The Rootes Archive Centre Trust have only gone and done it!

Published: 12/11/2021

The Rootes Archive Centre Trust (RACT) returns to the Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show with great news.

At the 2015 show, with the assistance of Sir Stirling Moss, they launched a building fund to raise £185,000 to fund the purchase of a freehold building for their Rootes collection.

They now proudly return to the 2021 show to announce that they have fully repaid all the loans and that the charitable Trust now fully ownsthe freehold Archive Centre at Wroxton near Banbury - a fantastic achievement.

The Rootes Archive Centre Trust was formed in 2004 by The Association of Rootes Car Clubs to save the Rootes engineering archive and after 10 years was struggling to afford rented premises. They were faced with 4 options:

1. To close the Trust – and hand it over to another museum for safekeeping.
2. To pack the Archive material into a shipping container.
3. Reduce the rented space meaning limited or no access to the material 
4. Buy a freehold property.

Purchase was the chosen route and the building fund to raise £185,000 was launched by Sir Stirling Moss.

Through generous donations and loans from the Rootes clubs and supporters a building was purchased in October 2017 and a 5-year repayment plan agreed to repay them.

Run by 6 just volunteer trustees who have worked tirelessly to fit out and equip the centre it is now the focal point for everything Rootes with 300,000+ original engineering drawings, memorabilia, and artefacts.

Despite the pandemic the Trustees have worked hard fundraising and are now pleased to come back to the show to announce that all the loans have been repaid 12 months ahead of the original plan.

Andy Bye, Chairman said "The Rootes Archive is safe for generations to come and the worldwide Rootes community can all celebrate this fabulous achievement – its great to have some good news for a change."