Look inside treasure trove of never-before-seen motors from ‘ugly duckling' Rolls-Royce to star of iconic TV show

Scottish Sun

25-04-2025

One model features in one Top Gears' most iconic episodes
BLIND SPOT Look inside treasure trove of never-before-seen motors from 'ugly duckling' Rolls-Royce to star of iconic TV show
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A COLLECTION of never-before-seen motors have been revealed with a range of "ugly duckling" cars to classic TV stars.
With motors no one has ever heard of, this car museum has more than 500 vehicles on show.
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The Isle of Man Motor Museum is thirty years of car collecting in the making
Credit: Alamy
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You can check out the Ford Thunderbird along with a plethora of other motors
Credit: Autocar
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Guests can see the 'ugly duckling' Rolls-Royce Camargue
Credit: Autocar
The Isle of Man Motor Museum has 200 cars, hundreds of motorbikes and even an old bus that's covered more than 6million miles.
It opened in May 2015 and is described on the website as a "petrolhead's paradise."
Located on a former RAF base in Jurby the privately funded site is a stunning home to a range of motors.
The Isle of Man offers a range of scenic routes and challenging roads for motor enthusiasts so it's no wonder the museum has popped up on the island.
Founders Darren Cunningham and his father Denis explained they wanted a unique range of vehicles to surprise their guests.
Darren said: "We like to have cars in our collection that visitors will not have seen anywhere else, and to offer that to everyone there has to be a really wide variety."
One of the most popular models on display is the Peel P50.
You might remember this mini motor from Top Gear where Clarkson drove the entire vehicle into the office.
It's the smallest road car ever to be produced and the museum offers three to look at - nearly enough to make up a regular sized car.
World's smallest budget car that was immortalised on Top Gear once sold for just £166… but now it's worth a fortune
Another iconic vehicle on show is the Rolls-Royce Camargue, designed by Pininfarina.
Some consider the Camargue to be an ugly duckling even though it was the worlds most expensive car available at the time.
Only 1531 were created and the model shown in the motor museum has only covered 12,000 miles.
For those looking for a little more eye candy, a small stroll in the warehouse will take you to the 1956 Ford Thunderbird.
This third-generation Thunderbird is fitted with a 300bhp 6.4-litre V8 and two seats.
To add to its suaveness, the steering wheel even slides out of the way so that pregnant women are able to get in and out comfortably.
As well as swanky classic motors, the museum offers legendary prototypes.
Darren and Denis own a third Monica, which is the sixth ever made - or left unmade, as it was never finished.
Other old models that look a little worse for wear include the American La France - a 1928 fire engine that looks covered with rust but remarkably intact, aside from the flat tyres.
It was hidden away in storage and then bought to prevent it being turned into a two-seater speedster.
Other notable models include a Back to the Future style DeLorean DMC-12, Tom Karen's Bond Bug and a 1954 Greyhound bus from the US thought to have covered 6million miles.
You also can't miss the record-setting 500 Manxman and jaw-dropping genuine army tank
Denis and Darren have collected all these prize motors over the past 30 years and are thrilled to share their passion.
Their summer season runs 1st April to the 5th October and the museum is open 10am until 5pm, seven days a week.
Models to keep an eye out for at the Isle of Man Motor Museum
Ford Thunderbird
Austin Healey Sprite
Monica Prototype #6
American La France
Bond Bug
Ferrari 612 Scaglietti
GM Scenicruiser
DeLorean DMC-12
Rolls-Royce Camargue
Peel P50
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There are 500 motors in total in warehouse
Credit: Alamy