A GLITTERING multi-million-pound scheme to re-vamp the greatest displays of Britain's motoring heritage has been unveiled at Beaulieu.

The National Motor Museum is aiming to raise between £5m and £8m from grants, donations and commercial sources.

In launching the campaign to transform the museum, opened in 1972, Lord Montagu of Beaulieu said: "The museum was successful in the 20th century and I am confident it will continue to be successful in the 21st."

Various themes, including cars of the stars, pioneer motoring and motoring through the 50s and 60s are among the ideas being drawn up as Lord Montagu and the museum ensure people are looking at much more than just historic vehicles.

Museum director Andy Lane said: "We want to display cars and show their importance and their relevance. There are so many good stories behind them and we are anxious to present our motoring heritage in a way that tells those stories."

He added: "The motor museum is a national charity. It does not belong to Lord Montagu.

"He gave up his successful private museum in 1972 when he created the trust for the nation.

"In this time of rising costs, the museum only survives on the gate money and sponsorship. We are not government-funded like the Science Museum."

No set timescale has been put on the improvements, but Mr Lane said that when the money became available, they would be introduced in stages.

Instead of walking through rows of cars, people would be walking through "zones full of nostalgia and high-tech presentations", he said.

The 50s and 60s exhibitions, he said, were likely to include mini-skirts as well as mini-cars, Mods and Rockers, police panda cars and petrol promotions such as Esso's Tiger in Your Tank.

The campaign comes hot on the heels of the "theming" of Beaulieu's great racing cars, which were given their own special Motor Sport Gallery last year.

Proposals for extra building have not been ruled out, and an additional floor in the existing museum is a strong possibility.