Driven

Explore the innovators and inventors who pushed the boundaries in their field. Whether it was racing, engineering or endurance, the people featured in this gallery were driven to succeed.

Featured Engineer

Rex McCandless is one of Northern Ireland’s most famous innovators, inventing the Autogyro and one of the earliest four-wheel drive vehicles, the McCandless Mule. His most important contribution was the featherbed frame, a structure which revolutionised motorcycle design allowing for safer handling and a more comfortable ride.

Featured racing driver

Stanley Woods is one of the most successful motorcycle racers to have competed at the Isle of Man TT, a race he won ten times in his career. Born in Dublin in 1903, he began his racing career in 1923 winning on a Cotton motorcycle. You can see a Cotton motorcycle similar to one he would have raced on display in this exhibition.