Motors, Memories and a Mission
Where motoring heritage, unforgettable machines and a passion for charity come together.
Ronnie Russell
There are car museums, motorcycle museums and collections that simply have to be seen to be believed. The Moulsdale Foundation Classic Car, Performance Car and Motorcycle Museum in Bishopbriggs firmly belongs in the latter category.
Housed within a striking, multi-storey industrial-style building, the museum is bright, immaculate and thoughtfully divided into specialist areas. Yet impressive as the surroundings are, it is what sits within them that really captures the imagination.
There is also an important reason why this is no ordinary motoring museum: charity is at the heart of what it does.
An additional exhibition and events facility is regularly used for fundraising, supporting organisations including Maggie’s, Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity and Beatson Cancer Charity, among many others. Over the past 36 years, the Moulsdale Foundation has raised and donated more than £36 million to charitable causes in the UK and around the world.
A recent example saw more than 1,300 Beatson Bikers gather for a fundraising event beginning at the museum. More than £40,000 was raised for Beatson Cancer Charity – a tremendous result and testament to everyone involved.
A journey back in time
Why do we visit car and motorcycle museums in the first place? For many of us, the answer is simple: nostalgia.
A particular badge, shape or even the sight of an old dashboard can transport you back decades. Perhaps it reminds you of your family’s first car, the car in which you learnt to drive, or the machine you desperately wanted but could never quite afford.
That sense of nostalgia is everywhere at the Moulsdale Foundation Museum.
Rally enthusiasts will find plenty to stir the memories, with Lancia Deltas sitting alongside famous Mitsubishis and Fords. Dedicated rally cars are associated with some of the greatest names the sport has known, including Colin McRae, Jimmy McRae, Roger Clark, Hannu Mikkola, Björn Waldegård and Ari Vatanen.
Then there are the Fast Fords
Immaculate examples include the RS2000, Mexico, Escort RS Turbo and Cosworth Escorts, not forgetting the legendary Sierra RS500 Cosworth. Seeing cars such as these in pristine condition is something special and, for the committed Ford enthusiast, this is very close to a dream collection.
From supercars to Formula One
Nostalgia, however, is only part of the story. There is also some serious exotica waiting to be discovered.
Lamborghini is represented by names that have adorned bedroom walls for generations: Countach, Murciélago, Diablo and Huracán, alongside more recent machinery including the STO and rare Sián.
The Ferrari display is equally tempting, featuring models such as the F430, 550, 599, Testarossa and California. Displays change regularly, giving returning visitors the opportunity to discover something different.
Elsewhere, the Pagani Utopia, Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren and Porsche 911 GT3 RS demonstrate the breadth of the collection. Add iconic Aston Martins and the 200mph Ascari Ecosse and there are plenty of opportunities to stand alongside a dream car and reach for the camera.
Motorsport fans are well catered for, too. Among the Formula One exhibits is David Coulthard’s 1996 McLaren MP4/11, from a season in which he finished second at the Monaco Grand Prix. Michael Schumacher-era Ferrari Formula One machinery is another obvious crowd-puller.
For anyone who has spent countless Sunday afternoons following Formula One on television, seeing such machines at close quarters brings those racing memories flooding back.
Two wheels, just as much passion
If the cars are impressive, the scale of the motorcycle collection comes as something of a surprise. My first reaction on seeing it was simply, wow.
Anyone who knows bikers will understand the relationship they have with their machines. A ride into the countryside is about far more than getting from A to B. It is freedom, enjoyment and that unmistakable buzz that leaves riders returning home with a smile.
The museum taps into exactly that feeling.
Part of the pleasure is getting close to the bikes, but just as important are the conversations they inspire. One motorcycle might remind somebody of the bike they owned in their twenties; another recalls a racing hero or the machine they always dreamed of having.
Ducati has a particularly strong presence, with an exceptional collection of motorcycles from the Italian marque. But the appeal stretches well beyond one manufacturer.
The varied selection includes the Kawasaki GPZ750 Turbo, Suzuki RG500 and Cadbury Boost Yamaha YZF750 associated with the 1996 British Superbike Championship. Upstairs, a line-up of Triumph motorcycles awaits, alongside racing machines and homologation specials.
A Mike Hailwood Ducati replica, Foggy Petronas FP1, Yamaha R1 YART and Aprilia RSV4 X-GP provide just a taste of what there is to discover.
Cars and motorcycles have an extraordinary ability to connect us with particular moments in our lives. They remind us where we have been, who we were with and sometimes even who we wanted to be.
At Bishopbriggs, those memories sit alongside some truly remarkable machinery. But behind the horsepower, famous badges and polished bodywork lies something arguably more important.
Proceeds from ticket sales and café profits support the Moulsdale Foundation’s charitable work, meaning a day spent admiring remarkable cars and motorcycles is also helping worthwhile causes.
That combination of motoring passion, nostalgia and charitable purpose is what makes the Moulsdale Foundation Museum rather more than simply another collection of cars and motorcycles.
