Project Petrolhead

I recently found myself in the lake district for a couple of days, and used that as an excuse to visit somewhere I have wanted to go for years.

As patrons of the automotive arts, we owe a lot to Donald Malcolm Campbell, the man who pushed the boundary of speed for anyone who followed him. Born in 1921, he held no less than 8 world speed record in his lifetime, conquering both land and water in his famous Bluebird vehicles; the 403mph Bluebird CN7 Jet-Car and the Bluebird K7 jet-powered Hydroplane.

On January 4th 1967, Donald Campbell attempted to break his own record, aiming to achieve a speed of over 300mph on the surface of Coniston Water. In order to claim the record, he had to run Bluebird K7 in two directions; North to South and South to North. Achieving a speed surpassing 320mph, Campbell set off on the return run too soon after finishing his first, meaning the surface of the lake was still choppy and hadn’t had chance to settle. Somewhere between 270 and 280mph, Bluebird K7 became airborne. It flipped over backwards and collided with the surface of the lake. Donald Campbell was killed instantly. From his death in 1967 until 2001, Campbell’s body remained in Coniston lake, a fitting resting place for a man who loved that area so dearly.

The Bluebird wing of the Ruskin Museum is an eerie place. As somebody who spends a fair amount of time in museums, I expected some form of background noise, or maybe an informational video. But not here. Front and centre is Bluebird K7, restored to it’s former glory, a marvel of engineering. Placed next to it on a simple plinth is what remains of the original wreckage. An unrecognisable mass of twisted steel. A stark reminder that, by forging the cutting edge, it’s very easy to get cut.

You can’t help but admire the man and his commitment to stretching the definition of speed and it seems that he died doing what he truly loved, a fate that is rarely awarded, except to those who devote themselves completely to the pursuit of their dreams. I left the Ruskin Museum with a new found appreciation for the pioneers that came before me, and decided to go for a drive down to the water’s edge. As I woke up the Jaguar XK, I had a thought. I too, was heading down to Coniston Water in something fast and blue.

I think Donald would have liked that.