34 replies to this topic

[D-Type]

Bluebird or Blue Bird , which is it?

It is generally written 'Bluebird', but I am sure I have seen a photo of one of Sir Malcolm's cars with 'Blue Bird' as two words painted on it - I've done a 'Search BB' but didn't find it. I suspect that Sir Malcolm may have used Blue Bird while Donald used Bluebird.

[Macca]

Good question.

Sir Malcolm called his car by that name because he was inspired by a London play he had seen called 'The Blue Bird' - but after that..................


Paul M

[Tim Murray]

The play is by Maurice Maeterlinck, and was originally written in French and titled L'Oiseau Bleu, which would translate as The Blue Bird (i.e. two words).

There is a photo in Life with the Speed King by Leo Villa showing Campbell having just won a handicap race at the Brooklands Easter meeting in 1925, driving an Itala on which is clearly painted 'THE BLUE BIRD'. All references in the text itself are to 'Bluebird'.

[D-Type]

This isn't as simple as it seems. It appears that at some stage Sir Malcolm Campbell changed the name from Blue Bird to Bluebird. .

The photo in Life with the Speed King shows that in 1925 he was using Blue Bird . But This site has pictures of several period documents with variations on the name., including:
1928
Castrol advert saying "Blue Bird"
1931
Autocar article saying "Blue Bird"
Castrol advert saying "Blue-Bird"
New York Times article saying "Bluebird"
1932
Daily Mirror article saying "Bluebird"
Triplex Glass advert saying "Blue Bird"
1935
Malcolm Campbell autograph saying "Bluebird"
Castrol advert saying "Bluebird"

So sometime around 1931 the name changed. The Castrol adverts offer a trail, but the Triplex advert doesn't fit with it nor do the New York Times articles. Can anybody clarify the story?

 

 

Edit: Typos

Edited by D-Type, 11 September 2014 - 09:23.

[f1steveuk]

I can resolve this question!!! My book "Leap into Legend" was written with the help of the Campbell family and Leo Villa's diaries. Sir Malcom Campbell "The Blue Bird" or Blue Bird. Donald used his father's K4 for his first runs and retained the name, He had Bluebird K7 built after K4 sank after a structural failure and it was decided that as it was "his" boat they would use the name Bluebird to show a difference and this went for the CN7 car.

[D-Type]

That's what I thought - Blue Bird for Sir Malcolm and Bluebird for Donald. But it doesn't fit with the Castrol adverts and the 1935 autograph.
I'm still baffled

[f1steveuk]

I can't vouch for Castrol, and I have seen Malcolm's signature with the single word BLUEBIRD, but always in capitals, I would guess that it's a bit like I before E except after C, no real rhyme or reason!!!

[Joe Fan]

I think it should be "Bluebird." I saw Sir Malcolm Campbell's car in Daytona USA's museum in the late 90's and I think it is still there. On the Daytona USA website, there is an artist rendition of the museum, and over to the right is the Bluebird spelled as one word. See: http://www.daytonaus.../OurHistory.jsp

However, here is a pic of the actual car and doesn't have the name painted on it from what I can see but it Bluebird V circa 1935. See: http://www.autospeak.com/daypic06.jpg

[maxpapis]

Originally posted by Joe Fan
I think it should be "Bluebird." I saw Sir Malcolm Campbell's car in Daytona USA's museum in the late 90's and I think it is still there.

Yes, it is still on display there.

A little tidbit from days gone by.... during the mid 1970's the Bluebird (I would have to assume the same one as in Daytona USA) was stored on a concrete platform off of US1 in South Daytona. It was literally just a patch of concrete off the main road. I would pass it every day on my way to and from school. I remember two things about seeing it there... one was my dad telling me about the history of the car and the other was seeing it out in the elements with flat tire(s).

Finally one day it just up and disappeared... they started building a bowling alley and parking lot in it's place. I'll have to ask my dad if he remembers why it was there in the first place.

[f1steveuk]

I think it should be "Bluebird." I saw Sir Malcolm Campbell's car in Daytona USA's museum in the late 90's and I think it is still there. On the Daytona USA website, there is an artist rendition of the museum, and over to the right is the Bluebird spelled as one word. See: http://www.daytonaus.../OurHistory.jsp

However, here is a pic of the actual car and doesn't have the name painted on it from what I can see but it Bluebird V circa 1935. See: http://www.autospeak.com/daypic06.jpg

No definetly not!!!! The BLUEBIRD was painted on years after it arrived in the States, I wrote Leap into Legend with the help of Leo when he was alive, Lady Dorothy Campbell, Jean Wales (Malcolm's daugther) and anyone who was involved with the Campbell family , I could find (about 270 people!) It was The Blue Bird for ALL of Sir Malcolm's cars, boat's, yahcts and aeroplanes. His last record breaker Blue Bird K4 was used by Donald and retained the name as was, then named his own record breakers Bluebird, one word. As I have said I have seen Malcolm's craft called BLUEBIRD, alwayd in capitals, but never by Malcolm or Leo, and it was after all his!!!! The play is also "The Blue Bird". If you read the reviews of Leap into Legend on www.amazon.co.uk, you'll see I have actually researched it!!!

[Vitesse2]

Throughout George Eyston and Barré Lyndon's book "Motor Racing and Record Breaking", published in October 1935, it is Blue Bird. Admittedly that book is not without the odd error but I think Eyston would have got that right.

[f1steveuk]

Ah dear old George. I met him twice, fantastic human being. As you say, a stickler for accuracy, and the man that told me all the models of Thunderbolt were wrong, the disc on the side was yellow, and the models always had it in silver!!!

[Joe Fan]

Originally posted by f1steveuk
No definetly not!!!! The BLUEBIRD was painted on years after it arrived in the States, I wrote Leap into Legend with the help of Leo when he was alive, Lady Dorothy Campbell, Jean Wales (Malcolm's daugther) and anyone who was involved with the Campbell family , I could find (about 270 people!) It was The Blue Bird for ALL of Sir Malcolm's cars, boat's, yahcts and aeroplanes. His last record breaker Blue Bird K4 was used by Donald and retained the name as was, then named his own record breakers Bluebird, one word. As I have said I have seen Malcolm's craft called BLUEBIRD, alwayd in capitals, but never by Malcolm or Leo, and it was after all his!!!! The play is also "The Blue Bird". If you read the reviews of Leap into Legend on www.amazon.co.uk, you'll see I have actually researched it!!!

Ok, so Blue-Bird it is.;)

[Pullman99]

I did not want to start another thread but this is a related topic, and slightly OT as well!

Just noticed on the Motor Boats Monthly site whilst looking for an item on the plan to rescue the Denny built, ex-Southern Rilway, paddle steamer PS Ryde from dereliction on the Isle of Wight - but that's another story - that there was an item on the forthcoming sale at Bonhams on the 24th March of one of Sir Malcolm Campbell's trophies. This is a silver model of the single step hydroplane Blue Bird K3 that was presented to Sir Malcolm to mark his first World Water Speed Record set on Lake Maggiore on the 1st September 1937 at 126.33 mph. The estimate is £35K to £50K.

Possibly the current economic situation has required the trophy's present owner to offer it for sale but I always think it's a bit sad when these items appear that so much of our transport related artefacts - and in this case, with links to a national hero - are valued at such a high level that it normally precludes a recognised museum from acquiring them. I am not aware of the circumstances of this sale but I seem to recall that this, or a similar trophy, was in a collection fairly recently. Foulkes-Halbard at Filching Manor or Don Sidebottom (Lakeland Motor Museum) perhaps?

Edited by Pullman99, 19 February 2010 - 09:22.

[f1steveuk]

Ian, you must mean this?



The ones at Filching were the 1935 car and the Goblin engined K4. The one above, was listed in Sir Malcolm's deed boxes, but I believe, as per his instructions in his will, this trophy was selected by Reg Whiteman, (his footman) as a token. One assumes it is now either being sold out of the family, or was sometime ago. Lovely thing isn't it??

Most of these silver models are still within the family, I have records of this one, and one of the 1935 car, with a clock in one wheel, and a barometer in the other, being elsewhere, but who knows!!!?

[dretceterini]

To add further confusion, my copy of Douglas Young-James' "Donald Campbell: An informal biography" shows Bluebird as one word in all instances, and claims the cars were named after a play by Maerterlinck that Campbell attended at the Haymarket Theater in 1911. According to the author, Campbell was going to name his 1910 Vanderbilt Cup Darracq Flapper III, but decided to change the name after seeing the play..

[T54]

[Pullman99]

Ian, you must mean this? The ones at Filching were the 1935 car and the Goblin engined K4. The one above, was listed in Sir Malcolm's deed boxes, but I believe, as per his instructions in his will, this trophy was selected by Reg Whiteman, (his footman) as a token. One assumes it is now either being sold out of the family, or was sometime ago. Lovely thing isn't it??

Morning Steve!

Yes, that's the one and many thanks for that information Possibly now valued at more than the real thing when the Thorpe Park "collection" was sold on. Anyway, once again, Bluebirds and Blue Birds (various) go to the top of the Forum!

Regards

Ian.

Edited by Pullman99, 19 February 2010 - 09:27.

[Pullman99]

Oh, by the way, this is the PS Ryde in case anyone was wondering! A minor OT diversion.



You can visit their website for more info.

PS Ryde website

[smarjoram]

When did he start calling his cars Bluebird or Blue Bird? Apparently the play was on at the Haymarket in 1909. Would this V12 Sunbeam from 1924 be a Bluebird?

[Vitesse2]

The first reference in The Times to Captain Campbell driving "The Blue Bird" [sic with the definite article in quotes] refers to a Lorraine-Dietrich. Date? April 6th 1920, which seems to pre-date what Steve found and also David Tremayne's research referenced by Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia....eaking_vehicles

By April 1923 "Blue Bird" refers to a Peugeot, but there's then a gap until 1928, with several references to "Blue Bird" as a record car. More in 1929, with several items about its appearance in the Lord Mayor's Show - all but one as "Blue Bird" and then a Castrol advert in 1930.

A BP advert from February 5th 1927 is the first reference to "Bluebird", which can also be found in a Vickers advert on July 5th 1927. Reuters were using "Bluebird" by February 1928 and there are two Ferodo "Bluebird" adverts in 1929.

Checking Google News, which is mostly American papers, between 1925 and 1930 the split is 52 Bluebird, 35 Blue Bird, with the earliest for each being:

Bluebird: 1925 (Rochester and Beaver Daily Times)
Blue Bird: 1927 (New York Times)

However, those are isolated ones. 1928 is probably the most representative year, with 19 for Blue Bird and 33 for Bluebird.

Looks like we can blame those 'Mericans again ....;)

Edited by Vitesse2, 20 February 2010 - 01:57.

[f1steveuk]

I am not going to trust my brain, but I'm sure the first Blue Bird was a Darraq, after Flappers 1,2 and 3, but I'll be blowed if I can remember what year, and I don't have a copy of my book, anywhere! I think it was 1912. Just to repeat, Malcolm used Blue Bird as in the play, two words, although when in capitals BLUEBIRD. Donald used BLUEBIRD one word for his own versions. Malcolm took to calling everything Blue Bird, and it was registered as "The Blue Bird" by Malcolm in 1913.

Edited by f1steveuk, 20 February 2010 - 13:55.

[hansfohr]

As far as Malcolm's record chasing cars are concerned the 1924 'Pendine Sands' Sunbeam was the first to be nicked 'Bluebird'.

Considering the discussion about the right spelling: if I am well informed Malcolm raced an Itala at Goodwood which featured the name 'The Blue Bird' on its bonnet.

[f1steveuk]

As far as Malcolm's record chasing cars are concerned the 1924 'Pendine Sands' Sunbeam was the first to be nicked 'Bluebird'.

Considering the discussion about the right spelling: if I am well informed Malcolm raced an Itala at Goodwood which featured the name 'The Blue Bird' on its bonnet.

Really? The Goodwood that was opened AFTER Brooklands was closed, after he retired from cars and had switched to the water speed record in 1937??? I'd be very surprised!

The 350HP Sunbeam was indeed the first car Malcolm used for the land speed record that he called Blue Bird, but he had quite a list of cars before that with the same name, which included Italas, Lorraines, Darraqs and Sunbeams.

[hansfohr]

Really? The Goodwood that was opened AFTER Brooklands was closed, after he retired from cars and had switched to the water speed record in 1937??? I'd be very surprised!

Sorry, quite a typo from my side. Of course I meant Brooklands where he won the 1924 BARC July meeting in the Itala.

[f1steveuk]

Sorry, quite a typo from my side. Of course I meant Brooklands where he won the 1924 BARC July meeting in the Itala.

No problem, at least there's a link!!

[eldougo]

I think this thread needs a bit of color ...Bluebird.


Reading this artical in On4 Wheels they spell Bluebird like i have 12 times so is would take it as that.....Bluebird.

[hansfohr]

That's the Bluebird-Proteus CN7, the first to use a gasturbine engine for landspeedrecord purposes. On its first run at Bonneville (1960) David Campbell crashed heavily and fracturing his skull. After the 2nd attempt at Lake Eyre (1963) literally fell into the water he finally earned succes a year later at the same venue. Averaging 648.73 km/h David broke the landspeedrecord for fourwheeled cars (Class A), but was frustrated he couldn't beat Breedlove's tricycled record.

[RogerFrench]

Hans, you mean Donald, I think?

[hansfohr]

Hans, you mean Donald, I think?

Of course him!

Edited by hansfohr, 22 February 2010 - 16:49.

[f1steveuk]

That's the Bluebird-Proteus CN7, the first to use a gasturbine engine for landspeedrecord purposes. On its first run at Bonneville (1960) David Campbell crashed heavily and fracturing his skull. After the 2nd attempt at Lake Eyre (1963) literally fell into the water he finally earned succes a year later at the same venue. Averaging 648.73 km/h David broke the landspeedrecord for fourwheeled cars (Class A), but was frustrated he couldn't beat Breedlove's tricycled record.

I think there was one gas turbine powered car before CN7, where CN7 differed was that the turbine shaft was used to drive two gearboxes thus giving four wheel drive, and of course making it a wheel driven contender, which is what the reg's required at the time for a land speed record..

I'm going from memory, but I think Campbell crashed in Bonneville on run 16, on which he hit 360 mph before the car lost grip and rolled. He did indeed fracture his skull, for the third time (previously in motorcycle accidents in his twenties). His Lake Eyre attempt of 1963 was rained off, and in 1964 he succeeded in raising the record. In '63 the salt of Lake Eyre was in a bad way, and CN7 punched holes through to the gypsum below many times.

Breedlove's record was for the new class for thrust driven vehicles, although technically a sidecar, it was the outright speed record, once the rule book had been re-written!!

[ensign14]

From Sir Malcolm's last:

 

[P0wderf1nger]

When did he start calling his cars Bluebird or Blue Bird? Apparently the play was on at the Haymarket in 1909.
 

Nice to see this thread resuscitated.

 

I can help with the when, and which car was the first to be called Blue Bird - Blue Bird I, to be precise.

In 1911 Campbell met with little success with a Darracq (The Flapper, named after a race horse) and a Peugot (Flapper II), so he bought the Darracq in which Victor Hemery had won the Vanderbilt Cup in 1909. He toyed with idea of calling this Flapper III but concluded that since the name had brought him no luck he'd go with something else, and the title of the Maeterlinck play came to mind.

 

He debuted Blue Bird I at Brooklands' Easter Meeting of 1912, winning the 100mph Short Handicap and the Winners' Handicap.

[GMACKIE]

In his book 'Wizard of Oz', Clinton Walker writes that Malcolm Campbell used Blue Bird, whereas Donald "steamlined it to one".

[Lee Nicolle]

Whats this, shades of Burt Monroe. Saving ink!