a Museum for Petrolheads, Northern France.

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

Le Manoir de l’Automobile

Lohéac, near Rennes.

An astounding place, and part of a complex that includes several tracks - we parked up near the rallycross circuit, and walked the short distance to the museum itself.

Click here for the museums website, which in truth, barely does it justice! Every time you get near the end of a hall, thinking it can't get any better, you seem to spot an archway, or stairs, leading through to yet another hall!

Unlike some museums, the exhibits are frequently nicely themed, whether it be rally cars, Ferraris, Lamborghinis or even the evolution of the engine! Oh and the Lambo section even features a massive twin engined speedboat.

But it's not just about the cars, there are some absolutely stunning model exhibits in their won hall, all automotive themed, many scratch built, many of those set in dioramas where the modeler's quirky sense of fun really shone through.

Every so often, you'd also find automotive related gems, for those interested in the engineering side of things, like rows of shelves of old wooden bucks, for wet sand casting of (mainly) engine parts; the craftsmanship and workmanship that went into these parts is amazing - so sad that most just got recycled or disposed of at the end of their life.

[XTR2Turbo]

Yep a great place.  We visited when we went down to watch St Goueno hill climb a few years back.

The chap who owns it is the equivalent to Haynes in this country and made his money from car books, magazines  etc.

There is also a great little Kart track and a circuit where they operate supercar driving experience days.

David

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

Fascinating, we were wondering what the background was, the passion for the mechanical runs through it so deeply.

Was the F1 hall there when you went? Must admit to getting a little misty eyed in there, so many portraits of those no longer with us, that lost their lives competing in the sport they loved. At the same time, amazing to see the displays of some of the component parts, alongside the grids worth line up of F1 cars.

[XTR2Turbo]

Yep that was there.  Mainly Renault powered cars from memory.

[Greenstreak-Andy D]

Awesome place !

secret is out now !!!