Meet Pat Hawkins, owner of Taunton's County Classics museum

Probably not - but then, you’re not Pat Hawkins.

Pat, a veteran of five decades in the motoring industry, battled adversity to establish Taunton’s County Classic Motor Museum. It took five years struggling with serious illness, building issues and the pandemic.

His love affair with cars dates from the 1960s, when, as an 11-year-old, he bought a Ford Anglia for £40, selling it on for £90.

Later, he set up in business selling, repairing and spraying cars in Canon Street, Taunton.

Pat is a veteran of five decades in the motoring industry. (Image: Phil Hill) He then bought his first garage in Dunball, which he still owns and rents out.

“It was always my ambition to own my own business. I’ve always been very ambitious,” said Pat over a coffee in the museum restaurant.

“But soon after, so many people got involved in the motor trade that it became a bit quiet. So I set up a tyre business (PH Tyres, in Haydon Road, Taunton).

“I wanted to be more competitive than other people, so I mortgaged some of my property, bought lorryloads of tyres from abroad and sold them cheaper than most people.

“I built a chain of 13 outlets from Bristol to Plymouth.”

In his late 30s, Pat started feeling unwell, which was blamed on exhaustion, so he sold the business and reverted to buying and selling prestige and sports cars.

Then in 2018, he was rushed into Musgrove Park Hospital, where it was discovered he had been born with a serious heart defect.

The museum was officially opened to the public in November 2023. (Image: Phil Hill) “I was at death’s door and, expecting the worst, at one stage I was allowed home for a day to sort out my things.

“A few days later, a doctor from Chicago offered to come over to carry out the operation at the Bristol Royal Infirmary.”

During the ten-hour surgery, Pat went into cardiac arrest. Fortunately, he survived and spent a further three months in hospital.

He said: “While there, I was served with compulsory purchase order (CPO) papers for a plot of land I owned.

“Nobody could have had better treatment than I received. I think the NHS are wonderful, so I decided to give something back.

“My consultants said my treatment had cost £250,000. I was so grateful and overwhelmed that I decided to use the money from the CPO towards funding a not-for-profit motor museum in Taunton.”

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Shortly afterwards, the long-established family-run County Stores closed and the building was put on the market.

Pat was to buy it for £1.25 million - but not before a massive heart attack briefly landed him back in Musgrove.

Once he moved in, Pat assembled a construction team, although the bills mounted as several unexpected issues were encountered and then the project ground to a halt during Covid.

All that was forgotten as Country Classic Motor Museum opened to great fanfare on November 21 last year, when hundreds turned out to watch TV car expert Richard Hammond perform the honours.

Since then, more than 40,000 visitors have been through the doors, most leaving rave reviews in the visitors’ book.

Many locals have been round the museum, but Pat says 70 per cent of visitors are from outside Taunton, including as far afield as The Shetland Islands, The Netherlands, Australia, Canada and the United States.

More than 40,000 visitors have been through the museum's doors. (Image: Phil Hill)

“Many of them have travelled here on a mission solely to come here and we’ve had some tremendous feedback,” said Pat.

“One Saturday, we had seven men from Falmouth and all their wives went into town for three hours, spending money there.

“The museum must have increased sales at many local businesses. One businessman thanked me for the increased footfall.

“I’m really delighted with how it’s gone, but it will never pay. We’re a registered non-profit charity and if it covers its costs I’d be happy.”

The museum has 12 paid staff, with a £20,000 monthly wage bill, while the electric bill is around £1,000.

An anniversary celebration is scheduled for Thursday, November 21, with details to be released nearer the time.

By then, a new downstairs motorbike showroom with 40 machines will have opened.

The museum, which closes on Mondays for maintenance, opened on a Sunday for the first time from last month, while two monthly twilight evenings with special lighting are being held from this month onwards from 6pm to 8.45pm, when up to 50 guests can pre-order meals.