Object of the Week: The Bluebird Electric car which Don Wales broke the speed record in

This article originally appeared on Culture24.

This week we bring you an electric car zoomed to a speed record by Sir Malcolm Campbell's grandson

The Bluebird Electric broke the British electric speed record for the first time at Elvington runway in May 1997, roaring at a speed of 116mph.

After further developments and improvements, the speed machine raised the record to 137mph in August 2000, reaching a maximum speed of 160mph – a record which stood for 12 years.

It was developed and remains owned by Don Wales, the grandson of Sir Malcolm Campbell, the man who smashed the land speed record of 300mph almost 80 years ago, on September 3 2015.

To mark the anniversary, Wales has loaned the car to the Lakeland Motor Museum in Cumbria, where you can also see a copy of the original 1935 Bluebird car and replicas of Campbell’s 1939 boat Bluebird K4 and his son’s legendary 1967 Jet Hydroplane Bluebird K7 and 1937 Bentley.

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More Objects of the Week:

The 90-year-old Gardner 4T5 at the Anson Engine Museum in Cheshire

A bible baked in a loaf of bread from 16th century southern France

An 18th century anti-slavery brooch inspired by Josiah Wedgwood

Source: http://www.culture24.org.uk/history-and-heritage/transport-and-industry/art533410-object-week-bluebird-electric-car-don-wales-broke-speed-record