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National Motor Museum mechanics in the UK have found a couple of curiosities during the beginning of the restoration of Land Speed Record breaker Sunbeam 1000hp, the NMM said today. A 1920s wooden handle screwdriver, which was used by one of the original mechanics before Major Henry Segrave broke the 200-mph record, had been dropped into the filler neck of its engine oil tank while he checked the levels – and stayed inside for almost a century.
You might say it ran like the Dickens…with no word on Little Nell. However, that phrase had nothing to do with the beloved novelist who wrote the Old Curiosity Shop. A preserved shilling with a 1921 date was found in solidified oil on top of the rear suspension spring when bodywork was taken off to expose the chassis. An adjustable spanner from the time of its landmark run was also uncovered, after being similarly ‘glued’ to the chassis with vegetable-based Castrol R oil.
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“It’s the first 200mph screwdriver, which couldn’t have been taken out of the oil tank because it was buried under the engine. We cleaned out the tank where the oil had solidified, using hot water and detergent, and after shaking the tank the vintage screwdriver eventually tipped out, “said National Motor Museum Senior Engineer Ian Stanfield. “After the LSR breaking run, the oil would have stuck like glue on top of the chassis, which is where we made the other discoveries.”
The Sunbeam 1000hp Restoration Campaign was launched with Hampshire-based Brookspeed Automotive in March. To help raise the profile of the vehicle’s centenary celebrations and fundraising campaign – through individual donations and corporate sponsorship – there are plans to take it to Europe and on tour to motoring museums across America. Opportunities will also be offered for schools, colleges and universities to get involved with STEM workshops and activities.
The Sunbeam’s two 22.5-liter engines, yes 22.5-liters, each produced 435 bhp, but have not run since before World War II more than 80 years ago. Corrosion, no stranger to older cars, attacked the internal pieces. With careful rebuilding, using specialist knowledge and custom parts, National Motor Museum engineers “will recapture the sounds, sights and smells of this ground-breaking machine and help to preserve it for future generations” NMM said.
Designed and built solely to break the 200mph barrier, this powerful machine was once the fastest car in the world. For footage of the Sunbeam’s record-breaking runs, go to Beaulieu’s YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/user/MotorMuseum.
More Funds are now needed to complete the restoration project. Donations for the Sunbeam 1000hp Restoration Campaign can be made online at https://nationalmotormuseum.org.uk/sunbeam-1000hp-restoration-campaign/.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
Old Curiosities Found During Sunbeam LSR Restoration
Click for more nostalgia.
National Motor Museum mechanics in the UK have found a couple of curiosities during the beginning of the restoration of Land Speed Record breaker Sunbeam 1000hp, the NMM said today. A 1920s wooden handle screwdriver, which was used by one of the original mechanics before Major Henry Segrave broke the 200-mph record, had been dropped into the filler neck of its engine oil tank while he checked the levels – and stayed inside for almost a century.
You might say it ran like the Dickens…with no word on Little Nell. However, that phrase had nothing to do with the beloved novelist who wrote the Old Curiosity Shop. A preserved shilling with a 1921 date was found in solidified oil on top of the rear suspension spring when bodywork was taken off to expose the chassis. An adjustable spanner from the time of its landmark run was also uncovered, after being similarly ‘glued’ to the chassis with vegetable-based Castrol R oil.
Click for more information.
“It’s the first 200mph screwdriver, which couldn’t have been taken out of the oil tank because it was buried under the engine. We cleaned out the tank where the oil had solidified, using hot water and detergent, and after shaking the tank the vintage screwdriver eventually tipped out, “said National Motor Museum Senior Engineer Ian Stanfield. “After the LSR breaking run, the oil would have stuck like glue on top of the chassis, which is where we made the other discoveries.”
The Sunbeam 1000hp Restoration Campaign was launched with Hampshire-based Brookspeed Automotive in March. To help raise the profile of the vehicle’s centenary celebrations and fundraising campaign – through individual donations and corporate sponsorship – there are plans to take it to Europe and on tour to motoring museums across America. Opportunities will also be offered for schools, colleges and universities to get involved with STEM workshops and activities.
The Sunbeam’s two 22.5-liter engines, yes 22.5-liters, each produced 435 bhp, but have not run since before World War II more than 80 years ago. Corrosion, no stranger to older cars, attacked the internal pieces. With careful rebuilding, using specialist knowledge and custom parts, National Motor Museum engineers “will recapture the sounds, sights and smells of this ground-breaking machine and help to preserve it for future generations” NMM said.
Designed and built solely to break the 200mph barrier, this powerful machine was once the fastest car in the world. For footage of the Sunbeam’s record-breaking runs, go to Beaulieu’s YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/user/MotorMuseum.
More Funds are now needed to complete the restoration project. Donations for the Sunbeam 1000hp Restoration Campaign can be made online at https://nationalmotormuseum.org.uk/sunbeam-1000hp-restoration-campaign/.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn. He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe. Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap. AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks. Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.