Cars of the Stars Motor Museum facts for kids

Cars of the Stars Motor Museum Logo

The Cars of the Stars Motor Museum was a special place in Keswick, England. It had a huge collection of famous cars from TV shows and movies. This museum opened in 1989 and closed its doors in 2011. Right next to it was The Bond Museum, which also closed at the same time. It featured more than 30 original cars from the exciting James Bond films.

Most of these amazing vehicles were bought by an American collector named Michael Dezer. He moved the entire collection to America. There, he created a permanent "Cars of the Stars" exhibit at his Miami Auto Museum. Now, fans can still see these iconic cars in a new home.

How the Museum Started

The idea for the museum began in 1982. Peter Nelson, who founded the museum, was asked to use his classic MG TC car in a TV show called "The Spoils of War." This made him think about starting a museum just for cars from TV and movies. He bought the Royal Oak Garage in the middle of Keswick. Then, he fixed it up to hold his growing collection of famous vehicles.

The museum first opened its doors to visitors on May 1, 1989. It welcomed many people for over two decades. In May 2011, the museum closed down. All the cars were then moved to the United States for their new exhibition.

Amazing Cars from Movies and TV

The Cars of the Stars Museum had many incredible vehicles. Imagine seeing cars that were driven by your favorite characters! Here are some of the cool cars that were part of the collection:

Harry Potter's Flying Car

• A Ford Anglia 105E, just like the one that flew in the movie Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.

The A-Team Van

• Both of the two remaining GMC vans used by the heroes in The A-Team TV show.

Knight Rider's KITT

• KITT, the super-smart talking car from Knight Rider. This one was a convertible!

Batman's Batmobiles

• Several Batmobiles from different Batman movies and TV shows.

Back to the Future DeLorean

• A special DeLorean car. It was a replica used to promote the Back to the Future films.

Mr. Bean's Mini

• One of the original MkIV Austin Minis driven by Mr. Bean.

Laurel and Hardy's Car

• A Model 'T' Ford that belonged to the famous comedy duo Laurel and Hardy.

James Bond's Spy Cars

• A large collection of cars from the James Bond films. This included at least five Aston Martins. There were also other famous Bond cars like the Lotus Esprit, Toyota 2000GT, AMC Matador, and a BSA motorcycle.

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

• The magical car Chitty Chitty Bang Bang from the movie of the same name.

Mad Max's Pursuit Special

• The Mad Max film Pursuit Special, which was a Ford Falcon XB GT Coupe.

The Munsters' Koach

• The Munsters' Munster Koach. This unique hot rod was built on a 1923 Ford Model T chassis. It had a custom body made by George Barris.

Thunderbirds' FAB1

• A life-sized replica of FAB1 from the Thunderbirds TV series.

Street Hawk Motorcycle

• The high-tech Street Hawk Motorcycle.

Only Fools and Horses Van

• The yellow Reliant Regal van used in the popular show Only Fools and Horses.

Bergerac's Triumph

• A Triumph Roadster 1800, just like the one in the detective series Bergerac.

Herbie the Love Bug

• A Herbie Volkswagen Beetle, similar to the one in the film series.