The Museum Collection Centre: Photos – Page 5


Image © Frank Parker

Here are more photos I took on my first visit to the Museum Collection Centre on 17/09/22.

A Rover P5B automatic in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

This 3.5 Litre model was built in 1971 in Solihull and restored to concours condition by its former owner.  The mileage shown is only  45,462.  The P5B had a 3528cc V8 engine and was in production from 1967 to 1973 replacing the P5 model (2955cc from 1958 to 1967).

Read about the Rover P5 here.

A Rover 12 Sports in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

Built in Coventry in 1936 the 12HP Sports Saloon was typical of later designs in that it was available with three different capacity engines (10, 12 and 14HP).

Read about the Rover 12 here.

Read about the Rover Company here.

A B.S.A. Open Tourer in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

With one of the earliest uses of steel panels in cars,  this 4-seater was built at the Sparkbrook Works of B.S.A. in  Birmingham.  It has the legendary Knight Double Sleeve Valve engine.  

Read about B.S.A. cars here.

A Bean 14HP Coupe in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

This 4-cylinder 2385cc built Coupe was built in Tipton in 1927.   Bean industries stopped making cars in 1933 but supplied engine components to manufacturers including Austin Rover until the 1900’s.

Read about Bean cars here.

An Ariel Convertible car in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

The Ariel works in Selly Oak, Birmingham, built 1,000 of these cars between 1923 and 1925.  They then switched to making motorcycles as they were priced out of the market by the Austin Seven.

Read about the Ariel Motor Company here.

An Armstrong Siddeley Foursome in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

The chassis for this car was built in Coventry in 1935, but the car was finished in Birmingham for the purchaser.  It has a 6-cylinder engine developing 17HP.

Read about Armstrong Siddeley here

A Castle Runabout in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

This car was a prototype and was made by the Castle Motor Company of Kidderminster.  They made about 350 3-wheeled Runabout light cars.  The 4-wheeled version from 1919 never reached full production.

Read about the Castle Motor Company here.

A Daimler 20 Saloon in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

Read about the Daimler Company here.

A Clement Panhard in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

This light car was marketed in England as a Stirling Dog Cart.  0-65 were built in 1901 or 2 which was before Registration became compulsary.  It was first registered on January the 1st 1904. 

Read about Clement Panhard here.

A Jackson /DeDion Cylinder Wagonette in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

This car was built by the Jackson Automobile Company in 1909 and was a single cylinder wagonette. 

Read about the Jackson Automobile Company here

A Benz Voiturette in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

Built in 1900 to Karl Benz’s system, this Dogcart took part in the inagural Brighton Run, and also again in 2003 when it was defeated by the appaling weather.

Read about Karl Benz here.

Read about Mercedes-Benz here. 

An Austin A90 Atlantic Coupe in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

This 1949 Austin Achieved 63 records at the Indianpolis Production Car Endurance event in the USA that year. 

Read about the Austin A90 Atlantic Coupe here.

Read about the Austin Motor Company here.

A DV4 Electric Dust Cart (No. 184) in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

This 4-ton electric dust cart was used in Birmingham between 1938 and 1971 and was developed as the result of a collaboration between the Birmingham salvage department and Electricars based on the salvage department’s experience with its previous electric vehicles.  They were replaced by diesel-powered designs.

Read about the DV4 Electric Dust Cart here.

A Tip-Cart in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

Made in 1945 by J. and A. Inston, Wheelwrights, of  Bartley Green, Birmingham, at a cost of £50.   It was one of the last carts to be made locally using traditional methods.  Its present livery dates from the early 1960’s.

A Horse-Drawn Dog Cart in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

This is a horse drawn vehichle, with a compartment for carrying your dog.

Unknown in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker
Unknown in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker
A towbar in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

The Land Speed Record Car, the Railton Special, was built in 1937/8 had no Starter.  Instead it was Push Started by a truck linked to it by this Rod which disconnected once the engines had started.

Read about the Railton Special here.  

Read about Railton here.

A Bluebird Tyre in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

This is a Dunlop tyre from Donald Campbell’s legendery vehicle Bluebird.  In July 1964 he claimed the land speed record of 403.10 mph at Lake Eyre, Australia, beating the record set by John Cobb in 1947.  In January 1967 Donald Campbell died in an accident, in his boat named Bluebird, at Lake Coniston, Cumbria. 

Read about the Bluebird here.

Read about Donald Campbell here.

Read about Dunlop here.

A generator in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

This generator provided electricity for the Lizard Lighthouse.  It was made by Auguste de Meritens, Paris in 1880.  Turning at 900 rpm it produced 3KW at 32 volts AC and 120 cps. 

Blog Posts

Notes And Links

All the above images are copyright of Frank Parker. 

Museum Collection Centre on Facebook.

Museum Collection Centre on Twitter

Birmingham Museums Collection – Find out more about Birmingham’s collections including art and design, human history, natural science and science and industry categories.  Each category contains sub-categories full of useful information and great photos.

Birmingham Museums Trust’s Digital Asset Resource – Official website.  There is no registration or log-in required to use this website for out-of-copyright collection images  Download free Public Domain image files up to 3mb in size with free Creative Commons licenses.  You are entitled to unlimited downloads.  Also download free Audio Files complete with a license.  These can be downloaded for non-commercial use only and attribution is required.

BirminghamMAG – Official YouTube channel.   Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery provide world-class museums at the cultural heart of Birmingham.

Birmingham Museums – Official website.

Thinktank: Birmingham Science Museum – Official website.

Birmingham Museum And Art Gallery – Official website.

Aston Hall – Official website.

Blakesley Hall – Official website.

Museum Of The Jewellery Quarter – Official website.

Sarehole Mill – Official website.

Soho House – Official website. 

Weoly Castle – Official website.

Wikipedia – Official website.  This is a free encyclopedia that anyone can edit.

Scratchpad – Official website.  You can instantly create a free Fandom wiki for an idea of any size, and be up and running in a few minutes.