Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Puglia Italy - Matera
Italy • 8 days, 7 nights
Southern Italy: Castles, Caves & Coastal Treasures in Puglia
from
Turkmenistan Gates of Hell Darvaza crater
Turkmenistan • 10 days, 9 nights
Turkmenistan & the Gates of Hell
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Pinal Airpark
Note the chrysanthemum crests.
Hachiman Bridge
Clarendon War Memorial.
Clarendon War Memorial
This fried chicken is one of Bangkok’s most famous.
Gai Tord Jae Kee
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
Everything at Li’l Dizzy’s Cafe is served in takeout containers.
Li’l Dizzy’s Cafe
The fried green tomato sandwich comes on jalapeño cornbread toast.
Café Reconcile
BBQ shrimp braised in beer are a popular menu item.
High Hat Cafe
The pastries at Lagniappe Bakehouse are worth waking up for.
Lagniappe Bakehouse
Peter Vazquez has been quietly making a name for himself for years.
The Appetite Repair Shop
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Haleakalā National Park’s summit region, shrouded in the pre-dawn fog.
Beware the Legends Behind These National Park Souvenirs
9 days ago
For Aguilar-Carrasco, nature is a powerful reminder of the interconnectedness of all life.
How Can National Parks Be Made Accessible to All? AO Wants to Know.
10 days ago
Podcast: Finding ‘The Great Gatsby’ in Louisville
11 days ago
Here’s which treats you can safely lug home without risking a fine.
Dear Atlas: What International Food Can I Legally Bring Into the U.S.?
12 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United Kingdom England London The Bremer Car
AO Edited

The Bremer Car

Likely the first car with an internal combustion engine constructed in the United Kingdom.

London, England

Added By
linkogecko
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
The Bremer Car   linkogecko / Atlas Obscura User
The Bremer Car   linkogecko / Atlas Obscura User
The Bremer Car   linkogecko / Atlas Obscura User
Memorabilia of the Bremer Car also found in Vestry House Museum.   linkogecko / Atlas Obscura User
Mural depicting the Bremer Car on the Aubrey Road Outdoor Gallery.   linkogecko / Atlas Obscura User
The Bremer Car   linkogecko / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

The Vestry House Museum in the London neighborhood of Walthamstow houses a car constructed by Frederick Bremer in 1892. The Bremer Car, as it has come to be known, was the first car with an internal combustion engine built in the United Kingdom. Bremer worked from a workshop outside his house on Connaught Road in Walthamstow. At first, it was not clear how functional the car might be, since Bremer apparently kept it stored in the workshop after a couple of short test runs.

By the first time the car was put on display during the early 1910s in the Motor Museum on London's Oxford Street, it is likely that the car was actually driven there. Following World War I, Bremer decided to donate the car to a newly-proposed museum in Walthamstow. The car was promised to what is now the Vestry House Museum in 1929. Bremer passed away in 1941, and by then, the Bremer Car had already been on display in its current home for eight years.

The Bremer Car's history would not end there, as it was signed into the London to Brighton Veteran Car Run three years in a row after a restoration in 1962. The 1963 and 1964 rallies did not go smoothly, as the car broke down before completing the race, but by 1965, the car had its first successful run in eight hours.

Related Tags

Cars Design History & Culture

Know Before You Go

Entry to Vestry House Museum is free and its opening times are Wednesday to Sunday, 10 am-5 pm.

The museum is about a 10 minute walk from Walthamstow Central tube station. The museum has a good display of local Walthamstow history and there's a lovely little cafe which is very popular with local people.

Community Contributors

Added By

linkogecko

Edited By

Snowdrop68

  • Snowdrop68

Published

October 19, 2021

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://www.britainbycar.co.uk/walthamstow/171-bremer
  • http://knowledgeoflondon.com/fredbremermotorcar.html
  • https://www.bbc.co.uk/ahistoryoftheworld/objects/v4eAzBfNRO63yKO4l2kTTA
The Bremer Car
13A Church Path
London, England, E17 9RQ
United Kingdom
51.584018, -0.012752
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

The Ancient House

London, England

miles away

God's Own Junkyard

London, England

miles away

Walthamstow Market

London, England

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of London

London

England

Places 536
Stories 108

Nearby Places

The Ancient House

London, England

miles away

God's Own Junkyard

London, England

miles away

Walthamstow Market

London, England

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of London

London

England

Places 536
Stories 108

Related Places

  • Uránia Nemzeti Filmszínház

    Budapest, Hungary

    Uránia Nemzeti Filmszínház

    A stunning Art Nouveau cinema in the heart of Budapest.

  • Ireland's Oldest Postbox

    Cork, Ireland

    Ireland's Oldest Postbox

    Inside Cork's Kent station stands its country's longest-serving postbox.

  • Edificio Sol

    El Grao de Castellón, Spain

    Edificio Sol

    Believed to be the largest Spanish sculpture affixed to a housing block.

  • Dhow Building Yard

    Muharraq, Bahrain

    Dhow Building Yard

    The last place in Bahrain where you can get a custom-made dhow.

  • De Riekermolen

    Amsterdam, Netherlands

    De Riekermolen

    A beautifully rebuilt windmill from the 17th century, situated along the Amstel River.

  • Mr Therm Balcony Railings

    Oxford, England

    Mr. Therm Balcony Railings

    An obsolete, long-forgotten advertising character lingers on this Sainsbury’s balcony railings.

  • Hôtel Solvay

    Brussels, Belgium

    Hôtel Solvay

    This historic Art Nouveau townhouse was the former home of the son of a famous chemical inventor and industrialist.

  • Kissy Boundary Gun

    Freetown, Sierra Leone

    Kissy Boundary Gun

    A curiously placed cannon along a roundabout in Freetown marks the boundary of the old city.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.