Grampian Transport Museum’s 40th anniversary season launches in style

Rally winning Ford Escort RS1800 as driven by Ari Vatanen/Dave Richards

That wonderful achievement is being remembered in 2023 with 40th anniversary celebrations including some very special new exhibits and a season of events which sees the return of some old favourites alongside the popular regular weekends.

The highlight for some people will surely be the 40th Anniversary return of the Alford Cavalcade in July. This is the event which in the 70’s and 80’s helped to raise the money to build the museum and will be the centre of the 2023 activities.

Every year GTM changes around a third of its exhibition over the winter to keep visitors of all ages interested and excited. Special new stars for the 40th anniversary include:

Built in 1905 ‘The Old Girl’ is the second oldest Rolls Royce in the world.

The world’s second oldest Rolls Royce, built in 1905 and known affectionately as ‘The Old Girl’ and on loan to GTM from the Royal Scottish Automobile Cub
An internationally famous rally-winning car – The David Sutton/Works Ford Escort RS1800 driven by Ari Vatanen/David Richards in the famous Rothmans livery (and before them Hannu Mikkola/Arne Hertz in Yeaton Vale livery)
And for kids of all ages (!) a brand-new interactive exhibition of the history of motoring-based computer games – ‘Racing Through Time’. This is the opportunity for mums and dads to remember how they spent their ‘screen time’ and to show their children some forgotten skills!
There is also an example of a now rare bright orange 3-wheeled Bond Bug 850ES which proved very popular in the 70’s to an element of would-be motorists as only a motorcycle licence was needed to drive it.
Alongside the horse drawn carriages and motor vehicles is a stunning motorcycle display which includes the only Scottish exhibition of rare machines from the British Motorcycle Charitable Trust (BMCT), the much-loved Guy Martin collection and the complete history of the bicycle from the earliest ‘balance bikes’ right up to date.

Museum Manager Ross McKirdy is full of praise for the staff and volunteers at the museum “There has been an enormous amount of effort behind the scenes over the winter period, and thanks to their efforts we have a memorable season planned with which to celebrate our 40th anniversary year.

“The museum tea-room continues to develop its refreshment offerings, from excellent coffee and tea to delicious light lunches and cakes, and the Museum shop has expanded its range of gifts for children and adults, many now with GTM branding.

“As a self-funding charity, we are very grateful for the financial support we have received from Museums & Galleries Scotland, enabling us to greatly improve our energy efficiency, to reduce our running costs and to reduce our carbon footprint to a fraction of what it used to be.

A history of cycles, Guy Martin’s rare Petronas FP1 GP replica and a rare original Bond Bug are all on display.

"Our latest wind solar panel array has just been switched on in time for the new season and is working well. This means that despite the current increased cost of living the museum is able to maintain its entry costs and membership fees at 2022 levels, which we hope will help every visitor to have a great day out.”

The family and dog friendly museum opens on Friday, March 31 for the school holidays during which it will be open 7days/week, then Thursday to Monday throughout the rest of the season.

Details of all the museum’s events, hours and tickets are available at www.gtm.org.uk