What is all the passion around the Bluebird legacy of World Speed Record achievements? Just take a few long looks as these masterpieces, and you will be moved.
They are quite exciting to behold, even in photographs, but now are also together in one place for the public to see their grand scale up close. The Beaulieu National Motor Museum would be one of my first stops when visiting the UK- as it also houses a wide array of fantast car and speed goodies from across the world.
The CN7 streamliner is particularly magnificent, and achieved a 403-MPH Land Speed Record with Sir Malcolm Campbell’s don Donald gripping the helm.
BLUEBIRD CN7
BLUE BIRD V JOINS THE LAND SPEED RECORD BREAKERS DISPLAY AT THE NATIONAL MOTOR MUSEUM, BEAULIEU
Sir Malcolm Campbell’s world-famous Land Speed Record Breaker, the Blue Bird V, has joined the two Blue Bird record breakers already on display at the National Motor Museum, Beaulieu, following their first ever display together in the UK at the 2013 Goodwood Festival of Speed.
Sir Malcolm Campbell set a land speed record of 276.82mph in the Blue Bird V at Daytona Beach, Florida, USA, in February 1935 and then went on to become the first person to exceed 300mph when he achieved a record 301.129mph in it at Bonneville salt flats, Utah, in September of the same year.
This is only the second time in the vehicle’s history that Blue Bird V has crossed the Atlantic from its home at the Daytona International Speedway to the UK, giving visitors to Beaulieu an incredibly rare opportunity to see this magnificent motoring icon on display alongside other members of the Blue Bird family in the museum.
It joins the Bluebird CN7, driven by Sir Malcom Campbell’s son, Donald, to a land speed record of 403.10mph at Lake Eyre, Australia in 1964, and another of Sir Malcolm Campbell’s Land Speed Record Breakers, the Sunbeam 350hp – which he renamed Blue Bird and drove to two record speeds at Pendine Sands; 146.16mph in 1924, and 150.766mph in 1925.
BLUEBIRD V
Beaulieu Commercial Director, Stephen Munn, said: “Beaulieu has been home to Donald Campbell’s Bluebird CN7 since the 1960s, so it is wonderful to finally see his father’s most famous Land Speed Record Breaker, the Blue Bird V, displayed alongside it in the museum. To see these legendary vehicles together is an unforgettable experience, and we hope that by having them on display, they will inspire a whole new young generation and reignite the interest in land speed record breaking.”
Visitors to Beaulieu can also see Major Henry Segrave’s Sunbeam 1000hp which he drove to a record-breaking speed of 203.793mph at Daytona Beach in 1927.
This incredible Blue Bird display will only be on show for a few months, as the Blue Bird V will be making its return journey across the Atlantic at the end of November, so do not miss this amazing opportunity to view these three Blue Birds together.
The Blue Birds can be seen as part of a visit to the whole Beaulieu attraction, which includes the National Motor Museum, BOND IN MOTION, World of Top Gear, Beaulieu Abbey, Palace House and gardens.
Visit www.beaulieu.co.uk for more information or join the conversation with @Beaulieu_Hants on Twitter using #bluebird
Tom Burkart is the founder and managing editor of Car-Revs-Daily.com, an innovative and rapidly-expanding automotive news magazine.
He holds a Journalism JBA degree from the University of Wisconsin – Madison. Tom currently resides in Charleston, South Carolina with his two amazing dogs, Drake and Tank.
Mr. Burkart is available for all questions and concerns by email Tom(at)car-revs-daily.com.