Local legend Sammy Miller celebrates 90th birthday and 40 years of his Bashley motorcycle museum
WELL-known faces from the world of motorcycling came together to mark the 90th birthday of local legend Sammy Miller MBE.
The party was held at his Bashley museum, where he arrived in style atop his Gilera bike to greet guests including Lord Montagu from the National Motor Museum and motorcycling journalist Alan Cathcart, who entertained with fantastic speeches.
Old Ariel team mates Ron Langston and Gordon Blakeway also joined in the celebrations, along with Sammy’s family all the way from Ulster.
This year also marks the 40th anniversary of the Sammy Miller Motorcycle Museum, and the occasion provided the perfect opportunity to look back on Sammy’s achievements.
A museum spokesperson said: “One of the event’s highlights was when Sammy, perched upon his world famous Mondial, gave a wonderful speech before cutting into his special birthday cake.
“Sammy has had one of the most illustrious careers of any motorcyclist, with more than 1,450 wins.”
Having opened his first museum 10 minutes down the road, displaying 50 bikes, in 1983, Sammy opened the current site with its 500-plus bikes in 1996.
As a boy he followed motorcycle racing in Ulster and then went on to compete and win his first race in 1953.
He was 11-time successive British Trials Champion and twice won the European Trials Championship, and was third in the World Grand Prix Championships on a works Mondial.
Sammy still demonstrates and parades bikes today, and until a few years ago he was still winning trials and competing in classic road race events throughout Europe and as far away as New Zealand
“Sammy likes to look to the future and not to the past,” continued the spokesperson. “His latest achievement is obtaining planning permission for a modern and spacious new restaurant, which he feels will be on a par with the museum itself and provide a welcoming haven for both motorcyclists and visitors from all over the world.
“The Sammy Miller complex is forever expanding, and we will be converting the old tearooms into a new and exciting museum space, which will mean we can add 100 extra bikes to our award-winning World Heritage Collection, as well as providing a new home for our Evolving Classics Section.
“It’s a great honour that our museum is accepted as one of the best in the motoring world and we want to keep building on this success so we can provide our visitors with the most entertaining and innovative experiences possible.”
Sammy has now placed his entire collection into a trust for future generations to experience and admire.
“The collection is constantly updated,” added the spokesperson. “Each new addition requires a full renovation, to which Sammy devotes 12 hours a day in his workshop.
“Through his efforts, Sammy has personally ensured the survival of many rare British bikes, which he shares with the public by touring and through demonstrations.”
In 2007, Sammy was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame, one of the highest honours in the USA.
And in 2009 Sammy was made an MBE in the New Year’s Honours List in recognition of his services to motorcycle heritage.
The museum is visited by enthusiasts from not just the UK but around the world.
