Sidecarland

The Bubble Car Museum

by  Roy  and  Chris

This museum is situated at Clover Farm, Langrick, not far from Boston, Lincolnshire.  I usually pop in here a couple of times a year.  Mike and Paula, the owners, work hard here during the closed season to improve and alter the vehicles on display.  Bubblecars or microcars have engines of less than 700 cc, and there are normally over 50 of these on display.  Something else to look at is a row of recreated shops with loads of memorabilia on show.

Many years ago, I owned a BMW Isetta bubblecar so I have an interest in what is on display.  Lots of these cars were powered by Villiers engines, which also powered many of the two-stroke motorcycles produced in this country.  Mike has a selection of Villiers-powered bikes and scooters in the room over the main display area.  In 1951, when the Bond mini car was redesigned, and when you turned the steering wheel fully the front wheel turned through 90 degrees so that the car almost turned around on the spot.

Occasionally Mike takes one of these cars out on the road, taking a visitor to the museum for a ride.  The quickest one that I have been in was the Messerschmitt – with only a 200 cc engine it easily held a steady 50 / 55 mph.  Mike often takes this particular car over to Europe. 

Clover Farm also has a secluded camp site, and you can hold a rally here.  This is certified by the Camping and Caravanning Club.  Some years ago Dave Greenwood and the Hedingham Sidecar Owners’ Club stayed here. Dave organised a visit to the Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre for the club.  “Just Jane”, the Lancaster aeroplane, was on display and the sidecars were allowed to park up by the plane.  This gave the visitors at the centre something else to look at.

I caught up with Dave and the club at the Bubblecar Museum and went on their rideout.  Unfortunately, part of the route he took happened to coincide with the road being resurfaced, with gravel everywhere this was not so good if you were on a solo.  Later on we went to Chapel Hill and had a nice meal in a public house there.

At the Bubblecar Museum they have a tea room serving tea and coffee and a range of home-made cakes, ploughman’s lunches, light lunches and more.  They also sell their own-brewed cider; this is double-fermented so it’s over 7% proof! 

a mock-up of a period sitting room

The farm and museum are ideally placed as there are several visitor attractions within a few miles.

The campsite is normally open 24/7 all year round.

Under the current Covid 19 regulations, remember to check their web site to check when the campsite and the museum are open.

See  :  www.bubblecarmuseum.co.uk