NEW exhibition - Mini Boutique – from mini cars to mini-skirts

Cotswold Motoring Museum hosts exhibition taking you back to the swinging sixties.

One of the UK’s favourite motoring museums will be opening a brand new exhibition this Easter, celebrating an era famous for its cars, fashion and music, the swinging sixties.

The Cotswold Motoring Museum – owned and run by home, motoring and leisure organisation the CSMA Club – will be taking the public back to the early sixties this Easter. The exhibition, named ‘Mini Boutique’, recreates the look and feel of the sixties displaying a collection of memorabilia from this unique era. Visitors can expect to see a 1961 bright red Morris Mini Minor as well as a delightful selection of clothing and accessories famously represented in the sixties.

Michael Tambini, general manager of the Cotswold Motoring Museum, said: “We are excited to be hosting Mini Boutique this Easter at the Museum. Visitors, both young and old, will enjoy stepping back in time and experiencing what life was like in the early sixties. We would like to invite the public to take a trip down memory lane with us!”

Occasionally a car becomes associated with a time or place: the T-Bird with rock and roll, the Italian scooter with the Mods, the Rockers with motorbikes, and the Mini with the swinging sixties. The Mini is iconic British design at its best, fitting perfectly with the casual, happy-go-lucky atmosphere of the 1960s. The car was revolutionary, it was nimble, economical, inexpensive and most importantly, fun to drive.

The 1960s saw the heyday of the car, with well publicised purchases by movie and music stars including The Beatles (who had one each), Peter Sellers, Twiggy and Steve McQueen. The Mini celebrated victories in rallies including the Monte Carlo Rally in 1964, and even a starring role alongside Michael Caine in the hit film The Italian Job.

In 1965, cars and fashion came together when fashion designer, Mary Quant, launched the mini-skirt, named after her favourite car – the Mini. This piece of clothing went on to become a global sensation. Mary Quant’s clothes appealed to the young and beautiful, she sold pinafore dresses and tent dresses in bright colours from BAZAAR, a boutique Quant had opened in 1955 on the King’s Road in Chelsea and later in Soho’s Carnaby Street.

Located in the beautiful Cotswold village of Bourton-on-the-Water, the museum gives a fascinating journey through the 20th century. Acquired by the CSMA Club ten years ago, the museum is home to a unique and rare collection of motoring items. The museum’s main focus is on motoring but is full of everyday paraphernalia that made motoring so popular, together with advertisements and children’s toys.

For more information about the exhibition and museum, please visit the website below.

The Cotswold Motoring Museum is also the home of children’s BBC’s Brum character, the little super hero car whose adventures start and end at the museum.

Special Offer: Children go FREE!

Explore Gloucestershire
25 March 2009

• Contact phone : 01451 821255
• Also see : Cotswold Motoring Museum & Toy Collection

OTHER NEWS