In the June Vintage Toys & Collectibles auction we have not one, not two, but three impressive models reflecting the racing legacy of the twentieth century!

Inspired by these models, we are taking a look into the golden era for racing, filled with ambition, vision and fearless competitiveness.

Early record attempts

In post-war Britain, the thrill and daring of speed record attempts captured and enlivened the nation. A famous pioneer of the land and water records is John Cobb. Having previously achieved the and Speed Record at 394.19 in 1947, in 1952 Cobb attempted to match this achievement on water.

Racing on Loch Ness in ‘Crusader’ - a Vospers Ltd. boat powered by a De Havilland Ghost 48 Mk1 jet engine, Cobb was moving closer and closer to smashing the previous record of 178.4 mph held by Stanley Sayres. Records show that his vehicle reached 206.89 mph in this attempt, far exceeding his goal. However, Cobb’s attempt was ultimately and fatally cut short when his vehicle bounced off of a wave, causing it to crash into the water and disintegrate on impact. Despite his tragic death, Cobb can still be recognised as the first man to exceed speeds of 200mph on water.

The Campbell family record attempts

A prominent name in twentieth-century land and water speed record attempts is that of the Campbell family. Something of a dynasty, records were held by both father and son - Malcolm and Donald Campbell. The Campbell family oversaw the development of racing vehicles through several incarnations, from the 1920 Sunbeam Blue Bird, in which Malcolm Campbell set records in 1924 and 1925 at Pendine Sands; to the Bluebird K7 in which Donald Campbell tragically lost his life in his 1967 record attempt.

From 1926, Malcolm Campbell pushed the development of cutting-edge engineering to answer his racing ambitions. The Napier Campbell Bluebird was honed over several iterations, including the 1931 ‘New-Old Blue Bird’ which reached an impressive 253.97 mph. Finally with the 1935 Campbell Railton Bluebird, Malcolm Campbell reached his goal of breaking the 300 mph barrier.

The ambition and daring of Malcolm Campbell was passed on to his son, Donald Campbell, born 1921. Indeed, Donald Campbell is the first and only person to have broken both the land and water speed records in the same year. The Land Speed record aspect of this feat was achieved in the Bluebird Proteus CN7. Developed over several years from 1956, and with an unprecedented aim of reaching 500mph, the Bluebird CN7 reached 403.10 mph on Lake Eyre in 1964. In the same year, Campbell look  to Dumbleyung Lake, Australia, reaching 276.33 mph, claiming the Water Speed record.

However, Campbell lost his life in a fatal attempt to break his own record in 1967. Pushing against the advancements of American racers with rocket-powered vehicles, Campbell adapted his previous K7 vehicle for this new attempt. A seven-time record holding vehicle, which Campbell had first debuted in 1955 at a Water Speed Record of 202.32 mph, the K7 was now intended to exceed 300mph.

Campbell’s audacious record attempt came tantalisingly close to success, but over halfway through his run, his vehicle hit a swell and was thrown into the air. The K7 disintegrated on impact with the water and Campbell’s body was lost to the lake for several years. The Bluebird K7 lay at the bottom of Consiton Water for decades, before being raised and restored in 2001 and being put on display in the Ruskin Museum.

Model Vehicles at Auction

Each and every one of these feats full of daring and glory, so it is no surprise that they captured public imagination. Equally, it is clear why toy models of these iconic models were put into production. They were emblems of the potential of innovation in the twentieth century.

If you are interested in owning a model of this powerful era, we have several lots coming up at auction on Wednesday, 18th June, 2025:

Lot 71 - a model of one of the early Blue Bird vehicles, as developed by Malcolm Campbell in the 1930s

Lot 142 - a model of John Cobb’s 1950s vehicle

Lot 275 - one of the most iconic pieces, a model of Donald Campbell’s Bluebird Proteus, the vehicle in which he set

Lot 569 - amongst the items in the group lot 569 are land speed racing models

Select the lots to view the full description.