Evan Green, Australian rally driver, motoring journalist, PR man/marketer and entrepreneur was a key member of Donald Campbell’s team that helped deliver the plucky Brit and his Balmy Army of friends, supporters and sponsors his World Land Speed Record aboard the Bluebird CN7 Proteus in 1964.
Evan’s slide collection recently came up for auction on eBay. Many thanks to my mate Stephen Dalton for flicking me the link. The low res images have been sharpened and enhanced with the help of WordPress, the end result should be reasonably kosher.
Bluebird on the way to the salt at Muloorina Station (big farm). I’ve done this topic to death, so lets allow the pics to do the talking, my main piece is this one:https://primotipo.com/2014/07/16/50-years-ago-today-17-july-1964-donald-campbell-broke-the-world-land-speed-record-in-bluebird-at-lake-eyre-south-australia-a-speed-of-403-10-mph/ Consequently, the captions are at the minimal end of things.
Setting up shop.
Lake Eyre in flood, May 4, 1964, nothing a set of wets on the ‘bird wouldn’t fix.
DC at the controls of an Aero Commander, Campbell and Tonia below.
This Elfin Catalina Ford #6313, was used for tyre testing/development. See here:https://primotipo.com/2022/04/17/bluebirds-elfin-catalina/
Car make and bloke’s name folks?
Fuel alchemy, hardness of salt test or a mix of home brew in process?
DC and Tonia, if you can help with any of the names do let me know.
Toyota Land Cruisers are revered in the bush, first winning their spurs as indestructible, reliable workhorses on the Snowy Mountains Scheme a decade before, at a time ‘The Japs’ was said with vitriol.
More here:https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-04-19/world-record-on-lake-eyre-1964/103746322?utm_source=abc_news_app&utm_medium=content_shared&utm_campaign=abc_news_app&utm_content=link and this:https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-hampshire-28308864 and here:https://youtu.be/fqnHYACrVhQ?si=fW1Pf2qeZC-OaJvy and here:https://youtu.be/cruT46lzPr8?si=Wsc7Qo0s2YIaarS5
Sunrise and ready to rock…
Etcetera…
Bluebird exits Lake Eyre stage left on May 18, 1963 due to weather. It returned…
Museums Victoria, ‘Scale model of Donald Campbell’s ‘Bluebird’ which set a new world land speed record of 403.10 mph (648.783 kph) on Lake Eyre in South Australia on 17 July 1964.’
‘Power was provided by a Bristol-Siddeley Proteus gas turbine engine.’
‘This 1:12 model was built for the Museum in 1966. It was previously displayed with one of the original Dunlop wheels from the Bluebird which is held in the Museum’s collection.’
‘The original vehicle was built by Norris Brothers Ltd in the UK and was designated the Campbell-Norris 7 (CN7).’
Model-maker, RD Ramsay, St Kilda in 1966, the model was commissioned by Museums Victoria.
Credits…
Even Green photograps via the Stephen Dalton Collection, Getty Images, Museums Victoria, Benjamin Healley, Jeff Carter, Laurie Shea
Finito…
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