensive parking.
Regular special events, exhibitions, and vehicle display changes keep the experience fresh for returning visitors, while the immaculate presentation and informative signage make the museum accessible and engaging for visitors of all ages and levels of motoring knowledge.
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Highlights
The Red Room — Ferrari Gallery
One of the most spectacular rooms in British motoring heritage, the Red Room is dedicated entirely to Ferrari and houses a stunning array of the Italian marque's most celebrated models. From early post-war racing cars to iconic road-going supercars including the F40 and Testarossa, the collection spans decades of Prancing Horse excellence displayed against a backdrop of deep red — creating a theatrical gallery experience that has become the museum's most photographed space.
The concentration of automotive beauty and engineering achievement in this single room is extraordinary and unlike anything else in British motor museums.
American Dream Collection
The American Dream gallery transports visitors to the golden age of US automobile design, showcasing a spectacular collection of 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s American classics. Tail-finned Cadillacs, Chevrolet Corvettes, Ford Mustangs, and rarer American exotica jostle for attention in a gallery capturing the optimism of post-war America through its cars — when Detroit design studios produced some of the most flamboyant and expressive automobiles ever built.
Chrome, colour, and sheer physical scale characterise these magnificent machines, which represent one of the finest such collections on display outside North America.
Motorsport Hall of Fame
The Motorsport Hall celebrates Britain's extraordinary contribution to international motor racing through an outstanding collection of single-seater Formula One cars, sports racing machines, and rally cars. Racing cars from legendary British constructors share gallery space with Le Mans competitors, each accompanied by detailed histories of races won and records broken.
The gallery pays homage to the golden age of British racing green and explores how small British engineering firms came to dominate world motorsport for decades, producing vehicles of breathtaking performance and technical ingenuity.
Pioneer Vehicles — The Dawn of Motoring
At the heart of the museum's historical narrative are examples of the earliest motor vehicles, charting the invention and rapid development of the automobile from the 1880s through the Edwardian era. Spindly, tiller-steered horseless carriages give way to more recognisable early cars as engineering knowledge accumulated rapidly in the years around 1900.
These fragile-looking machines, now well over a century old, represent the courage of pioneer motorists who ventured onto rutted roads with no maps, no fuel stations, and no certainty of reaching their destination — the heroic era of motoring.
Collections
The Red Room — Ferrari Gallery
The museum's most celebrated gallery, dedicated entirely to Ferrari and showcasing iconic models from racing cars to road-going supercars. Displayed against a dramatic red backdrop, the collection represents some of the finest Italian automotive engineering of the 20th and 21st centuries.
American Dream
A spectacular collection of classic American automobiles from the golden age of US automotive design, featuring chrome-laden Cadillacs, Chevrolet Corvettes, Ford Mustangs, and other icons of Detroit's most exuberant era.
British Motoring Heritage
A comprehensive gallery celebrating the finest products of the British motor industry, from early Edwardian pioneers through post-war classics to late 20th century models from Jaguar, Rover, Triumph and many other beloved marques.
Motorsport Hall
Single-seater Formula One cars, sports racers, and rally cars celebrate Britain's extraordinary contribution to international motorsport, with vehicles from legendary constructors and detailed accounts of their racing histories.
Current Exhibitions
No current exhibitions. Please check the museum website for updates.