Car Boots For Sale!

First published August 31 1996 in the Car 96 section of The Times. Now reproduced with the kind permission of
Lord Montagu of Beaulieu, a founder member of The Brooklands Society.

ONE DOES not often get the chance to invent a new word for the English language. Credit must fairly go to my museum curator, Michael Ware, when we planned what was then a unique event in the United Kingdom. It was a bring-and-buy sale for spares for historic cars - a jumble for motor parts. The first one was held in September 1967 and Beaulieu is celebrating the 30th this year on September 7 and 8.

The Americans started it all with a small sale at the chocolate town of Hershey in 1954. That event has now grown to be the largest in the world. They still call theirs a swap meet or flea market. We felt we would have to find a suitable generic name, hence "autojumble".

In 1967 the old Montagu Motor Museum launched this new event. We were surprised to find that 78 vendors came to sell and more than 4,000 people came to buy. Nowadays we are hampered by lack of space and can only accommodate just under 2,000 vendors, with more than 40,000 people visiting over the two days.

Vendors come from many countries, but it is the buyers who are truly cosmopolitan. A great many from the Continent, and they are big spenders, recently one man spent $100,000. There is a large contingent from America and Australia. Because of this internationalism, we introduced a bureau de change.

The autojumble is for all types of road transport. Cars predominate, although 20 per cent of the event is devoted to motorcycle items. Nowadays, most vendors are very knowledgeable, but even so, bargains can be found. A Bugatti side-light, worth hundreds of pounds, could be in a box of assorted lights, marked "Ł5 each".

Collecting petrol sales ephemera is catching on fast; petrol pumps, pump globes, two-gallon cans and enamel advertising signs of petrol companies long gone out of business or absorbed.

It is not just the heavy metal brigade who are there. A large amount of dealing in specialist books, literature, mascots and accessories takes place.

The autojumble has spawned a huge back-up industry of firms making reproduction parts or specialising in the repair of broken items. If you wish your speedometer or dashboard clock repaired, or a rebuild for the radiator of your De Dion Bouton, you will find two or three firms willing to do it.

"Automart", another word we coined, is where complete and running vehicles are offered for sale, and this year we expect 150. Christie's provide us with an auction of motor ephemera and vehicles, usually featuring a number of "barn finds" - cars which have been stored away for many years.

If you miss this weekend's Coventry celebrations, then the autojumble next weekend is a celebration of a different kind.

National Motor Museum, Beaulieu, Hampshire. 01590 612345.

Car boots for sale