THERE IS nothing we drivers like better than to put the old brain cells into reverse and mull over a little nostalgia.

Whether it's reminiscing about the cars our parents and grandparents drove, or our own first four-wheeled experiences, there's a lot of pleasure to be had from looking back over motoring memories.

There is one place in the UK that can bring those memories vividly to life, and that's the Heritage Motor Centre, which is home to the world's largest collection of British cars.

Situated in Gaydon, Warwickshire, the centre has more than 250 cars, which span the classic, vintage and veteran heydays of British motoring.

Now, a Heritage Lottery Fund grant of £997,681 has enabled the centre to launch a major redevelopment of its museum displays, under the auspices of the the British Motor Industry Heritage Trust (BMIHT), which is based there.

The grant will bolster a £1.1m Road Ahead project, which will include the construction of a new mezzanine floor within the museum's exhibition hall, and the creation of two new exhibitions.

One, titled Making British Cars, will tell the story of the British motor industry, and the people who worked to design and build cars from the 1890s to the present.

The other, called Under The Skin, will form an exciting interactive display, showing what goes on under the bonnet of modern cars, and will appeal especially to children and families. Work on the Road Ahead project will start next January, with the two new exhibitions due to open at the end of May 2007. The Heritage Motor Centre was opened in 1993, and it began as the amalgamation of the BMIHT's preserved car collection, which was previously split between offices in Studley in Warwickshire and a museum in Syon Park in London.

It was the BMIHT's mission to keep the memory of the British motor industry alive, and to tell its story, starting from the beginning of the 20th century to the present day. But there is much more to the centre than just displays of well-preserved motors.

Over the years the historic vehicles have been joined by a vast collection of priceless archive material, from such firms as British Leyland, Aston Martin, and Lucas.

There are also more personal records of the life and work of three of the industry's most important figures - Herbert Austin, William Morris and Sir Alec Issigonis.

In the centre, a Time Road leads visitors on a fascinating journey through the UK's motoring and social history, and there is a 1930s-themed motoring cinema, plus a Get Behind the Wheel zone.

Outside, the Land Rover 4x4 track allows visitors to experience the amazing capabilities of an off-roader, and a karting track can be used by adults, and children aged eight years and over.

For very young children, there are even battery-powered cars that run on a children's miniature roadway, complete with traffic lights and road signs.

If you'd like a blast around the motoring past, then the Heritage Motor Centre is situated on the B4100, just a couple of minutes from junction 12 of the M40, and is clearly signposted. For further details, visit the website www.heritage-motor-centre.co.uk, or telephone 01926 641 188.

Admission prices are £8 for adults, and £6 children, or £25 for a family entry, which covers two adults and three children.