Cars Inc.

What started as simply a young boy with a passion has turned into a lifelong project for car enthusiast Paul Boden, and the opening of Cars Inc. with his partner Jenny Gower encapsulates precisely that. Cars Inc. is a car museum and cafe located in Trentham, right by the old General Motors Car Plant, which back in the 50s, 60s and 70s was considered the ‘spiritual home’ for many of the country’s cars. 

The idea for the museum was driven by Boden’s garage collection (over 20 cars) and the idea that he could display them for others to enjoy. A number of community members were also keen to contribute, dusting off and polishing up cars from their own collections. The museum now displays over 60 cars, plus plenty of memorabilia. It goes without saying that any car lover will be right at home, but there’s plenty to take in, even if you don’t know a Hot Rod from a Modern Classic. Providing visitors with an opportunity to see vehicles of special interest, or simply ‘mobile pieces of art’, expect everything from muscle cars, circuit cars, drag cars to motorbikes. 

Staying well fueled is something that Boden and Gower take seriously, so naturally the cafe at Cars Inc. is an important part of the business. The cafe gives retro USA vibes, with an inevitable automobile twist, right down to the names of the dishes on the menu. Favourites include the Southern Fried Eggs Bene or the Car Wreck, which features halloumi, smashed avocado, poached egg and dukkah on toast. 

It would hardly be an American-themed cafe without a selection of shakes and sundaes, so there’s an assortment of flavours on the ‘coolants’ menu, to keep with the car theme. And, kids will be right at home with the choice of hot dogs, waffles, nuggets and more on the Mini Me side of things.