VAUXHALL'S famous heritage collection to be displayed at the British Motor Museum at Gaydon, Warwickshire - the first time the full collection has been displayed in public.

Telling the story of Vauxhall Motors' rise from a niche sporting car manufacturer to one of the UK's best-known automotive brands, the collection totals 50 cars and vans that demonstrate the heritage of Britain's oldest vehicle manufacturer through each decade from the very first 5hp Light Car in 1903.

It was in 1903 that Vauxhall became a car manufacturer and was originally based in the South London suburb, from which it takes its name.

After two years, larger premises were needed and Vauxhall Motors moved to a six-acre site in Luton, where, alongside Ellesmere Port in Cheshire, it still manufactures motor vehicles today.

"This is a perfect opportunity for the public to get up close and personal with cars and vans from our collection," said Paul Willcox, Vauxhall's managing director.

"There are some extremely rare and valuable vehicles on display, but many that will conjure ‘my-mum-and-dad-had-one-of-those' memories, too. Most importantly, it paints a wonderful social picture of Vauxhall's importance to the UK culture, through all the highs and lows of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries."

"The British Motor Museum is an ideal choice to display the collection. As the internationally renowned museum all about the rich heritage of Britain's motor industry and home of the country's automotive history, it's a superb venue for the Vauxhall collection."

Stephen Laing, head of collections at the British Motor Museum, said: "We were delighted when Vauxhall approached us to look after its fantastic collection of vehicles, one of the most significant collections from a UK manufacturer.

"It fits perfectly with the Museum's aim to broaden even further the range of marques that are represented here at Gaydon and adds a new dimension to the stories we tell about the cars and the people in Britain's motor industry."