Bond`s original Aston Martin DB5 up for sale in `Cars Of The Stars` sell-off

The Scotsman has reported that the owners of Britain’s biggest collection of famous film and TV cars have put their Edinburgh museum up for sale just six months after opening it.

The Batmobile, Mr Bean’s Mini, a host of sleek James Bond motors and Magnum PI’s Ferrari are among the exhibits at the Cars of the Stars attraction at the Royal Highland Showground.

But the owners of the collection, Cumbria-based Debbie and Peter Nelson, have decided to put a range of the vehicles up for sale, along with the lease on the museum building.

They are hoping that someone will step in and take on the museum as a going concern after it attracted an estimated 20,000 visitors in six months.

The couple set up Cars of the Stars II at the Royal Highland Show grounds outside Edinburgh earlier this year, to show off a surplus of cars from their inaugural car museum based in Keswick, in Cumbria.

Now they are selling their Scottish collection, with neither keen to continue travelling between Scotland and England and retired dentist Peter wanting to spend more time on his other career as a full-time artist.

The Cars of the Stars II museum was opened in May and featured some of the screen’s classic and most memorable vehicles, including Bond’s original Aston Martin DB5, KITT from the Knight Rider TV series, the Batmobile from the Batman movie starring Michael Keaton, and the DeLorean time machine from Steven Spielberg’s Back to the Future films.

Mrs Nelson said the couple were hopeful another enthusiast would take on the museum.

"We wish to sell a number of famous vehicles and felt the best way was to sell the museum as a going concern rather than splitting up the collection," she said.

"It started out as a bit of a hobby, but we now have over 60 cars and two museums and it has got a bit much for us."

The leased property and up to 12 vehicles forming the base of the business are available to purchase for around £300,000. It has a fully equipped museum and theatre, fitted shop and tearoom area and restoration workshop facilities.

Mrs Nelson added that the museum would be ideal for anyone with their own small collection of vehicles or a restorer to run a business with museum attached. Buyers will also have the option to buy or lease other star cars.

"We have made it a realistic figure, because we are keen for the museum to continue its good work, not only as a place of nostalgia and entertainment, but also as a place of interest to schools, particularly in the area of children’s road safety," she said.

Ricky Henderson, the council’s culture and leisure leader, said:

"This is one of many great attractions in Edinburgh and I hope that a buyer can be found soon."


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