Thursday 5th February 1931

Captain Malcolm Campbell established a new World Land Speed Record of 246.09 mph on Verneuk Pan, South Africa driving the 23.9 litre supercharged aero engine powered Campbell-Napier-Railton Blue Bird. On the first pass he became the first man to break the 250 mph barrier. Campbell was knighted for this effort. The name Blue Bird was originally inspired by the play of that name by Maurice Maeterlinck,and the vehicles were painted a shade of pale blue. Malcolm Campbell had a succession of Darracq racing cars in the 1920s, which in the fashion of the day he had named ‘Flapper I’ , ‘Flapper II’ and ‘Flapper III’ . It was ‘Flapper III’ which he renamed after seeing the play, famously and impetuously knocking up a paint shop owner at night, so as to purchase blue paint before racing at Brooklands the following day. In 1925, he also raced an Itala at Brooklands with the name ‘The Blue Bird’ painted on the bonnet. Whereas Malcolm named his vehicle’s ‘Blue Bird’ his son, Donald broke water and land speed records in “Bluebirds”.