Donald Campbell's Bluebird from 1961; this original car was wrecked in a crash and rebuilt in 1962/3 to almost exactly the same design. The first trials of the rebuilt Bluebird CN7 took place in Australia in May 1963, with the world land speed record being set at 403.10 mph at Lake Eyre on 17th July, 1964 after months of torrential rain and flooding.

I've seen the real car at Beaulieu - it is very imposing and a very sensuous looking car, beautifully sculpted, shame about the yakky colour though.

I was brought up on a farm in Cumbria, near Coniston Water. In 1967 when Donald Campbell killed himself in his boat on the lake I was 11 years old and in my last term at the village school. On the day it happened I went home for lunch as usual and the news of his crash was on The World at One. My parents and I finished our lunch, got in the car and went for a drive round the lake to see if we could see anything - not the best response on reflection, what if there had been something to see? As it was there was nothing at all. He had gone, completely, without a trace of wreckage.

This is the first version of the Corgi model. It was replaced the next year with one with plastic wheels, this one has turned alloy wheels and rubber tyres.

diecast.plus.com

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