Historic World Landspeed Record Breaker Supports New Speed Record - for Lawnmowers!

BEAULIEU, UNITED KINGDOM – May 21, 2010: This coming weekend at Pendine Sands, 22nd & 23rd May, Project Runningblade will be attempting to beat the current world land speed record for a ride-on lawnmower. Don Wales, co-driver of the successful record breaking steam car attempt last year, and grandson of former land speed record breaker, Sir Malcolm Campbell, will be at the wheel, hoping to take the record over 100mph.

In support of this record attempt, one of Project Runningblade’s proud sponsors, the National Motor Museum at Beaulieu, is sending one of its most popular exhibits, the 1920 350hp Sunbeam to the Museum of Speed at Pendine Sands. The Sunbeam, the original Bluebird, became the first car to break 150 mph, a record that Sir Malcolm Campbell achieved on Pendine Sands in 1925.

A number of other people were chasing the record at that time, including John Parry Thomas in his car ‘Babs’. By 1927 Campbell held the record again at 174.883 mph. One month later, Parry Thomas attempted to raise it still further but Babs skidded and rolled over, killing Thomas.

Babs lay buried and almost forgotten in the sand dunes at Pendine for 42 years until a Bangor engineer Owen Wyn Owen sought, and received permission, to dig her up and restored her to her former glory. Eventually, after 16 years of dedicated work, Owen completed the car’s restoration. She is now preserved as a landmark of motoring history and is show and filmed at many locations including Pendine.

Sir Malcolm Campbell’s Bluebird will be on display at the Museum of Speed at Pendine Sands until 20th June. During this time, Babs will take Bluebird’s place among the world land speed record breakers in the National Motor Museum, offering visitors to Beaulieu a unique opportunity to see this historic car.