Talk:Bluebird record-breaking vehicles
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Three Darracqs, and a mystery
editThe introduction explains the origins of the 'Blue Bird' name stating "Malcolm Campbell had a succession of Darracq racing cars in the 1920s...". Except there is evidence of Campbell racing a Darracq at Brooklands in 1911, and further evidence via a photograph of three Darracqs outside Campbell's house dated 19 July 1913, two of them identified as Campbell 'Blue Bird's.
"... which in the fashion of the day he had named 'Flapper I' , 'Flapper II' and 'Flapper III' . It was 'Flapper III' which he renamed...". The problem here is twofold; firstly the term 'Flapper' was not in widespread use as early as 1911, and secondly the handful of contemporary photographs available only show Darracqs named 'Blue Bird'.
Going back in time, three 'four-inch' Darracqs were entered in the 1908 Isle of Man TT race, a nine-lap 339-mile feat of endurance. 'Four-inch' refers to an engine category where bore-size was limited to four inches (~100mm), such that a four cylinder car would have a total displacement of approximately 5-litres.
Results for the Darracqs from the 1908 IOM TT race;
- 2nd place; Sir Algernon Lee Guinness (race number 4)
- 3rd place; Arthur George (race number 17)
- 7th place; Sir Alfred Rawlinson (race number 30)
Unfortunately at this point, the 1994 motorsportmagazine.com article by Bill Boddy leaves many of us scratching our heads trying to unravel the detailed fate of each car. A later analysis by the Surrey Vintage Vehicle Society (svvs.org) attempts to bring some clarity. One thing that doesn't help anybody is changes in the bodywork, so that by 1913 these cars appear as three entirely different vehicles. A second aspect is that there were clearly shenanigans regarding the number plates.
It appears that after the 1908 TT race, Rawlinson (race number 30) also acquired race number 4, which by 1913 may well have ended up with Sir Algernon's younger brother Kenelm carrying registration LA-9513. Meanwhile Arthur George's race number 17 fetched up in Wales in 1910 with registration D-2578, was raced at Brooklands in 1911 by Campbell, and sold on to Neville Minchin wearing BJ-578 by 1913. Motoring journalist Bill Boddy suggests that at Brooklands in 1911 Campbell already owned a 'larger' Darracq (1906, 10½ litre) named 'Flapper', but by 1912 this had become his first 'Blue Bird', running alongside 'Blue Bird II' (BJ-578), presumably competing in different engine classes. It is therefore 'Blue Bird II' that was sold to Minchin, whilst car registration LN-870 must be Rawlinson's car number 30, which somehow also ended up with Campbell, becoming 'Blue Bird III'. Either that or it came from a different source entirely.
Not strictly related, but the Campbell / Kenelm Guinness connection continued with the Sunbeam 350hp, which was previously owned by Kenelm Lee Guinness who used it to set a new Land Speed Record in May 1922, some two years before Malcolm Campbell raised that figure using the same car.