Sir Malcolm Campbell’s world land speed record-breaking car, the Sunbeam 350hp he called Blue Bird, is due to be started today for the first time in more than 50 years.
The vehicle set a land speed record of 146.16mph/235.226kph in 1924 at Pendine Sands in west Wales.
It was last heard publicly in 1962 when Lord Montagu of Beaulieu and Sir Malcolm’s son Donald each drove the vehicle around the track at Goodwood.
Since then the Beaulieu National Motor Museum workshop team and volunteers have completed a mechanical rebuild of the engine which started in 2007.
The start up is due to take place at noon outside the museum entrance at Brockenhurst in Hampshire.
Work on restoring the Sunbeam started in earnest in 2007 with Beaulieu’s team enlisting the help of the Sunbeam Talbot Darracq Register to find parts, specialist services and skills to undertake the rebuild.
Mechanics had tried to start the engine in 1994 but an explosion put paid to further work and the car went back on display with a hole in the crankcase.
Campbell’s choice of Blue Bird as a name for the car stuck with vehicles the family used for land and water speed record attempts until Donald lost his life on Coniston Water in January 1967.