Babs To Support Children In Need

Babs, the racing car famous for breaking the land speed record at Pendine in April 1926 will be taking part in BBC Children in Need. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Babs is spending the summer at the Museum of Speed in Pendine but will be taking a short break from Wednesday August 24, returning either on Bank Holiday Monday August 29 or Tuesday August 30. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Museums Curator Gavin Evans said: “The Babs Trust are showing the car as part of Chris Evans’s Car-fest 2016 South in support of BBC Children in Need at Laverstoke Park Farm, Hampshire. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“The Museum will be open as usual but we will not be charging for adults while Babs is not there. Children are always allowed in for free.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Driven by John Parry-Thomas, Babs reached a speed of 170.624 mph – smashing the records set by Malcolm Campbell at Pendine in 1925 and Henry Segrave at Southport in March 1926. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Tragically Parry-Thomas was killed the following year attempting to win back the title, taken again by Malcolm Campbell in his Blue Bird Sunbeam in February 1927, and Babs was buried in the dunes. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

In 1969, the car was exhumed and brought back to life by automobile restorer Owen Wyn Owen, and to the delight of many is displayed each summer at Carmarthenshire County Council’s Museum of Speed at Pendine. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​