National Automobile Museum of Tasmania

14/10/2026

Everyone is welcome to come down and see the Thunderbolt Run supercars before they head off on their tarmac rally. 🏁

TASMANIA, GET READY! THE SUPERCARS ARE COMING!

SEE THE SUPERCARS BEFORE THEY DEPART!

Thunderbolt Run is bringing its spectacular Devil’s Playground Tarmac Rally to Tasmania, and we’d love you to come along and see these incredible machines up close before they hit the road!

From stunning Porsches to breathtaking supercars, it's your chance to experience the excitement, admire the cars and meet some of the people behind the wheel!

☕ AND THE COFFEE IS ON US! ☕

Our friends at Flutter Fries will be there serving up a FREE COFFEE while you enjoy the supercar atmosphere!

📅 Tuesday, 3 November 2026
⏰ 9:15am – 9:45am
📍National Automobile Museum of Tasmania 84 Lindsay Street, Invermay, Tasmania
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 BRING YOUR FAMILY & FRIENDS!

Bring the kids, grab your mates, bring your camera and come share the excitement! Whether you're a supercar enthusiast or simply love seeing something extraordinary, everyone is welcome!
The more, the merrier!

We can't wait to see you there, Tasmania!

📣 TAG YOUR FRIENDS & SHARE THE LOVE!

13/10/2026

As we look forward to the Baskerville Historics this weekend here’s a few more pics from days past.
🏁🏁🏁🏁🏁🏁🏁🏁🏁🏁🏁🏁

12/10/2026

A huge weekend is coming up as Tasmania hosts one of this countries finest Historics race meetings at Baskerville Raceway.

A weekend not be missed with a huge field of Group A and Group C heritage touring cars as the feature category.

What makes the Baskerville Historics so special? The track of course and all the amazing people behind the scenes that make this event happen year after year.

A few pics from the early days just to wet the appetite.

Be there!!

10/10/2026

This fascinating 1925 Indian Prince offers a glimpse into the early days of motorcycling.

The Indian Prince was built by the Hendee Manufacturing Company (later the Indian Motorcycle Manufacturing Company) between 1925 and 1928. With a single-cylinder engine of 21 cubic inches, it was intended as an entry-level model, filling the gap in Indian’s range below the larger Chiefs. This example was sold new in Launceston by John King & Sons to a Mr V.T. Sutcliffe of Frederick Street, and was first registered in December 1925. Mr Sutcliffe was a member of the Tasmanian Motorcycle Club and the Prince was frequently entered in club events and reliability trials throughout the 1920s. Sometime thereafter the ‘bike fell into disrepair and it was not registered after 1947. In 1965 its then-owner, Mr P. Orr began stripping it for restoration, but this was never completed. The current owner purchased it in 2013, and finally finished the restoration that had begun fifty years prior.

09/10/2026

The Hall of Muscle 💪
Explore over 50 years of performance motoring, featuring iconic muscle cars spanning five decades of power, style and engineering.

📍 84 Lindsay Street, Invermay
🕘 Open 7 days, 9am–5pm

09/10/2026

Ryan is here to show you our Model of the Week! 🏎️

With one of Australia's largest automotive gift shops, there's always something new to check out, from diecast models and collectables to automotive memorabilia and gifts.

Come in and see what you can find!

📍 84 Lindsay Street, Invermay
🕘 Open 7 days, 9am–5pm

08/10/2026

This race-bred 1956 Lotus Eleven is now on display in our main exhibition room.

Many early Lotus cars were sold to the new owners in incomplete form, to be constructed by their purchasers. While most were assembled soon after purchase, some sat collecting dust as they fell out of favour. The vehicle on display was purchased new by a friend of Colin Chapman’s (the founder of Lotus) and he passed away shortly after. After his death, it was sold to a farmer in the United Kingdom and once again, he passed away before even beginning to build the car! His widowed wife then contacted the Lotus Registrar in the UK, who authenticated the vehicle as a very early Lotus Eleven. The car then was sold into United States ownership, the new owner continued the tradition of non-completion by leaving the vehicle unassembled. Through a strange twist of fate, the vehicle was sold once again – this time through an Alfa Romeo Owners Forum! It is believed that the vehicle landed on Australian shores in 2006. Finally, the construction of ‘Tufts Eleven’ began! Unfortunately, the new owner lost his sight in a car accident in 2014 and decided that he would not be able to finalise the construction of the now semi-complete example and so he sold it to a fellow Club Lotus Australia member and the new custodian set out to ensure the vehicle would finally see the road. In 2016, the car made its debut at various racing events, including Targa High Country and Historic Winton. Lotus Elevens could be purchased in a variety of ‘trim’ levels respective of their intended use. The vehicle on display is of ‘Club’ specification, sporting a solid-axle rear end and a Coventry Climax engine. The most competitive of these was the Le Mans, with fully independent suspension and an enhanced 120 bhp Coventry Climax engine.

07/10/2026

When was the last time you saw one of these? Now showing as part of our “Auto Culture Japan” theme display.

1987 SUBARU VORTEX 4WD TURBO
Sold as the Vortex in Australia and New Zealand, the Alcyone in Japan and the XT in North America and Europe, Subaru produced this distinctive sports coupé between 1985 and 1991. The design was noted for its pronounced wedge shape, low coefficient of drag and aviation-inspired styling. Subaru’s trademark horizontally opposed boxer engine, with its flat configuration, helped enable the sleek shape of the bodywork. Subaru’s forward-thinking embrace of four-wheel-drive technology was well established by the time of the Vortex’s launch. Based on the Leone platform, four-wheel drive was offered as an option, providing improved traction while retaining the Vortex’s distinctive proportions. Inside, the car featured several unusual design touches, with controls for the wipers, washer and ventilation positioned to the left of the steering wheel, while switches for the lights and rear demister were located to the right on a “steering column pod” Some variants were also equipped with digital instrumentation, further emphasising the high-tech character of the car for its era. This turbocharged example is fitted with Subaru’s EA82T engine, displacing 1,781 cc and producing 111 horsepower.

05/10/2026

The ultimate HSV is now on display in our Hall of Muscle! Meet the 2017 GTS-R W1.

Powered by a supercharged 6.2 litre V8, the W1 produces 474kw (636 bhp) and 815nm (601lb-ft) of torque. Fitted with a close-ratio 6-speed gearbox, the vehicle will hit 100km/h in first gear. 4.2 seconds is the official 0-100km/h time. Features found on the W1 are those you would expect only to see on a V8 Supercar, such as a dry-sump, 410mm front brakes with 6-piston calipers and factory-fitted Pirelli P-Zero tyres. The top speed is electronically limited to 250kph, but according to some sources the ‘unlimited’ top speed is an astonishing 336kmh. Just 300 of these incredibly desirable cars were built by Holden Special Vehicles, with 285 sold new in Australia and 15 in New Zealand. In the eyes of many enthusiasts, the W1 represents the pinnacle of the Australian motoring industry and remains highly collectable, with low mileage examples fetching notable sums at auction. The car on display has travelled a mere 518 kilometres since new.

05/10/2026

Join us on Saturday 17th October between 8.30 - 9.30 am as Variety the Children's Charity TAS TASBASH starts from our car park.

TasBash is a colourful carnival on wheels! Bashers fundraise year-round before hitting the road in themed cars and costumes, bringing fun, grants and equipment to Tassie schools and communities.

See you there, all welcome!