World Records

Australia & Bluebird CN7

Following its crash in Utah, CN7 was rebuilt in 1962, with modifications including differential locks and a large vertical stabilising fin. After initial trials at Goodwood and further modifications to the very strong fibre-glass cockpit canopy, CN7 was shipped this time to Australia for a new attempt at Lake Eyre in 1963.

The Lake Eyre location was chosen as it offered 450 square miles of dried salt lake, where rain had not fallen in the previous 20 years, and the surface of the 20 miles long track was as hard as concrete. As Campbell arrived in late March, with a view to a May attempt, the first light rain fell.

Campbell and Bluebird CN7 were running by early May but once again more rain fell, and low-speed test runs could not progress into the higher speed ranges. By late May, the rain became torrential, and the lake was flooded. Campbell had to move the CN7 off the lake in the middle of the night to save the car from being submerged by the rising flood waters. The 1963 attempt was over. Campbell received very bad press following the failure to set a new record, but the weather conditions had made an attempt out of the question. BP pulled out as a sponsor at the end of the year.

Campbell and his team returned to Lake Eyre in 1964, with sponsorship from Australian oil company Ampol, but the salt surface never returned to the promise it had held in 1962 and Campbell had to battle with CN7 to reach record speeds over 400 mph. After more light rain in June, the lake finally began to dry enough for an attempt to be made.