Detour Pit Stop #95: The Jim Clark Motorsport Museum, Duns, Scotland
The tragically-short life of Scotland’s first Formula 1 World Champion is celebrated at this carefully-curated museum near his home in the Borders.
Jim Clark, two-time Formula 1 World Champion and Indy 500 winner, grew up just a few miles from Duns. Learning to drive on the family farm, Clark soon progressed to vehicles much faster than tractors he was paid sixpence an hour to drive at just ten years old.
Jim Clark wins the 1966 US Grand Prix Photo Sutton Images
Clark’s journey from farm to Formula 1 is beautifully told at the Jim Clark Motorsport Museum through interactive exhibits featuring archive footage and interviews with family and friends. The museum is also home to more than 130 of Clark’s trophies and two of his cars.
The Lotus Type 25 is the car which took him to F1 titles in 1963 and again in 1965, while the lovely yellow Elan was once his daily driver.
Run by the Jim Clark Trust, with Clark’s cousin Dough Niven and his nephew Ian Calder playing key roles, the museum paints an intimate picture of one of the greatest drivers ever to have lived.
Clark’s time was cut short during a Formula 2 race at Hockenheim in 1968 but the overall experience presented is very positive, focusing on the huge improvements in motor racing safety and celebrating the life of this Scottish legend.