The Legacy Room

The Legacy Room offers a more personal look at the story behind Southward Car Museum, celebrating the lives, achievements, and vision of Sir Len and Lady Vera Southward.

Opened in 2020, the exhibit was created to preserve and share the Southwards’ remarkable journey - from modest beginnings to building one of the Southern Hemisphere’s most significant private motoring collections.

Inside the room, visitors can explore photographs, videos, personal memorabilia, awards, documents, and interactive displays that help tell the story of the people behind the museum. The exhibit follows Len Southward’s early years as a motorcycle mechanic and engineer, the growth of Southward Engineering, his achievements in powerboat racing, and the beginnings of the vehicle collection that would eventually become the museum.

The Legacy Room also highlights the important role Lady Vera Southward played in shaping the collection and museum alongside Len. Together, they spent decades collecting, restoring, preserving, and sharing vehicles and motoring history with the public. Vera’s final gift to the museum helped fund the creation of the Legacy Room itself, making the space a tribute not only to the collection, but to the people who created it.

Designed as a quieter reflective space within the museum, the Legacy Room gives visitors the opportunity to look beyond the vehicles and learn more about the passion, determination, and community spirit that built Southward Car Museum into the institution it is today.