Heritage Motor Centre renamed as British Motor Museum

The new Collections Centre will boast about 250 vehicles, mostly previously unseen by the public

A museum in Warwickshire is to be renamed the British Motor Museum when it reopens after a £1.1m revamp.

Heritage Motor Centre said the British Motor Industry Heritage Trust at Gaydon had gained "designated" status from Arts Council England, confirming its vehicles were of national significance.

It shuts for the work from 30 November and will reopen on 13 February.

A new £4m Collections Centre, featuring about 250 vehicles, mostly previously unseen, will open on the same day.

Heritage Motor Centre, which claims to have "the world's largest collection of historic British cars," said visitors would be able to "look under more open bonnets" and enjoy new interactive content including sound and film, following the revamp.

The new museum will boast zones telling the cars' stories in more detail, a new entrance and a new area for education programmes.

Read updates on this story and more from Warwickshire.