Jim Clark museum in Duns to open within weeks

Jim Clark was twice crowned Formula One world champion taking the title in 1963 and 1965

A £1.6m museum celebrating the achievements of double Formula One world champion Jim Clark will open in the Borders this summer.

A date of 11 July has been set for the public to get access to the new facility being built in Duns.

The announcement was made in the week of the anniversary of his historic win at the Indianapolis 500 in 1965.

The Jim Clark Trust said it had "no doubt" fans from around the world would flock to the new museum.

The opening date was announced in the week of the anniversary of Clark's Indianapolis 500 win in 1965

Clark was born in Kilmany in Fife, but raised in the Borders, and was crowned Formula One world champion in 1963 and 1965.

He died, aged just 32, in a crash at Hockenheim in Germany in 1968.

The project in his honour has been backed by a number of organisations.

Euan Jardine, Scottish Borders Council's executive member for culture and sport, said work was progressing well on the facility which had been nearly five years in the planning.

"The new museum will be a fantastic addition to the tourism offering in Berwickshire and will provide an economic boost for not just the immediate area but also the wider Scottish Borders," he said.

The new museum hopes to attract fans from around the world

Shona Sinclair, curator at charity Live Borders, added: "Jim's replica Indianapolis 500 trophy will be on display in the new museum alongside new items, film footage and photographs to showcase Jim's inspirational career.

"A huge amount of work has gone in to researching and preparing the collection for display and I'd like to take this opportunity to thank the volunteers who have assisted the Jim Clark Motorsport Museum team with this task.

"We can't wait to start welcoming visitors."

A wide range of memorabilia from Clark's career will be on show in the museum

In addition to the new museum, the Jim Clark Trust is developing a tourist trail around the area.

Secretary Ben Smith said: "Jim's victory at Indianapolis in 1965 expanded his fan-base massively and we have no doubt that fans from across the world will descend on the new museum after it opens this summer."