🎬August 1975 marked the 40th anniversary of the opening of the M27 motorway. Paul Clifton looks back at the sometimes dramatic life of the road.

The first section of the motorway near Southampton opened in August 1975. The original idea was for a south coast motorway stretching from Kent to Cornwall. For financial reasons, this would never happen.

BBC South Today Production
19th August 2015

🎬British Pathé – Guest from the world of motoring attend opening of Montagu Motor Museum at Beaulieu. Titles read: "HISTORIC CARS IN NEW MUSEUM". Hampshire. L/S of Beaulieu Abbey with flowers in foreground. Various shots of guests arriving at Palace House, Beaulieu for the opening of the new Montagu Motor Museum. Lord Montagu and his fiancee Belinda Crossley greet people, including the mother of the late Mike Hawthorn, Stirling Moss and his wife Katie. Several shots of veteran cars in the exhibition hall. M/S of Sir Henry Segrave's Sunbeam car. We see the 1906 Renault that Montagu will drive to his wedding. Lord Brabazon of Tara unveils a commemorative plaque on the wall while Stirling Moss, Tony Brooks and Raymond Mays applaud. Outside Beaulieu Abbey the guests watch a drive past of several veteran cars, including an Hispano-Suiza and a Leon Bollee from 1895

🎬British Pathé – A small scale railway carries passengers around the grounds of a large house. Shots of a steam engine starting off along the track. It looks real but as the shot widens we see that it is a scale model and is being driven by a young child sitting in the cab. The miniature railway was started by the brothers Holder in the 1890s. Various shots around the mini railway - there are several engines, engine sheds. lots of track etc. The carriages are big enough to carry adults. Shots of two men in a workshop doing repairs to the wheels of a train. Various shots of the trains on their 10 1/4 inch gauge tracks. We see a young Miss Mary Cook feeding coal to the boiler before she drives the train off along the tracks from the engine shed. Various nice shots from on board the train as it travels around the extensive grounds of the house

🎬British Pathé – Shots of the displays of veteran cars at The National Motor Museum At Beaulieu. Unused / unissued material - Colour material. Beaulieu, Hampshire. CU shiny lamp. Pull out to show very old car. Pan along row of shiny old veteran vehicles in Beaulieu motor museum. Ends on nice shot of car from 1904. Second take of move. More tracking shots along row of cars. CU of emblem on Rolls Royce car. Pull out to show whole car. More shots of rows of other turn of the century vehicles - move in on Rolls Royce emblem. Repeat of tracking move. Some shots show visitors looking at cars. Tilt from roof joist to Rolls Royce. Repeated several time. High angle shots of row of racing cars both old and some fairly modern. Visitors look over the motorcars. VS of bicycles hanging from the roof. Tilt down to Land Speed Record vehicles. Repeat. VS of logo of 'The National Motor Museum At Beaulieu'. Cameraman achieves clean take on third attempt. CU letters on side of car saying "1000 HP Sunbeam - The first car in the world to attain a speed of over 200 mph". Various General views around museum

🎬British Pathé – Classic vintage cars gather at Beaulieu motor museum, Beaulieu, Hampshire. Various shots of vintage cars and motorcycles throughout. M/S Green Ford two seater passes camera, approaching Beaulieu Abbey . Shot of entrance as car stops at gates. Driver shows pass to door keeper. Inside Abbey grounds, pan along long row of vintage cars. M/S vintage car, red 1899 Daimler, backed into space. Sunbeam Motor Cycle Club Rally. Row of old motorcycles. C/U lamp being polished. Belt drive being adjusted. Radiator of Ford with club badges on bumper; elderly man inspects them. C/U lamp and hooter. Captain Cecil Burney with hearing aid, bending over engine, looks at 1901 Dart motor cycle engine. M/S coupe car. C/U steering wheel of 1903 De Dion Bouton, pan up to show Lord Montagu, who then drives off. He stops, gets out and opens radiator , C/U engine running . M/S vintage car , Clement Talbot, driven by Charles Meisl, driven through gardens. M/S motor cycle parade starts. M/S parade ground, Abbey buildings in background, vintage car driven left to right. The museum was established in 1952 in memory of Lord Montagu, MP 1882 - 1905. Note: The documentation file includes a Sunbeam Club official programme from the day - Sunday June 17th 1956. For search purposes: Montague

🎬British Pathé – Footage of the steam train the Coronation Scot being lifted by crane onto a ship bound for the USA. L/S's of the steam locomotive the Coronation Scot being loaded onto a transport ship called the 'Belpamela', Southampton docks, Hampshire. The steam engine is lowered into the shops cargo hold in readiness for it's trip to the World's Fair in New York in the United States of America