Speed Machines - Ch 4 20:00 tonight 10th

[Steve Pyro]

Last weeks programme having covered Bentley and Mercedes, this evenings programme covers more motoring history.

Whilst not directly about circuit racing, this should interest those with a passion for the Land Speed Record (well me anyway).
The documentary covers the competition in the '20s and '30s between Sir Malcolm Campbell and Henry Segrave for the speed record.
The sound of huge Rolls Royce and Napier aero engines fitted to big sleak cars pounding down beaches and salt flats should be reason enough alone to set the video.

[mgmark]

And wasn't that just a grand programme?   Heady patriotic stuff when England was great.   Loads of good archive footage - some that I certainly hadn't seen before, like the attempts made on Pendine sands - and wonderful sounds.   Real hero material stuff - with an 81 litre, triple aero-engined car who needs a turbocharger and electronic engine mapping?  

[pretzel]

Yep, very interesting programme. I have to pick you up on one thing though Mark - it was not just England that was great but Britian. After all Parry-Thomas was about as Welsh as they come. I write here as an Englishman, but resident in Wales.

For anyone with a passing interest in this stuff there is a small museum at Pendine, which features a restored 'Babs' on display in the summer months. Don't ask me why only in summer - perhaps it's because no-one in their right mind visits these parts in the winter. (Except rally fans of course but they're a different race anyway....)

[mgmark]

Sorry - unintentional slip - you are, of course absolutely right as this was pre-devolution (dare one say when Britain had an empire?   Not sure why Babs is only there in the summer months, but you may find that it doing the circuits or is on display somewhere else like Brooklands at other times.   Saw and heard the 1000hp Sunbeam running at the Weston-Super-Mare speed trials about 10 years ago - awesome!

[Steve Pyro]

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[Steve Pyro]

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[Steve Pyro]

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[Rhino]

Visited the museum at Pendine this year, it's free to get in, has a short film about the record attempts. Also has some motorbikes (Nortons i think) which broke records there.
Walked on the beach afterwards, highly impressive.

[Chef]

i also wne there a few years ago. was dead impressed by the steep banking. must have been scary going around that at speed. also saw an old w12 engine which they fired up. hell, was that loud. great place to go for an insite at how it used to be