Seeking Sunbeam saviours



The National Motor Museum, Beaulieu, located in the South of England, is trying to identify any workers who helped built Sir Henry Segrave's Land Speed Record-breaking 1927 Sunbeam.

The 4-ton, 7.16-metre-long car was built at Sunbeam's Wolverhampton works with goal of being the first vehicle to break the 200mph (321km/h) barrier. With Segrave at the helm, the car met the mark on the 29th March 1927 at Daytona Beach in Florida, USA, recording a top speed of 203.792mph (327.971km/h) over the flying mile.

"Powered by two 22.45-litre Sunbeam 'Matabele' aero engines"

Described by as The National Motor Museum as "a miracle of engineering", it was powered by two 22.45-litre Sunbeam 'Matabele' aero engines. Delivering a combined 1000hp (746kw), the motors were installed behind and in front of the driver, linked together and driven through a three-speed transmission. Almost every part of the car was built in Great Britain.

Family ties

One worker has already been identified with the help of Amanda Pettit, the great-granddaughter of Joseph Anslow, who was Sunbeam’s chief bodyworker on the project. Pettit reached out to the museum when she came across a picture that shows her great grandfather pushing the car, nicknamed 'The Slug', out of the factory. The image was published by the institution as part of an appeal for funds to help restore the vehicle.

Pettit said: "The Sunbeam project became his life and he was immensely proud of it. I think he was sad to see it go when it left the factory. On the day the picture was taken, his wife told him to stand in the front and put his cap on so he would be recognised."

Anslow's family said that he referred to Sunbeam as his 'baby' and his wife joked that he thought more of the car than her.

Back to Daytona

The museum has already started sympathetic restoration of the car. The Sunbeam 1000hp Restoration Campaign aims to raise £300,000 to restore 'The Slug' and take it back in 2027 to Daytona Beach in Florida for the 100th anniversary of its record-breaking run. The museum says the process will be fully documented through filming and blogs.

The Sunbeam under construction

National Motor Museum chief executive, Jon Murden, said: "We'd love to hear from any families of those involved in building the 1000hp back in 1926 and 1927. The museum exists to tell the story of motoring, and family memories can really add a personal touch to something that has such an important place in our national heritage. We'd love to uncover and record memories before they fade."

(Words: Newspress and Philip Devine | Pics: Newspress)

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