Beaulieu Autojumble: Europe’s largest swap meet does not disappoint

Our favorite swap meet, or autojumble, as they are called in England, is the Beaulieu International Autojumble. It is one of two autojumbles held every year on the grounds of the Beaulieu, which is also the home of the National Motor Museum.

This stunning estate is located about an hour and a half from London in the New Forest, once owned by the King of England for hunting purposes.

The swap meet–held this September 14-15 and, next year, scheduled for September 6-7–is definitely worth a visit if you need restoration parts, love automobilia or just like being with like-minded enthusiasts. The hundreds of booths, or stands as they are called in England, have parts for anything, from prewar cars and bikes to English Fords from the ’70s.

Photography Credits: Tim Suddard

Spread out on multiple grass fields, with plenty of shade and all kinds of food vendors, this event also hosts a Bonhams auction (of not surprisingly, mostly project cars).

A car corral is also present, as is a special area on Sunday only called Trunk Day. Here, folks cleaning out their garages find a more low-cost alternative than the three-day commitment needed by the rest of the vendors.

For about $100, Trunk Day participants can load in a trunkful of parts for sale. From a buyer’s perspective, the prices are much better. For example, we found an oblong Lucas license plate glass lens and chrome bezel in perfect condition for about $3.50. The show fields combine to form what is clearly the largest such event in Europe–and probably larger than anything similar in the U.S. as well. Moving rather quickly, it took a day and a half to cover most of the stands.

Photography Credits: Tim Suddard

How big is Beaulieu International Autojumble? We’d call it larger than any Carlisle event, the Pomona Swap Meet, Hershey, the Charlotte AutoFair or the Daytona Turkey Rod Run.

And unlike those other events, probably close to 95% of the booths at Beaulieu feature private sellers.

Photography Credits: Tim Murray

We went to Beaulieu with a list of some bits needed to complete our Elva project car. We filled an extra duffle bag and checked it on our Delta flight. This is the simplest, least expensive way to get parts home.

We found everything from the dark blue cloth that we need to make seat piping to a generator that had been converted to an alternator. We found every clip and vintage-looking hose clamp we could ever use. We also found all the electrical components that we would need to finish our project.

While exchange rates are not completely in our favor, at about 1.30 dollar to every pound, the prices were mostly reasonable, and we felt like we got some great deals, especially after some negotiation.

Photography Credits: Tim Murray

Bottom line, the Beaulieu International Autojumble is a lot of fun, absolutely huge, and has a lot of cool, eclectic parts and automobiles. Plus, logistically, it’s easy to attend, especially if you choose to attend the Goodwood Revival held the weekend before or after.

[2024 Goodwood Revival: Favorite sights, plus entry list and schedule]

Put this fabulous event on your bucket list for next year. Entrance tickets are about $20, and parking is free and relatively close by.

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