Bluebird CN7 50th Anniversary Celebration Evening on Saturday 19th July - National Motor Museum, Beaulieu

Donald and Tonia Campbell - Bluebird

On 17 July 1964, despite mechanical problems and unpredictable weather, Donald Campbell and his team persevered to set a new British Land Speed Record of 403.10mph in Bluebird CN7, at Lake Eyre in Southern Australia. 

Fifty years on, this iconic vehicle is an integral element of a new display, For Britain & For The Hell Of It at the National Motor Museum, telling the story of British Land Speed Record achievement.

What better way to mark the 50th anniversary than to spend an evening in the company of both the iconic Bluebird CN7, and Donald Campbell’s widow, Tonia Bern-Campbell.  The evening will include a first public screening of the digitally re-mastered film ‘How Long a Mile…’, on Donald Campbell’s world record breaking year of 1964 when he took both the land and water speed records – a unique double that has never been equalled. 

The screening will be followed by an exclusive dinner in the National Motor Museum and a talk by Tonia Bern-Campbell, recalling that magical time. There will also be an opportunity to explore the Museum including the new For Britain & For The Hell Of It display.

This evening is a must for any Campbell or Bluebird enthusiast. Tickets for the evening are now available, to book your individual tickets or a table, contact Leith’s at Beaulieu on 01590 614605 or email corporate@beaulieu.co.uk.

For more information & ticket prices visit http://www.beaulieu.co.uk/cn7

Bluebird Cn7 50th Anniversary Celebration Evening On Saturday 19 July

Donald Campbell with Bluebird Lake Eyre 1963

On 17 July 1964, despite mechanical problems and unpredictable weather, Donald Campbell and his team persevered to set a new British Land Speed Record of 403.10mph in Bluebird CN7, at Lake Eyre in Southern Australia. 

Fifty years on, this iconic vehicle is an integral element of a new display, For Britain & For The Hell Of It at the National Motor Museum, telling the story of British Land Speed Record achievement.

What better way to mark the 50th anniversary than to spend an evening in the company of both the iconic Bluebird CN7, and Donald Campbell’s widow, Tonia Bern-Campbell.  The evening will include a first public screening of the digitally re-mastered film ‘How Long a Mile…’, on Donald Campbell’s world record breaking year of 1964 when he took both the land and water speed records – a unique double that has never been equalled. 

The screening will be followed by an exclusive dinner in the National Motor Museum and a talk by Tonia Bern-Campbell, recalling that magical time. There will also be an opportunity to explore the Museum including the new For Britain & For The Hell Of It display.

This evening is a must for any Campbell or Bluebird enthusiast. Tickets for the evening are now available, to book your individual tickets or a table, contact Leith’s at Beaulieu on 01590 614605 or email corporate@beaulieu.co.uk.

For more information & ticket prices visit http://www.beaulieu.co.uk/cn7

Bloodhound At Beaulieu Saturday 10th May 2014

Visitors to Beaulieu on Saturday 10th May will have a rare opportunity to see a full-sized prototype of the next British Land Speed Record contender, the Bloodhound SSC. The project is led by Richard Noble, OBE, who set a World Land Speed Record of 633mph in Thrust II in 1983 and was Project Director on the current Land Speed Record of 763mph, set in 1997 by Wing Commander Andy Green, OBE, in Thrust SSC.

The Bloodhound Project team will be on hand to meet and talk with visitors about the prototype and their hopes to break the 1,000mph barrier, with Andy Green again in the driving seat. Visitors will also have the chance to ‘drive’ at 1,000mph themselves in the Bloodhound Driving Experience.

The Bloodhound Project can be seen as part of a visit to the whole Beaulieu attraction, which includes the National Motor Museum and its exciting new Land Speed Record Breakers display, For Britain & For The Hell Of It. It features four of the most iconic Land Speed Record vehicles, Bluebird CN7, Sunbeam 350hp, Sunbeam 1000hp and Golden Arrow, and tells the story of British pluck, technological mastery and national pride – alongside new vehicles with a more alternative land speed heritage. A moving audio-visual presentation transports you back to a golden age of invention, courage and patriotism and introduces you to those who are keeping the record breaking dream alive today.

Other features of the Beaulieu attraction include Palace House and gardens, 13th century Beaulieu Abbey, On Screen Cars and World of Top Gear. Buy your admission tickets in advance online at www.beaulieushop.co.uk to receive a 10% web discount.

For more information, please visit www.beaulieuevents.co.uk

Beaulieu’s Bloodhound Education Event for School Groups – 8th & 9th May

On Thursday 8th and Friday 9th May, school groups can book to take part in the Bloodhound Education Event, designed to inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers. Following a presentation about the planned 1,000mph World Land Speed Record attempt and the Bloodhound Supersonic car, students will take part in four specially themed workshops including building a car to race as far as possible in a straight line using an air-powered launcher. The sessions will be taking place from 9.30am – 2.30pm each day.

For booking, prices and more information please contact the Beaulieu Education Team either by email at education@beaulieu.co.uk or by telephone on 01590 614645.

The National Motor Museum Showcases Land Speed Record Breakers In A Stunning New Display

Four of the National Motor Museum’s iconic Land Speed Record cars, the 350hp and 1,000hp Sunbeams, Golden Arrow and Bluebird CN7, which reflect the success of British record-breakers between the 1920s and 1960s, feature in an inspiring new multi-media display For Britain & For The Hell Of It, opened yesterday (20th March) by Don Wales, grandson of Sir Malcolm Campbell.

Bluebird CN7

In opening the display Mr Wales said: “The 116 year history of Land Speed Records has been dominated by the British. The record has been broken 57 times, 26 by a Briton and 8 by a Campbell. My uncle, Donald, broke the Land and Sea record in the same year – a unique double that has never been equalled. British Land Speed Record cars are an important part of our heritage and need to be on show for the public to see. It is also vital that the skills required to keep them going is kept alive.”

British drivers, engineers, mechanics and cars have broken the World Land Speed Record more times than any other nationality. Their story is brought to life in a moving audio-visual presentation, accompanied by items from the museum’s Collections, on public display for the first time. Exhibits include contemporary souvenirs and memorabilia, trophies and personal items belonging to the drivers. The display transports you back to a time of invention, courage and patriotism and also introduces you to those who are keeping Britain’s record breaking dream alive today.

In the 1920s, the 350hp Sunbeam – a new kind of car for a new era – was the first powered by an aero engine. Its drivers too, were men of the age – Kenelm Lee Guinness, who took the record in 1922, and Capt. Malcolm Campbell who, having remodelled the car several times, flew through the record twice, breaking the 150mph barrier in 1925 at Pendine Sands, Wales. In the dawn of a golden age of speed, the Brits had truly arrived.

Don Wales with 350hp Sunbeam

As the 1920s accelerated, so did the speed and the 1,000hp Sunbeam really made the Twenties roar. At the wheel, sandwiched between the front and rear engines, Major Henry Segrave cruised through 200mph at Daytona Beach, Florida - the first person ever to travel at that speed on land.

In 1929 the iconic blend of style and engineering in the Irving Napier Special, Golden Arrow, with its distinctive engine shape, paved the way for two decades of unbroken British success. At 231.446mph, with Segrave again in the driving seat, this arrow shattered its target.

In 1964, a new Campbell – Donald – son of Malcolm, set the record in Bluebird CN7. A first record attempt at Bonneville in 1960 met with disaster when Bluebird, caught by a gust of wind, veered off course and somersaulted. With Bluebird re-built and a tailfin added for stability, his last attempt on the record, at Lake Eyre, Australia, propelled a triumphant Campbell through the elusive 400 to claim the official wheel-driven record for Britain at 403.10mph.

An unofficial record of 407mph set by Craig Breedlove in a jet powered car the previous year was against International rules. However, Breedlove’s faster jet-car run had proved that the old rules would have to be rewritten. It was the end of a glorious era for the Campbells, Bluebird cars and for Britain.

1,000hp Sunbeam, Golden Arrow, 350hp Sunbeam

While, over succeeding decades, new records have continued to be set, a reviving interest in electric, steam and alternative fuel records has been growing. Accompanying the Land Speed Record display, the museum’s new exhibition of alternative Land Speed vehicles includes the nitromethane fuelled Commuter Dragster, the very first All American fuel Dragster to be built and run in Britain and the first to break the magic 200mph barrier over the standing start quarter mile. Also displayed are the Bluebird Electric, in which Don Wales set a new speed record for an electric car of 137.15mph at Pendine Sands in 2000 and the British Steam Car Inspiration – the fastest ‘kettle’ in the world – in which he achieved 139.843mph at Edwards Air Force base, California, in 2009.

Speaking on behalf of his father, Lord Montagu, the Hon Ralph Montagu said: “It is very fitting that we are opening the display this year as 2014 celebrates the 85th anniversary of Henry Segrave setting a new world Land Speed Record in Golden Arrow in 1929. And fifty years ago, in 1964, Donald Campbell achieved over 400mph in Bluebird CN7 at Lake Eyre.”

The Land Speed Record display and exhibition is now open and can be seen as part of a visit to the whole Beaulieu attraction, which includes the National Motor Museum, World of Top Gear, Beaulieu Abbey, Palace House and gardens.

Visit www.beaulieu.co.uk/attractions/landspeed-story for more information or join the conversation with @Beaulieu_Hants on Twitter using #landspeed.

Bluebird Cn7’S Original Nose Panel Loaned To The National Motor Museum For New Land Speed Record Breakers Display

Original nose panel with the Bluebird CN7

The National Motor Museum at Beaulieu has become the proud custodian of the original front nose panel from Donald Campbell’s famous World Land Speed Record Breaker, the Bluebird CN7.
The Malcolm Campbell Heritage Trust has offered the item on loan to the museum following its donation to the Trust by Stadco Ltd Coventry, formerly Motor Panels Ltd – the original manufacturing company that worked on the CN7.

In a presentation in the museum, in front of the Bluebird CN7 itself, two nephews of Donald Campbell, Don Wales and Peter Hulme, handed the panel over to the Chief Executive of the National Motor Museum Trust (NMMT), Russell Bowman. Two representatives from Stadco, Paul Jaggers and Neil Holloway, were also present to witness the handover.

The panel, displaying the Union Jack and US flags alongside the Bluebird insignia, is the original nose panel from the Bluebird CN7, damaged during the world’s fastest ever survived car crash at the Bonneville Salt Flats in 1960 in a land speed attempt prior to Donald Campbell’s 403.1mph record set in the car in 1964 at Lake Eyre, Australia.
Following the crash, the CN7 returned to Motor Panels for a redesign, including the addition of a tail fin to stabilise the vehicle at speed, and during the repairs the panel was removed and replaced. The old, damaged nose panel spent the next 50 years in various places on the Coventry site at Stadco before its recent donation to the Malcolm Campbell Heritage Trust.

Since receiving Stadco’s donation, the Malcolm Campbell Heritage Trust has loaned the panel to the National Motor Museum, which has housed the Bluebird CN7 since the late 1960s, for a brand new Land Speed Record Breakers display.

Don Wales, nephew of Donald Campbell, said: “We are very grateful to Stadco for returning this special panel to the family. It is an iconic piece of land speed motoring history and we are delighted to be able to loan it to Beaulieu for the new Land Speed Record Breakers display being unveiled next year.”

Expected to launch in Spring 2014, the museum’s new display will feature four iconic World Land Speed Record cars, including the Bluebird CN7, Sir Malcolm Campbell’s Blue Bird 350hp, Major Henry Segrave’s Sunbeam 1000hp and Golden Arrow, accompanied by new high definition images and archive film footage.

The panel will join a number of other rare land speed artefacts that will be showcased alongside the record breakers themselves.

NMMT Chief Executive, Russell Bowman, said: “We are delighted that visitors to Beaulieu will be able to see the original panel alongside the car itself, helping us to illustrate the determination exhibited by Donald Campbell and his team to overcome major setbacks and achieve his 1964 record. We are very grateful to Stadco and the Campbell Family for this loan.”