After a recent visit, we thought we would write a bit about the National Motor Museum Beaulieu Supercar Weekend. This was held over the weekend of the 5th / 6th August 2017.
Do you enjoy a bit of history, motoring or otherwise?
If you are camping in the New Forest, with or without a campervan or a toddler, we highly recommend a visit to the Beaulieu National Motor Museum.
I first went to Beaulieu National Motor Museum many years ago. Way back in the early 2000’s, always with a promise to myself to revisit. I never did, until recently. As a result, this is the first time we have experienced the National Motor Museum Beaulieu Supercar Weekend.
The National Motor Museum Beaulieu Information
Before we get into details about the Supercar Weekend event itself, a bit about Beaulieu and the National Motor Museum. For this event, the prices were the same. So not only did you get to see all the Supercars, but you also had access to the Museum, and everything else it has to offer.
There is the actual National Motor Museum. A 2 storey warehouse type building with old cars and history dating back to when it all began. It also has an area on pedal cycles, and a large area on Motorcycles, so it is not just for the Car enthusiasts. It also has some fun vehicles, like the Outspan car (a car that looks like a giant orange), and a whole caravan made of lego…with running water!! See the end of the post for more photos of these.
There is also a World of Top Gear, Beaulieu Abbey, a display for On Screen Cars (think James Bond, Mr Bean, Harry Potter etc) and much more.
If you need a break from the wandering around and car staring, then check out the Monorail. Free to ride (at least on our event day) and lasts about 15 minutes. Be prepared to queue though on the busier days. We queued for about 20 minutes, and got on and off at the main stop near the main entrance and World of Top Gear. There is another stop over the other side of the park with shorter queues. You may find not many people will get off as they want to go back to where they got on.
Photos
There will be a lot more photos at the end of the post. If you want to see the amazing cars and other areas of the National Motor Museum, then keep reading.
National Motor Museum Beaulieu Supercar Weekend – About the Event
The weekend is basically a gathering of Supercar Owners, manufacturers and enthusiasts. All getting together to showcase their privately owned cars, their manufactured cars and for enthusiasts to wander around and get up close and personal to millions of pounds worth of automobiles.
All in one place, and all in 8 hours.
There are a number of different area’s such as a Feature Display Area, a Demonstration Straight, separate areas for the all the Club cars to accumulate. Then there is what is essentially a very expensive car park where members of the public can bring their pride and joys, park up, and meet the other drivers and enthusiasts.
We even saw a few owners letting kids sit in their cars, so a nice touch.
There were a couple of places where you could see some ‘action’.
The Demonstration Straight
This is about a 200 meter ‘drag strip’. Owners can register their car (sorry, SuperCar), and blast down the straight creating as much wheel spin, smoke and noise as possible. The straight is lined with hay bales, and then beyond that are railings for the public to stand behind. If you are interested in seeing this spectacle, then be sure to get your spot at least 20 minutes before the demonstration starts.
We didn’t.
I would also suggest trying to get a spot in the middle of the straight, where they open it up for the public to cross when the display has finished. Reason being, sometimes the cars stop there for a split second. They do another start, so more noise, more wheel spins and more smoke!
National Motor Museum Beaulieu Supercar Weekend – Our Experience
So, how did we find the actual National Motor Museum Beaulieu Supercar Weekend?
Getting there and getting in…
Well, we are lucky enough to live 15 minutes away, so travel time itself wasn’t a problem. However, we were wary of the fact there is only a couple roads into Beaulieu so we were expecting some queuing.
There wasn’t any. And it wasn’t like we were arriving hours after it started. Turning into the Beaulieu Estate, there is a probably the best part of half a mile of track to follow before reaching the (substantial) 1000 space car park. The car park was already pretty full, so although we didn’t have to sit in traffic to get in, perhaps if we had arrived an hour earlier we would have.
Check out Beaulieu’s own website if you want detailed directions: Getting to Beaulieu.
This does mean there is a bit of a walk from the car park to the main entrance. All over stoney paths, so not ideal if you have a buggy, but ok nonetheless. (getting back would be trickier, as it would be uphill).
As we approached the entrance you get directed by one of the many workers in Hi-Vis vests. “This way for advanced ticket holders, this way to purchase tickets” he hollered.
If, like us, you are planning on buying your tickets in advance (cheaper) you can head to the what was sure to be the speedier line. We walked passed a long line of people waiting to purchase. “Suckers!!” we thought! Then saw our queue! I think it was longer. We scurried to the back of the line, and shuffled up like a theme park ride every few minutes. 30 minutes later we were in.
National Motor Museum Beaulieu Supercar Weekend – The Cars
Now for what we came to see. The Cars! The few minutes we saw hardly anything. The odd Jaguar XJ220. An older BMW. Then a Ford GT40 Le Mans 24hr car, sitting next to another Ford.
It turned out most of the cars were the other side of the Demonstration Track I mentioned earlier. All the Owners Club areas, with the likes of Porsche, TVR, Lotus and Lamborghini, to name but a few. And the big ‘car park’ I mentioned earlier. There was plenty of chance to wander around, look at the cars, take photos, peer inside to see the dashboard etc.
Occasionally, you would hear one start, and being revved. No doubt to impress the watching enthusiasts. Or scare the toddlers away. One or the other.
National Motor Museum Beaulieu Supercar Weekend – The Kids
If you are here because you are camping in the New Forest or nearby, then chances are you have the kids with you that may not share your desire and enthusiasm to walk around looking at shiny lumps of metal, albeit very expensive shiny metal.
Fear not. There is plenty for them to do. Show them the Lego Caravan in the National Motor Museum. Take them on the Monorail. There is also a play park for the younger ones, with swings, slide etc. For the slightly older ones there are mini electric cars they can sit in and drive, or remote control cars in the World of Top Gear Area.
There are lots of stalls, selling food and drink (see below) but also selling toy cars, from as little as £5, up to hundreds for elaborate remote control cars.
We took the plunge, and bought a new campervan!
The manufacturers also had their own stalls, most noticeably Lamborghini. We saw a mum treat her kids to a £60 remote control Lambo!
National Motor Museum Beaulieu Supercar Weekend – Refreshments
Take your own. That would be my tip. There are plenty of stalls, and no shortage of food, drink and donut stalls.
But as you would expect, they are not the cheapest. Certainly not outrageous but you could have already spent upwards of £50 to get the family in, and could easily do another £50 on refreshments throughout the day.
Example of their own café prices: Pulled Pork roll with coleslaw and fries – £8.25. Fish and Chips – £9.50. Kids meals – £4.75.
Like I said, not outrageous but add drinks, for a family of 4 and the best part of £40 is gone. We took a packed lunch, and sat on a hill overlooking the Demonstration Straight and ate while watching the cars blast back and forth.
There are also independent stalls set up around the park. We did treat ourselves to:
6 mini donuts and a bottle of Sprite – £7.50
2 beers – £9.00
A word of warning. We did find that when eating, we were all of a sudden popular with the wasps.
So there we have it. A bit of info about the Beaulieu National Motor Museum, and their recent event, the National Motor Museum Beaulieu Supercar Weekend.
I hope you have found this useful, and if you would like to continue to receive info and advice on things to do when Camping in the New Forest, and surrounding areas, then don’t forget to sign up.
National Motor Museum Beaulieu Supercar Weekend Tips & Summary
- Buy your tickets online, in advance to save
- You may not have to queue in the car, but you will on foot
- Spend some time in the Museum, as well as the Event Attractions
- Get your spot early for the Demonstration Track
- Take 10 minutes to ride the Monorail, but be prepared to queue
- Don’t forget your camera
- Ear mufflers for kids if noise sensitive
- Pack a lunch to save £££’s
Photographs of the National Motor Museum Beaulieu Supercar Weekend
