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An important display of Donald Campbell memorabilia, including…
Sale Title:
Auction House:
Auction Location:
Melbourne
Date:
24-May-2009
Lot No.
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Description:
An important display of Donald Campbell memorabilia, including a Commonwealth of Australia One Pound note, with descriptive plaque reading 'This pound note was the fastest in the world on land in 1964. Donald Campbell borrowed it from Graham Ferrett when he broke the land speed record at Lake Eyre, South Australia, 17th July, 1964. This was so he had some money on him in case of a fatal accident'; in common mount with a rectangular brass plaque impressed with a motif in the form of a blue bird with lettering 'Blue Bird' below, in common mount with a plaque reading 'This plaque was one of a limited number used on the Bluebird record breaking cars and boats owned and used by Sir Malcolm Campbell and his son the late Donald Campbell during their careers'; a letter from Campbell's widow Tonia Bern Campbell, confirming that the plaque was given '...by my late husband to Graham Ferrett for his wonderful work as Australian Director of the successful land and speed record attempts in 1964'; the display also includes two navy blue ties commemorating the Campbells' 1964 land and water speed records and three black and white photographs taken at the attempts including one showing Graham Ferrett with Donald and Tonia Bern Campbell, framed Overall 121 cm. x 99 cm., Donald Campbell CBE (1921-1967), world speed record holder, was the son of Sir Malcolm Campbell, who himself broke 14 world speed records in the 1920s and 1930s in his famous Bluebird craft. Donald aspired to be a fighter pilot but after joining the Raf in 1939 he was discharged after it was discovered that he had suffered from rheumatic fever as a child. After his father's death in 1948, Donald turned his attention to reclaiming his father's speed records. Between 1955-59 in the jet-powered Bluebird K7, he raised the water speed record several times from 202.32 m.p.h. to 260.35 m.p.h. In the early 1960s he turned his attention to the land speed record in Bluebird-Proteus CN7. In 1963, after a high speed crash at Bonneville Salt flats in Utah the vehicle was rebuilt for an attempt at a salt flat, Lake Eyre, in South Australia. However, torrential rain curtailed Campbell's plans until the following year. On 17 July, 1964 Campbell set a a land speed record for a four-wheeled vehicle of 403.10 m.p.h. He then moved back to the water for a record attempt at Lake Dumbleyung, near Perth, Wa. On New Year's Eve, 1964 Campbell achieved a water speed record of 276.33 m.p.h. To date he is the only person to break both land and speed records in the same year. In 1967, at Coniston Water, Lancs., during an attempt to break the 300 m.p.h. barrier on water Donald Campbell was killed when Bluebird K7 left the water, somersaulted and broke apart
Estimate:
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Price:
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Category:
Unclassified