Bluebird exhibition gets £10K facelift

Come and visit the newly refurbed Bluebird exhibit!

The legendary escapades of the record-breaking Campbell family have been given a new lease of life! The dedicated exhibition to the life of the Campbells has seen a cash injection of £10,000.

The museum has an entire building dedicated to the racing careers of Sir Malcolm and Donald Campbell and has recently undergone a renovation to rejuvenate the exhibit including the addition of an audio-visual display.

The exhibition features full-sized replicas of the 1967 Hydroplane Bluebird K7, 1939 Powerboat Bluebird K4 and 1935 Bluebird Car. While there are more modern examples of record-breaking attempts by the family in the form of the original 1996 Bluebird Electric 1. In 1997 the vehicle was driven by Don Wales, grandson of Sir Malcolm Campbell, when it broke the British speed record for an electric vehicle.

Also housed in the museum is the 1954 Land Rover owned by Donald Campbell – and in-keeping with tradition it too is painted in the iconic Blue colour.

The museum’s exhibits delve into the lives of the family and the technology used as they push the limits of speed on both land and water. There are hundreds of items on show dedicated to Bluebird including engine displays, timelines and an audio-visual presentation to learn more about how and why they developed the technology.

The recent renovation follows a number of other improvements at the museum thanks to significant monetary investments. These include a new Arthur Ransome display based on Ransome’s book Pigeon Post, the Oscar Gnospellius Clerget engine display (with assistance from the Waterbird project) and a new British Pathe cinema room showcasing footage related to motoring in Cumbria.

The Lakeland Motor Museum is open daily and features a vast collection of other motoring memorabilia including vintage cars, bicycles, motorbikes, children’s cars and other examples from every discipline of motoring. There is also a section dedicated to the superbikes of the Isle of Man TT Races. Children can enjoy a free fun quiz as they walk around.

Entry to the museum is free for under 5s, £7.50 for children and £12.50 for adults. Dogs are welcome free of charge and there is free on-site parking, plus an on-site café and gift shop.