The British Motor Museum at Gaydon, Warwickshire was proud to formally re-open the Herbert Austin Office in the British Motor Museum exhibition halls.
The Herbert Austin office had previously been on display in the Longbridge plant, up to 2021, before it was painstakingly disassembled and stored. The museum has painstakingly re-built it and it shows the office as it was when Austin was running the show, with all his fixtures and fittings. Known by the workforce as 'The Old Man's Office' it was the place where many of Austin’s important decisions were made.
Austin’s office will be displayed alongside Morris’s Office, a long-term exhibit of the Museum relocated from Cowley in 1994, now repositioned and refreshed. Together these offices tell the story of these two famous contemporaries and extremely influential characters in Britain’s motor industry, offering an unrivalled opportunity for the public to connect with the stories of Austin and Morris and to understand the impact that both men had, and continue to have, on the motor industry in Britain and beyond.
This exciting project was finally completed due to the significant support of The Patrick Foundation which funded the reconstruction of this historic office and for which the Museum is extremely grateful. The new Herbert Austin exhibit was officially opened by Julian & Laura Pritchard and Simon Smart from The Patrick Foundation.
Julian Pritchard, of The Patrick Foundation, said, “The trustees of the Patrick Foundation are delighted to have been able to support this fantastic project within the British Motor Museum. To see the differing styles of these icons of the British motor industry, brought to life, is both fascinating and thrilling, and we hope the offices provide an informative and popular display for the many thousands of visitors to the British Motor Museum.”
Cat Boxall, Curator, at the British Motor Museum, said: “It’s an honour to be the new home for the office of Herbert Austin. We’re all very excited that we can display it alongside William Morris’ office, a long-time feature of the Museum. Both offices will become great additions to the extensive range of artefacts held in the collections from the histories of Longbridge and Cowley.
Visitors will also be able to enjoy seeing the one-millionth car produced by Austin from 1946 along with some of Austin's personal possessions and papers. Also on display will be the first bicycle made by Morris, and a range of other keepsakes that have been cared for in the Museum. These exhibits will enable the public to learn more about these two great rivals and the important impact they had on Britain’s motor industry”.
Source: British Motor Museum
