Robin Barnard, who collected vintage petrol pumps, enamel signs, petrol globes and motorbikes for over 40 years, has put his collection under the hammer – and raised a cool quarter of a million pounds as a result.
The keen collector eventually had 800 items, including a 1951 BSA M20 used by the AA. The memorabilia – mainly obtained from people throwing things away – stayed in his Grade II-listed 1920s filling station in Colyford, near Seaton in Devon, until it got too extensive. He opened the Motoring Memories museum next door in 2003 to share his lovingly restored motoring products with the world.
We asked Robin what his favourite item was, but he said it was impossible to pick just one. “It’s quite difficult to talk about the collection now that it’s gone,” he said. “There were some very nice petrol pumps, some nice signs… it’s too hard to say.” A few items are left in ‘Sid’s Motor Works’ (one corner of the museum) but these will be auctioned off later this year or in spring.
The motoring memorabilia or “automobilia” was sold by Richard Edmonds Auctions Ltd last Saturday and fetched far more than was expected.
Robin’s first car was a Morris Minor convertible bought in 1971 – and he still has it. However, nowadays he drives an Audi Q7.