177 replies to this topic

[David McKinney]

You're right, I did

The early cars were certainly Blue Bird, but I thought they gradually morphed into Bluebird. Sloppy non-specialist journalism, perhaps?

[Tim Murray]

In the earlier thread Steve H is adamant that Malcolm C only ever used the name Blue Bird. It was Donald who first officially used Bluebird.

[ensign14]

Oopsie, gimme a mo on that other thread...

[f1steveuk]

I'm still adamant!!

[Cargo]

Very interesting article on Today's Sky News about Campbell's Bluebird

 

 

http://news.sky.com/...-fired-up-again

 

Edited by Cargo, 29 January 2014 - 11:14.

[f1steveuk]

There was an article in a UK paper yesterday that featured a picture of Donald's Proteus powered Bluebird CN7, that then went on to tell me that Sir Malcolm's first ever Blue Bird was going to be started again. A fine illustration of bad journalism!! Confused cars of different eras and drivers, ignored all the Blue Birds that came before the 350HP Sunbeam, and made the usual mistake of claiming it was powered by a Manitou aero' engine (it was a one off special), but on the other hand, they drew attention to the event, shame they can't be bothered to research things!! So wish I could be there

[Vitesse2]

Very interesting article on Today's Sky News about Campbell's Bluebird

 

 

http://news.sky.com/...-fired-up-again

 

I'm sure the inhabitants of Brockenhurst would be surprised to find that the NMM has apparently moved seven miles.west. Or - alternatively - that their village has been transported seven miles to the east.

[ensign14]

That's climate change for you.

[D-Type]

Hmmmm.

 

Who did 407.518 mph in 1956?

 

Cobb was 1947 and Mickey Thompson 1960-61

[kartman24]

Can anyone provide a link to a video with sound of the car being started?.......Martin

[Vitesse2]

[D-Type]

Hmmmm.

 

Who did 407.518 mph in 1956?

 

Cobb was 1947 and Mickey Thompson 1960-61

To answer my own question: Craig Breedlove did 407.518 mph in Spirit of America, but it was in 1963!  Poor research by the Sky News writer (I won't dignify someone that incompetent by calling him a journalist)

Edited by D-Type, 31 January 2014 - 22:36.

[Vitesse2]

Very poor research, considering that Breedlove's mark was rejected by the FIA on two counts: Spirit of America only had three wheels and - more importantly - was jet-powered, so did not comply with the regulation which said that cars had to be driven through the wheels. There were projects for jet cars as early as 1946, but the FIA rules - written in mid-1946 - excluded them (and propellor-driven vehicles, come to that!), so none were built.

 

Breedlove's figure was only recognised by the FIM. Which I suppose means Spirit of America was a jet tricycle ...

[Allan Lupton]

To answer my own question: Craig Breedlove did 407.518 mph in Spirit of America, but it was in 1963!  Poor research by the Sky News writer (I won't dignify someone that incompetent by calling him a journalist)

There's a lot of poorly researched LSR "data" on the internet which I expect is where they do all their "research" nowadays.

One site tells us the Mephistopheles had a V-12 motor and that Campbell's 1932 car was a "Napier-Railton Bluebird" with a Rolls-Royce V-12 motor

[Pullman99]

The recent Kop Hill Climb and some of the Brooklands events over the past 18 months or so have featured a Napier Sea Lion engined recreation of the 1927 Blue Bird built by Lorne Jacobs.

 

Just wondered if anyone knew anything more about it?      Looks very nice!  Link to Bluebird Supporters Club Facebook piece below

 

https://www.facebook...803016586462238

[Pullman99]

Just thought I'd  bump this back up to the top of the Forum.

 

Anyone know anything further about the building of this recreation (?) of the 1927 iteration of Blue Bird.     Seems to have been featured at several recent events.

[Pullman99]

I attended the Friends evening at the National Motor Museum last Saturday to hear a talk - primarily on his book "The British are Coming" and his own forthcoming diesel class record contender the Project 100 - by Mike Varndell. Very enjoyable and well attended.

 

Ian Stanfield, the NMM's Chief Engineer, also provided an update on the progress to restore the 1000HP Sunbeam to full working order. The 90th anniversary of Henry Segrave's 1927 record of 203.79mph - the first LSR at over 200mph - is on Wednesday of this week, the 29th March. I believe that the intention was to have completed the rebuild by the anniversary date but this has proved not to be possible. The scale of the work on the two Sunbeam Matabele engines is immense and, due mainly to having retained Castrol R in them since they were last run, meant that it took some 18 months just to free off each one. Quite a number of new components have been required including some vital items removed by Sunbeam and Segrave at the time. One intriguing mention was made by Ian of the car having been run by Sunbeam as late as 1939 although I have always assumed that the two runs, post-record, at Brooklands and at Montlhery, in 1927 were the only occasions that the car had been operated (both times driven by Segrave). Does anyone know if it was run again after 1927?

 

Funding, as ever, remains the principal brake on progress but there are many engineering firms throughout the UK that are actively providing components and the results I have seen are truly superb.  

[Vitesse2]

 

One intriguing mention was made by Ian of the car having been run by Sunbeam as late as 1939 although I have always assumed that the two runs, post-record, at Brooklands and at Montlhery, in 1927 were the only occasions that the car had been operated (both times driven by Segrave). Does anyone know if it was run again after 1927?

 

I've done extensive research and reading about 1939, but have never seen any reference to the Sunbeam being exercised. I'm pretty sure the press - specialist and national - would have mentioned it, given the amount of interest in Eyston's, Cobb's, Gardner's and Campbell's exploits that year.

 

However, there is a comment in the Irish Times 21/8/39 about Campbell's water speed record at Coniston with K4 using 'a twelve years old engine used by the late Sir Henry Segrave'. Not a Matabele, obviously - K4 used the Rolls Royce R which had powered K3. And of course the R was still on the drawing board in 1927 ...

 

So maybe something got lost in the translation?

 

Both Segrave's record cars - The Slug and Golden Arrow - were exhibited in the SMMT's Golden Jubilee parade in London in 1946, BTW.

[Doug Nye]

At the British Motor Mechanics' Club annual bash the other day - in the Brooklands Clubhouse - we ran a small charity auction.  One of the Lots was sold to a visiting American enthusiast present at the dinner. I was conducting the Sale and when he stood to come up and collect his purchase I thought it would be fitting to introduce him to the 100 or so great racing mechanics present.

 

I was able to point to a big mural photograph on the wall there and explain that our guest had something in common with the great gentleman depicted in that picture.  

 

It was of John Cobb - pounding around the Members' Banking in the wonderful Napier-Railton.  The guest I introduced to the boys was Charlie Nearburg, and what Cobb and he had in common was flashing across Bonneville Salt Flats at more than 400mph.  If you are interested, or intrigued, see here:

 

http://jalopnik.com/...-engine-tribute

 

And the boys at Brooklands gave him a great reception which - I am happy to report - embarrassed the hell out of him... Like Cobb - Charlie is a proper chap.

 

DCN

[ensign14]

Heh, I remember Nearburg from one of Dale Coyne's spear-carriers back in the 90s.  Didn't know he was an LSR combatant.

[Pullman99]

I've done extensive research and reading about 1939, but have never seen any reference to the Sunbeam being exercised. I'm pretty sure the press - specialist and national - would have mentioned it, given the amount of interest in Eyston's, Cobb's, Gardner's and Campbell's exploits that year.   So maybe something got lost in the translation?  Both Segrave's record cars - The Slug and Golden Arrow - were exhibited in the SMMT's Golden Jubilee parade in London in 1946, BTW

Yes, I thought the date a bit odd too.   I asked Ian about this and he believes that it is correct but, given that Segrave removed parts from the car (and later the Golden Arrow) to prevent it being driven, so the date may, in fact, be incorrect.   I think that the National Motor Museum should be applauded for extending what had been a conservation survey on all of the LSR cars into a scheme to return one of the real icons of LSR history (although I suppose they all are) to roar again.    The museum has, effectively, the largest collection in the world of Sunbeam aero-engines and the most comprehensive practical experience of working on them since not only Segrave's day but the First World War.    I hope Ian Stanfield can be persuaded to record all of this as at least a magazine feature or possibly as a lecture presentation.     Makes restoring the odd Titian or Rembrandt look easy.  (Their cars were rubbish, BTW)...

 

The SMM&T's activities in promoting this anniversary in 1946 have always fascinated me.     There are many elements of today's motor vehicle preservation movement and motor museums that have their roots in this event.   

Edited by Pullman99, 13 March 2019 - 14:10.

[Vitesse2]

 

The SMM&T's activities in promoting this anniversary in 1946 have always fascinated me.     There are many elements of today's motor vehicle preservation movement and motor museums that have their roots in this event.   

Would you happen to have a report of the Coventry to Birmingham event? Doesn't seem to have been covered by the national papers and I don't recall anything in the weeklies either. And I wonder if they ever recovered the Union Jack that somebody stole off Monty's Humber in Belfast?

[Pullman99]

Would you happen to have a report of the Coventry to Birmingham event? Doesn't seem to have been covered by the national papers and I don't recall anything in the weeklies either. And I wonder if they ever recovered the Union Jack that somebody stole off Monty's Humber in Belfast?

Sadly, no.   I would have thought that The Birmingham Post and Coventry Evening Telegraph would have something on this.  Now that this has been highlighted I will see what I can find.    The sequence of events that led to the 1000HP Sunbeam being at Beaulieu is a fairly complicated one and there was even a danger at one time that this car, along with the other cars in the former Rootes Collection, could have ended up overseas.

Edited by Pullman99, 10 July 2020 - 14:41.

[Pullman99]

Rosco McGlashan's Aussie Invader III is currently up for sale as part of an auction of the now closed Gosford Classic Car Museum in New South Wales.   The museum had been set up by classic car dealer Tony Denny and the on-line auction is due to close on 30th March with the current bidding around the $30,000 AUS mark.   All of the museum's collection is included in the sale.

 

More details from Hemmings Motor News today:

 

https://www.hemmings...ses/?refer=news

[grocons]

Wow! I started this thread over 15 years ago, under a different username back then. I can't believe people are still adding to this all this time later, thanks everybody.

[Tim Murray]

Long time no see, Neil - welcome back.

[Lee Nicolle]

Rosco McGlashan's Aussie Invader III is currently up for sale as part of an auction of the now closed Gosford Classic Car Museum in New South Wales.   The museum had been set up by classic car dealer Tony Denny and the on-line auction is due to close on 30th March with the current bidding around the $30,000 AUS mark.   All of the museum's collection is included in the sale.

 

More details from Hemmings Motor News today:

 

https://www.hemmings...ses/?refer=news

The ATO seems to be an entity with no idea and self importance who at least hamstrung business and simply kill it often. And it seems answer to noone.

[Pullman99]

There was a piece in Hemmings Motor News a couple of days ago about the decision by the Petersen Automotive Museum to secure a long term loan to another museum of Art Arfons' Green Monster as rebuilt following its Bonneville accident in 1966.    Subsequently, the car was sold by Arfons to Slick Gardner for a further, unsuccessful, campaign and was then purchased by an owning syndicate that, after protracted attempts to sell the car again, eventually donated Green Monster to The Petersen about four years ago after it had been on loan for several years.    The rebuilt car is not the former LSR holder that Arfons had his famous accident in during 1966 and that had set records on three occasions between 1964 and 1965 - in what was likened to a duel with Craig Breedlove - but  does apparently incorporate at least some of the original car and was restored in a similar livery.    In March 1970 (not 1968 as stated in Hemmings' article) it was demonstrated at a press event at Hurn (Bournemouth Airport).   Suggestions that a museum in Akron, Ohio, would seem the obvious choice of venue.

 

Full story below:

 

https://www.hemmings...aign=2020-07-07

Edited by Pullman99, 10 July 2020 - 14:47.