Sunbeam Bluebird at Pembrey

Once the fastest car in the world, the world famous Sunbeam Bluebird car is at Pendine’s Museum of Speed for the next few weeks.
Malcolm Campbell broke the World Land Speed record driving this Sunbeam Bluebird on Pendine sands on September 25, 1924, with a speed of 146.16mph.
All Campbells’ racing cars were named Bluebird by him, and each one was painted in a distinctive blue.
He bought the Sunbeam in 1923 and made several attempts at the land speed record in it before breaking the record in 1924.
Campbell also raced in the Sunbeam Bluebird at Pendine in July 1925 but this was the car’s final appearance on the beach.
Campbell’s next and last record record-creaking attempt at Pendine in January 1927 was in the next Bluebird.
This car also broke the land speed record at 174.2mph.
The Sunbeam Bluebird belongs to the National Motor Museum at Beaulieu and will be on show at Pendine from now until June 21.
Pendine is one of Carmarthenshire County Council’s museums.
Museums officer Ann Dorsett said: “The Sunbeam Bluebird held the World Land Speed Record on three separate occasions and at two different locations.
“Only very brave men dared drive this, the fastest car in the world, when it first appeared in 1919.
“We are really pleased to have her on loan to Pendine and think she will prove a popular attraction for visitors.”
The Sunbeam’s 12-cylinder 18.322cc engine, developing 350 horse-power, was derived from a First World War Sunbeam Manitou aero-engine used by the RNAS in coastal command sea-planes.
Louis Coatalen, Sunbeam’s brilliant designer, used to run his aeroplane engines under development in car chassis as an expediency, and dubbed them ‘Toodles’.
She became ‘Bluebird’ when Malcolm Campbell bought her, having been captivated by a Maetterlinck play of that name at the Haymarket Theatre, whose theme was the ever-elusive pursuit of happiness – ideal for one ambitious to be fastest on earth.
In later life, the Sunbeam Bluebird passed through several hands, including those of bandleader Billy Cotton, before being rescued from near dereliction and scrappage.
Finally she was acquired by the National Motor Museum at Beaulieu where she was fastidiously restored to full running order by engineers Warne and Bill Perkins.
Entry to the Museum of Speed is free.
In race-modified form, engine power came on suddenly with a bang between 1500 and its maximum 2000 rpm, making this machine a terror to handle. Campbell averred it was the fastest-accelerating car he ever drove. In its career it suffered many a mishap.
One afternoon in May, 1922, Kenelm Lee Guinness (of KLG spark-plug fame) recorded 129.17 mph over the ‘flying mile’ at Brooklands under the ‘new rules’ which required the mean of two runs in opposite directions within one hour. This held until 26 June, 1924, when JGP (‘Parry’) Thomas in the Thomas Special achieved 129.73 mph.
That was the limit of Brooklands’s ‘capability’ for WLSR attempts, as the return run was impossibly tight. Pendine, where there was room enough, was licensed by the RAC for higher speeds - 150 and 180 mph being the immediate objectives.
In September, 1924, Campbell and Blue Bird achieved the WLSR by a tenuous 00.14 sec from that held by EA Aldridge’s FIAT, when he returned an average of 146.16mph, here at Pendine.
Campbell knew the old girl could do better than that and spent the winter with his engineer, Leo Villa, in drastic modification: engine revision, proper exhaust pipe and new bodywork - including a very long tail!
After one abortive attempt at Pendine in March, 1925, when the weather was spiteful, he returned in June and saw a triumphant 150.87 mph. That, he knew, was the limit of Blue Bird’s capability.