Cotswold Motoring Museum

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Cotswold Motoring Museum Home of TV's Brum! Seven galleries packed with vintage cars, a fascinating toy collection and unique motoring curiosities. Motor on down!
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More than just a motoring museum, the Cotswold Motoring Museum and Toy Collection is a vintage day out, perfect for families and vintage car enthusiasts. Located in beautiful Bourton-on-the-Water, the Cotswold Motoring Museum is a fascinating journey through the 20th Century with its 7 galleries packed with classic cars, motorbikes and caravans. The museum is also home to TV's Brum and is actually where the series was filmed. There's even a special Brum to ride on!

14/10/2026

You’ve got the keys to this Jaguar XK140 and an E-Type but you can only keep one…

We know the E-Type has its fans, but take another look at our 1956 XK140 before you decide… That sweeping bonnet. Those curves. The chrome. It makes a pretty persuasive case. 🤌

Which one’s getting your garage space - XK140 or E-Type? 👇

📍 See the XK140 up close at Cotswold Motoring Museum, Bourton-on-the-Water.

07/10/2026

This little garage tells a much bigger story.

Jack Lake began with a cycle shop in Bourton-on-the-Water around 1916, which developed into a country garage serving local motorists for decades.

Today, Jack Lake’s Garage is recreated inside Cotswold Motoring Museum, packed with period signs, tools, oil cans, pumps and everyday objects that give you a glimpse into a completely different era of motoring.

There’s so much to spot that it’s worth taking a closer look next time you visit. 👀

28/09/2026

It bought the car that would eventually help start the Cotswold Motoring Museum. 🚗

This 1929 Riley 9 Brooklands was bought by museum founder Mike Cavanagh while living in South Africa for just £30.

What began with one car grew into a passion for collecting vehicles and motoring memorabilia and eventually into the collection you can explore here in Bourton-on-the-Water today.

And the best part? The car that started it all is here.

The Riley is now back at the museum on loan from Mike’s daughters, so you can come and see the very car where our story began. ❤️

And if this car has a story like that, imagine what else is hiding in the collection…

Follow us as we uncover more or come and discover the stories for yourself.

26/09/2026

Happy 35th Birthday, Brum! 🎈

What better way to celebrate than with birthday wishes from the people who have loved Brum for all these years. 🥹💛

A HUGE thank you to everyone who sent in a video, card, present or birthday message. we loved seeing every single one, and we know Brum would too!

From childhood memories to a whole new generation discovering our little yellow car, it’s pretty special to see just how much Brum still means to so many of you. 💛

So there’s only one thing left to say…

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BRUM! 🥳🚗🎉

Drop a birthday message for Brum in the comments 👇💛

Hidden throughout the Cotswold Motoring Museum are some wonderfully strange objects with stories every bit as fascinatin...
25/09/2026

Hidden throughout the Cotswold Motoring Museum are some wonderfully strange objects with stories every bit as fascinating as the cars themselves.

From a bicylce built for two and a 1920s water bike to the Sinclair C5 and a glowing Tony the Tiger lamp, these are the details you could easily walk straight past.

Tell us below which on surprised you the most.

Save this post and see how many you can find on your visit.

BRUM FANS WE NEED YOU! 💛Brum’s birthday is almost here, and his lovely fans have already been sending cards, presents an...
24/09/2026

BRUM FANS WE NEED YOU! 💛

Brum’s birthday is almost here, and his lovely fans have already been sending cards, presents and birthday wishes. 🥹

Now we’re putting together a very special birthday video made up of messages from Brum fans and we’d love to include yours!

It’s super easy:

📱 Film a 5–10 second vertical video
🎂 Simply say “Happy Birthday Brum!” (or add your own little message!)
💌 Send your video to us via Facebook Messenger/ Instagram DM us TODAY

Kids, parents, grandparents and those of you who grew up watching Brum, we’d love to see you!

And please tag a Brum fan if you think they might want to be part of his birthday video! 👇

Hey Brum fans! Brum’s birthday is coming up and we need your help to make it extra special! 🎂We’d love you to send us a ...
16/09/2026

Hey Brum fans!

Brum’s birthday is coming up and we need your help to make it extra special! 🎂

We’d love you to send us a short video (10 seconds max) wishing Brum a very happy birthday! Whether it’s you, your little ones or the whole family, we’d love to see your birthday messages.

📩 Send your video to us via Messenger on Facebook or DM us on Instagram by 22nd September.

Then keep your eyes on our page for Brum’s birthday surprise on Saturday 26th September! 👀🎉

Let’s show Brum just how much we love him!

26/08/2026

In the 1920s, William Lyons and William Walmsley were making motorcycle sidecars under the name Swallow Sidecar Company. But Lyons spotted an opportunity: take an affordable little car like the Austin Seven and give it something it didn’t normally have — serious style.

The result was the Austin Seven Swallow. Underneath was the familiar Austin, but its elegant new body made it look far more expensive than it was. It proved there was an appetite for beautiful, aspirational cars at accessible prices, an idea that would help shape everything William Lyons did next.

Swallow went on to become SS Cars, and eventually, Jaguar Cars.

So this unassuming little Austin in our collection? It’s not just an Austin Seven. It’s a fascinating piece of the story that led to one of Britain’s most famous motoring names. 🇬🇧

Come and see the Austin Seven Swallow for yourself at Cotswold Motoring Museum and discover the stories hiding behind the cars you might otherwise walk straight past.

19/08/2026

Imagine breaking down miles from home with no mobile phone in your pocket…

AA roadside boxes like this one were once a lifeline for motorists, giving members a way to call for assistance when something went wrong on the road. And this isn’t just any old AA box, the one in our collection originally stood right here in Bourton-on-the-Water.

It’s one of those pieces of motoring history that’s easy to walk straight past, until you stop and imagine actually needing to use it.

Next time you visit Cotswold Motoring Museum, take a closer look. There are stories hiding in almost every corner. 👀

17/08/2026

There was a time when these weren’t classics… they were the cars taking families on their August Bank Holiday adventures. 🚗

Volvos loaded with luggage, Minis packed to the rafters, caravans hitched up behind and the Carawagon ready for a proper adventure. No sat nav or screens, just a road map, a packed car and the open road ahead.

Today, you can see these cars and so many more at the Cotswold Motoring Museum and take a trip back through motoring history. What did your family head off on holiday in and where did it take you?

Address

Sherborne Street
Bourton On The Water
GL542BY

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 6pm
Tuesday 10am - 6pm
Wednesday 10am - 6pm
Thursday 10am - 6pm
Friday 10am - 6pm
Saturday 10am - 6pm
Sunday 10am - 6pm

Telephone

01451 821255

Website

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