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LOT 15:
CAMPBELL DONALD: (1921-1967)
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Sold for: €180
Start price:
€
200
Estimated price :
€200 - €300
Buyer's Premium: 25.5%
VAT: 17%
On commission only
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CAMPBELL DONALD: (1921-1967)
‘I only hope that we can be successful in frustrating American endeavours!’
CAMPBELL DONALD: (1921-1967) British Car & Motorboat Racer, World Land and Water Speed Record Holder in the 1950s and 1960s. T.L.S., Donald Campbell, one page, 4to, Horley, Surrey, 13th December 1949, to Squadron Leader D. A. de S. Young-James. Campbell thanks his correspondent for the Christmas edition of the ASP ('which is really a most excellent little publication') and adds that he would be delighted to be a guest at a reunion, further writing 'Thank you, also, for your kind good wishes for Christmas and 1950, coupled with our next Attempt on the World's Water Speed Record. I only hope that we can be successful in frustrating American endeavours!' Letters of Campbell in which he refers to the water speed record are scarce and desirable. One small file hole to the upper left corner and a few light creases, otherwise VG
Donald Campbell began his speed record attempts in the summer of 1949, using his father's old boat, renamed Bluebird K4. Initial attempts were unsuccessful, although he did come close to raising his father's existing record. The team returned to Coniston Water in 1950 for further trials at which time they learnt that an American, Stanley Sayres, had set a record of 160 mph, beyond the capabilities of K4 without extensive modification. Improvements were made to the Bluebird in late 1950 and 1951 and the boat now had a chance of exceeding Sayre's record, although the American again raised the record to 178 mph. in 1953 Campbell set about designing the jet powered Bluebird K7 hydroplane to challenge the record and between July 1955 and December 1964 he set seven world water speed record in K7.
