Sunday 13th July 2025 sees the Historic Marathon Rally Group and the Mini Cooper Register supporting this fabulous annual event at the British Motor Museum, Gaydon, Warwickshire UK with a special ‘sideshow’ bringing 100 plus historic rally cars and associated vehicles in celebration of the 70th Anniversary of the establishment of BMC’s famous Works Competition Department at Abingdon, Oxfordshire.
Here’s what the lovely people at the Museum have to say ahead of this wonderful event…….
Discover legends of the historic British motor industry with hundreds of display vehicles from BMC, British Leyland and Rover Group at the British Motor Museum!
Welcome to the BMC & Leyland Show supported by Peter James Insurance; an unmissable event for all fans of classic British marques.
We have a huge variety of vehicles on display covering everything from Morris Mini Minors to Rover 800s.
Dive right into the show to check out your favourite makes and models, and meet like-minded petrolheads. Here, you can examine every panel and bolt on a Triumph TR7 or announce that you’re a big fan of Austin Allegro safe in the knowledge that there will be no judgement!
On top of all that this event has to offer, entry to the Museum is also included in your show ticket, giving you access to our collection of over 400 classic British cars.
The 2025 edition of BMC & Leyland Show is a particularly notable one, as it will mark the 70th anniversary of the founding of the British Motor Corporation Competitions Department at Abingdon on Thames. The Abingdon Works Motorsport Celebration, supported by Mini Cooper Register and the Historic Marathon Rally Group, will be putting on a display of 100 cars to recognise the success of BMC and British Leyland rally and sports cars across three decades.
Vehicle Exhibitors
The easiest way to book is to simply visit www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk and purchase your advance ticket through their website. If you’re unable to book online please call their Bookings Team on 01926 895295.
Be sure to book your exhibitor tickets quickly to avoid disappointment. Vehicle entries close on Thursday 10 July. If that’s not possible then you can download and complete our entry form here but this will take much longer.
Gates open to Vehicle Exhibitors at 7.30am. All display vehicles must be in place by 9.30am.
Join the huge number of classic British vehicles for just £12! This includes an entry pass to display your vehicle and gives admission for the driver and a passenger to the show, Museum and Collections Centre.
And here’s what we at the Historic Marathon Rally Group have to add…..
From the world famous giant killing Mini Cooper ‘S’s of the 1960s, which dominated the Monte Carlo Rallies of the period to the astonishment of spectators and fellow competitors alike and seen here being prepared in the hallowed Abingdon Competition Department’s workshops, to the 1970 London to Mexico World Cup Rally Triumph 2.5PIs of Brian Culcheth, Andrew Cowan, Paddy Hopkirk and Evan Green, the first of which took Culcheth and Co-driver Johnstone Syer to a remarkable second place on 27th May 1970 in Mexico City after a gruelling 16000 miles-in-five-weeks across the world’s most inhospitable terrains, you’ll be able to wander amongst the true legends of ‘BMC Comp’s’ halcyon days and meet owners, mechanics, original drivers and people involved at the time.
There will also be support vehicles from the Abingdon stables as well as other commercial vehicles and rally related transport including a 1982 Leyland Leopard race transporter, once-upon-a-time a London-Glasgow 52 seater coach but later converted into a 4 berth, two car, fully equipped mobile workshop and linked to the Connaught Motor Company of the 1990’s.
If that’s not enough, then let’s not forget the mighty BMC ‘Land Crab’ 1800s that were either built by or supported by Competitions Department or BL Special Tuning to take part in events such as the 1968 London to Sydney Marathon and the aforementioned 1970 London to Mexico World Cup Rally.
Here’s a selection of those very cars……together with more to whet the appetite!
We’ll be updating this post over the coming weeks as the date of the show….Sunday 13th July 2025 from 10am until 4pm…..draws nearer.
Watch out for a feature on the Austin Maxis that were prepared or supported by the good folk at Abingdon as they carried the likes of HRH Prince Michael of Kent, HMRG Committee stalwart Bronwyn Burrell and the late, great Rosemary Smith from London’s Wembley Stadium towards the Aztec Stadium in Mexico some 55 years ago!
Here’s a taster…….
