The museum was founded in 1952 by the 3rd Baron Montagu of Beaulieu as a tribute to his father, John, 2nd Baron Montagu of Beaulieu, a pioneering figure of early British motoring. The elder Lord Montagu was the first person to drive a motor car into the yard of the Houses of Parliament and introduced King Edward VII — then the Prince of Wales — to motoring during the 1890s.
The original display comprised just five cars and a small collection of automobilia exhibited in the front hall of Palace House, the Montagu family's ancestral home on the Beaulieu Estate. The collection's immediate popularity forced it into wooden sheds in the grounds. By 1959 annual attendance had reached 296,909 visitors, and by 1964 numbers exceeded half a million per year, prompting the decision to create a purpose-built museum building within the estate.
A design committee chaired by architect Sir Hugh Casson oversaw the project, with Leonard Manasseh — primarily through his partner Ian Baker — responsible for the building's design. The new facility opened on 4 July 1972 in a ceremony performed by the Duke of Kent. At the same time the institution was renamed the National Motor Museum, reflecting its transition from a private collection to a charitable trust and Lord Montagu's ambition to give Britain a museum worthy of its motor industry's achievements. The opening coincided with the UK launch of the Jaguar XJ12. The museum is operated by the National Motor Museum Trust Ltd, a registered charity. By 1972 the collection already exceeded 300 exhibits.
The museum's vehicle collection spans more than a century of motoring, from the earliest motor carriages through classic family saloons, motorcycles, motorsport cars, and World Land Speed Record breakers. The Grand Prix Greats gallery celebrates the history of Formula 1, while Road, Race and Rally focuses on sports cars from rallying and hill-climbing events. A Streets Ahead gallery recreates motoring culture from the 1950s through the 1970s, complete with period shop fronts.
A dedicated multi-media display chronicles British Land Speed Record attempts and houses iconic vehicles including the Bluebird CN7, Golden Arrow, Sunbeam 350hp, and Sunbeam 1000hp. A recreation of a 1930s rustic garage contains tools, fixtures, and ephemera from the era, while the In Focus gallery hosts rotating temporary exhibitions drawn from the museum's Collections Centre.
The On Screen Cars exhibit features vehicles made famous by television and cinema, including the Reliant Regal from the BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses, Mr. Bean's lime green Mini, and Doctor Who's Bessie. A Jaguar XKR Convertible used in the James Bond film Die Another Day is part of the permanent collection. A Bond in Motion exhibition displayed further vehicles from the Bond film series in 2022.
The museum holds a notable collection of the Rolls-Royce Spirit of Ecstasy mascot, including a historically significant figurine commissioned by the 2nd Baron Montagu for his personal Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost. Sculptor Charles Robinson Sykes based the figure on Eleanor Thornton, the 2nd Baron's secretary; the pose of a finger pressed to the lips symbolised the secrecy of their relationship, and the piece was originally named The Whisper.
The World of Top Gear exhibit ran from June 2009 until November 2024, welcoming over five million visitors and displaying vehicles and props associated with presenters including Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, James May, Matt LeBlanc, Chris Harris, Paddy McGuinness, and Freddie Flintoff. It closed on 3 November 2024 and was replaced by a modern classic car display entitled We had one of those.
A new gallery, Driven: Britain's Motoring Story, is scheduled to open in spring 2026. Part-funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the £600,000 project will redesign the museum's entrance hall and upper gallery and reintroduce visitors to the broader story of motoring in Britain.
An unusual feature of the 1972 building is the National Motor Museum Monorail, which passes through the interior of the museum structure. Its design was inspired by the light railway that ran through the US Pavilion at Expo 67, the Montreal World's Fair.
The National Motor Museum forms part of a broader group of attractions on Lord Montagu's Beaulieu estate, marketed jointly under the Beaulieu name. A single admission ticket covers the museum, Beaulieu Abbey — a partially ruined medieval monastery whose refectory now serves as the parish church — Palace House, a Secret Army Exhibition about Special Operations Executive training at Beaulieu during World War II, the estate gardens, and the monorail. Additional facilities include a restaurant, veteran bus rides, and a playground.