The Donington Grand Prix Collection began as the personal collection of Tom Wheatcroft in the 1960s. Wheatcroft also ran a motor racing team, fielding cars for drivers such as Roger Williamson and Derek Bell, and some of the vehicles exhibited were originally part of that team’s inventory. Over the years, the collection was augmented by donations of automobilia and motor racing ephemera from external sources.
The museum officially opened in March 1973, showcasing Wheatcroft’s growing collection of open-wheel, single-seater racing cars, with a primary focus on Grand Prix and Formula One machinery. The collection quickly gained recognition for its breadth and depth, attracting enthusiasts and historians alike.
Throughout its operation, the Donington Grand Prix Collection was known for specific highlights. These included the world’s only complete collection of Vanwall cars, a near-complete collection of McLaren Formula One cars spanning from the team’s inception to the early 2000s, and extensive collections of Williams and BRM cars. The BRM collection included examples of both the V16 and H16-powered machines. The museum also housed four different four-wheel drive Formula One cars, including an unraced Cosworth example.
In 2007, Wheatcroft attempted to bring Formula 1 racing back to Donington Park, but the deal ultimately collapsed. The museum briefly closed in late 2009 following Wheatcroft’s death, and Donington Ventures Leisure Ltd. entered administration under his son, Kevin Wheatcroft. It reopened in January 2010, but financial difficulties led to the sale of several key vehicles, including a Jim Clark Lotus 25 around 2008, Jackie Stewart’s 1973 Tyrrell 006, a Lotus 72, and a Ferrari F1-2000. These sales were linked to the circuit’s attempt to host the 2012 British Grand Prix.
The Donington Collection was particularly renowned for its McLaren exhibit, described as almost comprehensive of the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. Highlights included James Hunt’s 1977 McLaren M23, Mika Häkkinen’s 1999 championship-winning McLaren MP4/14 chassis number 4, and Ayrton Senna’s 1993 European Grand Prix-winning MP4/8. An MP4/4, designed by Steve Nichols, also featured, alongside its predecessor, the MP4/3 TAG Porsche. Rarities such as Häkkinen’s MP4/13 in test livery, a Denny Hulme-driven M14A and Alain Prost’s 1985 championship-winning MP4/2 were also displayed, alongside helmets of drivers like Senna, Prost, Lauda, Häkkinen, Berger and Coulthard.
In addition to Formula One cars, the Donington Grand Prix Collection also included a small collection of racing motorcycles, featuring a Daijiro Kato Honda and a Barry Sheene Heron Texaco Suzuki. The museum also displayed the world’s largest collection of motor racing helmets, alongside trophies and awards from British drivers and riders. A replica of Ettore Bugatti’s personal Bugatti Royale was also part of the collection.