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.
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.
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