It’s a museum that houses one of the finest collections of restored classic motorcycles in the world. Nearly every machine in the museum is in full working order and the extensive collection constantly grows and develops as new and exotic bikes are acquired.
It’s a true representation of one man’s dedication to the sport. From its founders beginnings to its exhibitions of curious prototypes and factory racers, we’re looking into the history of the Sammy Miller Museum.
The Brainchild Of A Biker Legend
The beginnings of the museum started as a parts business, ran by ex-racer and 11 time British Champion, Sammy Miller MBE.
It was 1954 that Sammy Miller’s career in road racing began, winning his first race and earning a sponsored deal with a NSU Sportmax 250. From there, Miller’s career went from strength to strength, with him scoring a slew of podium finishes in World Championships. By 1958, Miller had turned from road racing to trials, resulting in him earning 11 consecutive British championships, along with two European trials titles.
Miller eventually established the motorcycle museum in 1964, alongside his wife Rosemary. To this day he regularly demonstrates the bikes at race circuits throughout UK and Europe, and as far away as New Zealand and America.
Present Day
Based in New Milton, Hampshire, the museum now boasts over 400 rare and classic bikes, with some being the only surviving examples of their type dating all the way back to 1900.
The impressive collection features world record-breaking bikes and details their history. Including the Gilera 500cc, the first bike to lap a Grand Prix course at over 100 miles per hour, ridden at the time by Scottish racer Bob McIntyre.
It also houses motorcycle memorabilia spanning seven decades of motorcycling. Some of the rare machines were part of the Art of the Motorcycle exhibit, at the Guggenheim Museum in New York City. The Sammy Miller Museum includes a number of exhibits, broken down into dedicated display halls:
Road Bike Hall
The Road Bike Hall displays one of the worlds largest collections of factory prototypes.
Sports Bike Hall
The Sports Bike Hall contains classic bikes ranging from 1898 to 1960s, including the legendary 1958 500cc Gold Star.
Racing Hall
The Racing Hall includes an extensive collection of running bikes from around the world.
Vincent and Flat Tank Hall
The Vincent Flat Tank Gallery features a display of the iconic Vincent motorcycles, such as the 1953 Vincent Firefly autocycle.
Trial Bike Hall
The Trial Bike Hall is mainly a showcase of many of the trail bikes that Sammy Miller successfully rode in his career.
The Norton Hall
The Norton Hall offers up a collection of motorcycles dedicated to the influential manufacturer – Norton. The display includes the oldest Norton in the world, 1905 Norton 500cc Peugeot Engine.
Image Credit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QuRoctVKbVI