Latest news with #MalcolmCampbell
Yahoo
a day ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
July 21 Is the Important Anniversary of Automotive Speed That You Never Knew About
We live in an era of insane speed. While the transparent velocities achieved by the likes of Koenigsegg and Bugatti are almost hard to contextualize, they are a wonderful marker of just how far the automobile has come in its relatively short history. That said, before we ever dared to chase speeds in the 300-mph range, we had to get to triple digits. July 21 marks an important day in the canon of that pursuit. It was on this day, 101 years ago, that the automobile broke the 100 mph barrier for the first time. French racing driver Louis Rigolly managed to push his Gobron-Brillié racer to 103.561 mph on the beach at Ostend, Belgium back in 1904, besting the 97.25 mph record set in 1903 by Belgian racer Pierre de Caters. For reference, that's four years before the Ford Model T was ever offered to the public. You'd be lucky to see Tin Lizzie make it to 45 mph in-period. While Rigolly's own record would only stand for a matter of months, his efforts remain an important footnote in humanity's pursuit of speed. July 21, 1925 would bring yet another record for the automobile. Speed icon Sir Malcolm Campbell would average 150.766 mph over the course of two runs across the Pendine Sands in Carmarthenshire, Wales, adding another record to his extensive collection. His weapon of choice was a 350-hp Sunbeam-built racer known as 'Blue Bird', which remains one of the most famous machines of its era. Campbell would later go on to become the first person to break the 300 mph barrier in a car at the Bonneville Salt Flats in 1935. Ferrari would also tack its name onto this day in history back in 1987, pulling the cover off of the legendary F40 for the first time at the Civic Centre in Maranello. The F40 arrived as the first production car capable of breaking 200 mph, with a claimed top speed of 201. The car's record as the top-dog of the supercar world wouldn't last long, with the Jaguar XJ220 setting a new 217 mph record in 1993. Here's to many more July 21 records to come. You Might Also Like You Need a Torque Wrench in Your Toolbox Tested: Best Car Interior Cleaners The Man Who Signs Every Car
Pembrokeshire Herald
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Pembrokeshire Herald
Blue Bird returns to Pendine for centenary of land speed record
Iconic 1925 record celebrated with beach display and museum event THE ICONIC Sunbeam 350hp Blue Bird will return to Pendine Sands on Sunday (July 21) to mark the 100th anniversary of Sir Malcolm Campbell's historic 1925 land speed record. The legendary vehicle, which reached a then-unprecedented speed of 150.766mph (242.628 km/h) on Pendine beach, will be on public display outside the Museum of Land Speed from 10:00am to 5:00pm. Visitors to Pendine will have the chance to photograph the vehicle and witness its dramatic return to the sands where it made motoring history. As part of the anniversary celebrations, Blue Bird will also be taken onto the beach during the day for a commemorative photo opportunity. The event will include the unforgettable sound of its V12 engine—a rare treat for car enthusiasts and history lovers alike. The car, which was christened Blue Bird by its driver Sir Malcolm Campbell MBE, was the first to break the 150mph barrier and remains one of the most iconic machines in British motoring history. Now part of the National Motor Museum's collection in Beaulieu, Blue Bird last visited Pendine in 2015. Cllr Hazel Evans, Carmarthenshire's Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Leisure, Culture and Tourism, said: 'We are delighted to welcome the spectacular Blue Bird back to Pendine. This event offers a fantastic opportunity for motor enthusiasts and visitors alike to see the legendary vehicle up close and celebrate its deep connection to our coastline.' Jon Murden, Chief Executive of the National Motor Museum Trust, added: 'We are excited to honour such a landmark World Land Speed Record anniversary with this and other events throughout the year. This is a moment to reflect on the Blue Bird's significance in motoring history and to share its story with new generations.' A dedicated section on the National Motor Museum's website charts the history of the Sunbeam 350hp Blue Bird at:
Reuters
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Reuters
Blue Bird returns to Welsh beach 100 years on from record run
LONDON, July 17 (Reuters) - Pendine Sands, stretching for miles along the coast of south-west Wales, marks a motoring milestone on Monday with the return of a 'Blue Bird' car that captured the world's attention a century ago. On July 21, 1925, Briton Malcolm Campbell became the first person to travel at more than 150 miles per hour on land when he accelerated the mighty 350 hp Sunbeam along the beach to 150.76 mph. The car, with its 18 litre V12 Manitou aero engine, is now owned by the National Motor Museum at Beaulieu and will be fired up at Pendine in a static display without any run being scheduled. Campbell's grandson Don Wales told Reuters the 1925 record triggered a mania for speed. "Everybody wanted to hear about who's got the land speed record and it was sparked, I think, by this record that my grandfather achieved," he said at a commemorative event in London, with the car on display outside. "He was surprised himself by the amount of media attention he was getting from effectively increasing his own record by four miles an hour, but it was that magic mark of 150." While modern sportscars can easily exceed 150mph, and do so on race tracks and Germany's autobahns, the speed was sensational at the time. Campbell had hit 146.16 mph in September 1924 at the same location and in the same car. In 1935, by then knighted for his achievements, he became the first to exceed 300 mph on land at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. The record now stands at 763.035mph, set in 1997 by retired British Royal Air Force pilot Andy Green who thundered across Nevada's Black Rock desert to break the sound barrier on land for the first time with the jet-powered Thrust SSC. The record has stood still this century, although a Bloodhound project is still seeking the funds to hit the 1,000mph mark with a jet engine and monopropellant rocket working together. An Australian rocket-propelled 'Aussie Invader 5R' project also needs millions. Wales, from a family of record-breakers and whose late uncle Donald died in 1967 at speed on Coniston Water in his Bluebird K7 boat, doubted anything would happen soon. "You look at the problems that Thrust SSC had getting enough money to do the sound barrier, which again is a magic figure that captures the imagination," he said. "A thousand miles an hour, yes it's a big figure, but it just doesn't seem to have the attraction at the moment." Wales, whose records were set in a steam-powered vehicle and on a lawn mower, cited the space race and even the ever-increasing popularity of Formula One as possible reasons for waning interest. "I don't think the appetite is there any more. At the moment there is no money in record-breaking," he said. "The adage of 'if you want to make a small fortune from motorsport, start with a large one' is so true in record-breaking."
CNA
5 days ago
- Automotive
- CNA
Blue Bird returns to Welsh beach 100 years on from record run
LONDON :Pendine Sands, stretching for miles along the coast of south-west Wales, marks a motoring milestone on Monday with the return of a 'Blue Bird' car that captured the world's attention a century ago. On July 21, 1925, Briton Malcolm Campbell became the first person to travel at more than 150 miles per hour on land when he accelerated the mighty 350 hp Sunbeam along the beach to 150.76 mph. The car, with its 18 litre V12 Manitou aero engine, is now owned by the National Motor Museum at Beaulieu and will be fired up at Pendine in a static display without any run being scheduled. Campbell's grandson Don Wales told Reuters the 1925 record triggered a mania for speed. "Everybody wanted to hear about who's got the land speed record and it was sparked, I think, by this record that my grandfather achieved," he said at a commemorative event in London, with the car on display outside. "He was surprised himself by the amount of media attention he was getting from effectively increasing his own record by four miles an hour, but it was that magic mark of 150." While modern sportscars can easily exceed 150mph, and do so on race tracks and Germany's autobahns, the speed was sensational at the time. Campbell had hit 146.16 mph in September 1924 at the same location and in the same car. In 1935, by then knighted for his achievements, he became the first to exceed 300 mph on land at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. The record now stands at 763.035mph, set in 1997 by retired British Royal Air Force pilot Andy Green who thundered across Nevada's Black Rock desert to break the sound barrier on land for the first time with the jet-powered Thrust SSC. The record has stood still this century, although a Bloodhound project is still seeking the funds to hit the 1,000mph mark with a jet engine and monopropellant rocket working together. An Australian rocket-propelled 'Aussie Invader 5R' project also needs millions. Wales, from a family of record-breakers and whose late uncle Donald died in 1967 at speed on Coniston Water in his Bluebird K7 boat, doubted anything would happen soon. "You look at the problems that Thrust SSC had getting enough money to do the sound barrier, which again is a magic figure that captures the imagination," he said. "A thousand miles an hour, yes it's a big figure, but it just doesn't seem to have the attraction at the moment." Wales, whose records were set in a steam-powered vehicle and on a lawn mower, cited the space race and even the ever-increasing popularity of Formula One as possible reasons for waning interest. "I don't think the appetite is there any more. At the moment there is no money in record-breaking," he said.
The Star
5 days ago
- Automotive
- The Star
Motor racing-Blue Bird returns to Welsh beach 100 years on from record run
LONDON (Reuters) -Pendine Sands, stretching for miles along the coast of south-west Wales, marks a motoring milestone on Monday with the return of a 'Blue Bird' car that captured the world's attention a century ago. On July 21, 1925, Briton Malcolm Campbell became the first person to travel at more than 150 miles per hour on land when he accelerated the mighty 350 hp Sunbeam along the beach to 150.76 mph. The car, with its 18 litre V12 Manitou aero engine, is now owned by the National Motor Museum at Beaulieu and will be fired up at Pendine in a static display without any run being scheduled. Campbell's grandson Don Wales told Reuters the 1925 record triggered a mania for speed. "Everybody wanted to hear about who's got the land speed record and it was sparked, I think, by this record that my grandfather achieved," he said at a commemorative event in London, with the car on display outside. "He was surprised himself by the amount of media attention he was getting from effectively increasing his own record by four miles an hour, but it was that magic mark of 150." While modern sportscars can easily exceed 150mph, and do so on race tracks and Germany's autobahns, the speed was sensational at the time. Campbell had hit 146.16 mph in September 1924 at the same location and in the same car. In 1935, by then knighted for his achievements, he became the first to exceed 300 mph on land at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. The record now stands at 763.035mph, set in 1997 by retired British Royal Air Force pilot Andy Green who thundered across Nevada's Black Rock desert to break the sound barrier on land for the first time with the jet-powered Thrust SSC. The record has stood still this century, although a Bloodhound project is still seeking the funds to hit the 1,000mph mark with a jet engine and monopropellant rocket working together. An Australian rocket-propelled 'Aussie Invader 5R' project also needs millions. Wales, from a family of record-breakers and whose late uncle Donald died in 1967 at speed on Coniston Water in his Bluebird K7 boat, doubted anything would happen soon. "You look at the problems that Thrust SSC had getting enough money to do the sound barrier, which again is a magic figure that captures the imagination," he said. "A thousand miles an hour, yes it's a big figure, but it just doesn't seem to have the attraction at the moment." Wales, whose records were set in a steam-powered vehicle and on a lawn mower, cited the space race and even the ever-increasing popularity of Formula One as possible reasons for waning interest. "I don't think the appetite is there any more. At the moment there is no money in record-breaking," he said. "The adage of 'if you want to make a small fortune from motorsport, start with a large one' is so true in record-breaking." (Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Toby Davis)
