Bluebird record-breaking vehicles explained

Blue Bird or Bluebird is the name of various cars and boats used by Sir Malcolm Campbell, his son Donald and other family members to set land and water speed records.

Origins of the name

The name Blue Bird was originally inspired by the play of that name by Maurice Maeterlinck,^[1] and the vehicles were painted a shade of azure blue.

Malcolm Campbell had a succession of Darracq racing cars in the 1920s, which in the fashion of the day he had named 'Flapper I' , 'Flapper II' and 'Flapper III' . It was 'Flapper III' which he renamed after seeing the play, famously and impetuously knocking up a paint shop owner at night, so as to purchase blue paint before racing at Brooklands the following day.^[2]

In 1925, he also raced an Itala at Brooklands with the name 'The Blue Bird' painted on the bonnet.^[3]

Bluebird or Blue Bird?

Malcolm Campbell named them "Blue Bird", Donald "Bluebird".

The hydroplane K4 began life as Malcolm's "Blue Bird", but when Donald decided to use her in 1949, after his father's death, he renamed her "Bluebird".^[2]

Cars

Sir Malcolm Campbell

For completeness, earlier cars raced by Campbell and named 'Blue Bird' are also listed here. Dates are indicative only.

• 1906 Blue Bird; Darracq 10½ litre, originally named 'Flapper'^[4]
• 1911 Blue Bird II; Darracq "Four-inch" BJ-578^{[5] [6]}
• 1912 Blue Bird; Lorraine-Dietrich (race number 5)^[7]
• 1913 Blue Bird III; Darracq "Four-inch" LN-870 (race number 2)^[8]
• 1922 The Blue Bird; Itala 2-litre (race number 5)^[9]
• 1923 Blue Bird; Sunbeam 350HP^[10]
• 1927 Blue Bird II; Napier-Campbell Blue Bird; Napier Lion V engine (ca 500hp)
• 1928 Blue Bird III; Napier-Campbell Blue Bird; rebuilt with Napier Lion VIIA engine (ca 900hp)
• 1931 Blue Bird IV; Campbell-Napier-Railton Blue Bird^[11]
• 1933 Blue Bird V; Campbell-Railton Blue Bird: rebuilt with Rolls-Royce R engine (#R37)^{[12] [13]}
• Chrysler Six Model B-70 1925

Donald Campbell

• Bluebird-Proteus CN7
• Bluebird Mach 1.1 (CMN-8) never built

Donald Wales

Donald Wales, grandson of Malcolm Campbell and nephew of Donald Campbell, has contested the world electric powered land speed record. He was also the test driver for the British Steam Car Inspiration,^[14] which broke the steam-powered land speed record. He was also the driver for Project Runningblade,^[15] setting the world land speed record for a lawnmower.

• Bluebird Electric 2

Boats

Sir Malcolm Campbell

• Blue Bird K3
• Blue Bird K4

Donald Campbell

• Bluebird K4: renamed in 1949, destroyed in 1951
• Bluebird K7: 1955–1967

Gina Campbell

Gina Campbell, daughter of Donald Campbell, has contested the women's world water speed record.

• Agfa Bluebird

See also

• Bluebird of Chelsea
• Bluebird Garage
• List of vehicle speed records

External links

• Bluebird Electric
• Bluebird Project
• "Race For Higher Speed On Land and in Air" Popular Mechanics, March 1933

Notes and References

1. Scott A. G. M. Crawford, "Campbell, Sir Malcolm (1885–1948)", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, Sept 2004; online edn, May 2006 accessed 25 July 2008
2. Book: Tremayne, David . Donald Campbell: The Man Behind the Mask . 0-553-81511-3 . Bantam Books . 2005.
3. Book: Life with the Speed King . Leo Villa and Kevin Desmond . Marshall Harris & Baldwin . London . 0-906116-06-6 . 1979.
4. Web site: Boddy . Bill . Three Darracqs . motorsportmagazine.com . 25 July 2024.
5. Web site: Campbell, Guinness and Minchin, in three Darracqs outside Campbell's house, Bromley, Kent, 19 July 1913 . stilltimecollection.co.uk . 25 July 2024.
6. Web site: Three Darracqs . svvs.org (Surrey Vintage Vehicle Society) . 26 July 2024.
7. Web site: 1912 Lorraine-Dietrich at Brooklands . motoringpicturelibrary.com . 25 July 2024.
8. Web site: 1912 Blue Bird Darracq Malcolm Campbell . motoringpicturelibrary.com . 25 July 2024.
9. Web site: Campbell in 2-litre Itala car at Brooklands . alamy.com . 25 July 2024.
10. Web site: Sunbeam - The Supreme Car . historywebsite.co.uk . 24 July 2024.
11. Web site: news-photo/february-24-1932, Sir Malcolm Campbell and Bluebird-IV . www.gettyimages.co.uk . 24 July 2024.
12. Book: Holter . Steve . Leap into Legend . 2002 . Sigma Press . Wilmslow, Cheshire, UK . 1-85058-804-X . 42 .
13. Web site: Campbell Railton Blue Bird V . www.bluebird-electric.net . 24 July 2024.
14. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/hampshire/7977072.stm Steam car record tests completed
15. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/8389380.stm Lawn mower man eyes speed record