It was established by Len Southward in the 1970s to house his collection of over 450 vehicles and several aircraft and is now run by a charitable trust.

The purpose-built building includes a 6000 square metre exhibition hall, engineering workshop, gift shop and small cafe, all set in park-like grounds.

The core car collection was the personal work of Sir Len Southward and his wife Vera.

The couple began collecting cars in 1956 with a Ford Model T.[2] Having established the largest private car collection in Australasia, in 1976 Len purchased a 6-hectare (15-acre) site on which to establish a museum open to the public.

[1] In 2020 a new exhibit in the museum was opened, detailing Len and Vera's lives and achievements, including new digital and material installations.