National Automobile Museum of Tasmania

The National Automobile Museum of Tasmania is a not for profit car and motorcycle museum at 84 Lindsay Street, Invermay, on the edge of central Launceston. Geoff and Sylvia Smedley opened it in 1987 at the Waverley Woollen Mills. It moved to Cimitiere Street in 1996 and into this purpose built hall on 30 September 2019. Volunteers run most of it.

Almost every vehicle is lent by a private owner, many of them Tasmanian, so around 120 exhibits are on the floor at any time and the museum says they change without warning. Its own room guide shows the current line up: Falcon GTs, Toranas and Brock Commodores in the Hall of Muscle, American classics, cars with Tasmanian history, imported exotics, a motorcycle room and a Japanese theme display.

The Tasmanian Motorsport Hall of Fame, set up in 1989, is housed here as a digital display. The building sits near Riverbend Park, across the road from a large public playground.

• Every car and bike is privately owned and the museum says displays change without warning. Everything below is what the museum's own room guide lists at the time of writing.
• Hall of Muscle, the Ford side: the 1967 XR GT that started the Australian muscle car war and took the King of the Mountain title at Bathurst that October, a three owner 1971 XY GT in Electric Blue, a 1974 XB Brut 33 tribute to Allan Moffat's Sandown 250 winner, a matching numbers 1975 John Goss Special and BA XR8 Coupe Number One, built by Dreamtech because Ford never made a BA coupe.
• Hall of Muscle, the Holden and Chrysler side: a 1970 Valiant VG Pacer, a 1972 Torana XU-1 believed to be one of seven built in Phantom Grey that year, and four Peter Brock Commodores.
• The American Room: a 1958 Plymouth Fury presented as "Christine" from the 1983 film, a Frost Green 1969 Camaro Z/28 after an 8 year restoration, a 1962 Studebaker Gran Turismo Hawk from a run of 400 assembled in Australia, a GT350H replica, a 1941 Indian Four and an unrestored 1936 Harley-Davidson first owned by Launceston's Harley dealer of the day, clocked at 92.7 mph with a sidecar on Two Mile Beach.
• Tasmanian stories: the 1974 Monaro GTS left balanced on the edge of the Tasman Bridge when a ship hit it in January 1975, Holden 48-215 body number 37 (one of the first three to reach Tasmania), "Lizzie", the 1928 Model A that Frederick Smithies drove from Derwent Bridge to Queenstown in 1932 as the first car to make that trip, a 1939 BSA Silver Star buried in a Launceston backyard through the war, a 1906 Orient Buckboard and a 1909 Renault sold new in Tasmania, and the 1929 Dennis pumper that served the Launceston Fire Brigade until 1977.
• From further afield: the 1927 Rolls-Royce Phantom I ordered for silent film star Norma Talmadge, which appears in The Great Gatsby (2013), Robin and the 7 Hoods and Australia (2008), a 2009 Phantom Drophead Coupe, a 1964 Iso Rivolta 300 that held the Group NB lap record at Symmons Plains, a 2018 Aston Martin Vanquish S (one of 25 delivered new to Australia), a 1987 BMW 333i (one of 204 built), a supercharged 1936 MG NB, an Austin-Healey 3000 Mk III, a Leyland P76, a Messerschmitt KR200 and a 1988 Porsche 911 backdate.
• Ready to Race: the 1974 Lola T332 "HU37" Formula 5000 car that Theodore Racing ran for Brian Redman, Vern Schuppan and Alan Jones, the 1969 Elfin ME5 that held the Sandown lap record for cars over 3000 cc for 11 years from 1970, and the 1975 "King Monza" IMSA Chevrolet.
• The motorcycle room: the last dealer delivered Buell sold in Australia, still in its crate, a Honda RC30, a Kawasaki Z1, a Suzuki RG500 Gamma with 5,500 km on it, a Yamaha RZ500, a Suzuki GSX1100 Katana, a Suzuki GT750, an MV Agusta 150 Sport RS and the 1927 AJS HR7 "Jowett Special" that set Australian beach records in the 1930s.
• Auto Culture Japan, the current theme display: a Honda NSX, a Mazda RX-7, a Subaru Vortex and a completely original Nissan 200SX owned by one family since 1995 with 22,935 km on it.
• The Tasmanian Motorsport Hall of Fame, a digital display on the museum floor.
• The gift shop carries over 2,000 diecast models, new and consignment, plus books, apparel, posters, keyrings and model kits.
• Bringing friends or family? A children's digital guide online covers some of the cars, one car in the gift shop is the only vehicle visitors can sit in for photos, and a large public playground is across the road.

• Open 7 days, 9:00am to 5:00pm. Winter hours, 1 June to 31 August, are 10:00am to 4:00pm. Christmas Day is the only day it is closed.
• Entry: adults AU$20, seniors AU$16, children under 16 years of age AU$9, family (2 adults and children under 16 years of age) AU$50. An adult annual pass is AU$50.
• Large groups can book on (03) 6334 8888 or admin@namt.com.au.
• Every vehicle is privately owned and displays change without warning, so a particular car may not be there on the day. The museum's online digital guide lists what is showing now.
• Visitors may not touch the vehicles, step over the barriers or run, and children must stay with an adult at all times.
• No pets inside the museum or gift shop, except assistance animals.
• There is no cafe, and food and drink are not allowed inside.
• The museum is fully wheelchair accessible, with level access throughout and accessible amenities.
• Free parking on site, with room beside the building for motorhomes and parking for motorcycles.
• Drive times the museum gives: 3 to 5 minutes from the Launceston CBD or a 15 to 20 minute walk, about 20 minutes from Launceston Airport via Evandale Road and National Highway 1, about 1 hour 10 minutes from the Spirit of Tasmania at Devonport via the Bass Highway, and about two and a half hours from Hobart via the Midland Highway.
• Car shows on the grounds: Thunderbolt Run Supercars Display on 3 November 2026, 9:15am to 9:45am. EuroTas on 14 February 2027, 10:00am to 2:00pm, for British and European cars and motorcycles. Japanese Classics Tasmania Volume 7 on 28 February 2027, 10:00am to 2:00pm, with display entry by application to jct@namt.com.au. British Classics Launceston every King's Birthday long weekend, with over 80 British cars. Food and drink are available at EuroTas and JCT. Upcoming shows are listed on the museum's events page.
• Owners can apply on the museum website to display their own vehicle for 1 to 3, 3 to 6 or 6 to 12 months.
• The gift shop is open 7 days, and its online store processes orders during business hours.
• Phone (03) 6334 8888 (from overseas +61 3 6334 8888), email admin@namt.com.au.

• Visited: 2023
• Last verified: 1 November 2026
• Official link: https://namt.com.au/