The father/son team of Malcolm and Donald Campbell must certainly rank as one of the most significant family pairings in motorsport history. Committed to the breaking of speed records, both on land and water, their combined careers span some 40 years and include over 21 world speed records—11 on water and 10 on land.
Father Malcolm blazed the initial trail with a string of records that included being the first man to break 300-mph on land, at Bonneville in 1935, and the first over-140- mph on water in 1939. Upon his death in 1948, son Donald took up the family “business” with numerous record attempts, but his crowning achievement came in 1964 when Donald became the first—and now, perhaps only—person to break both the land and water speed records in the same year, with a 403-mph run on land and a 276-mph run on water. Tragically, Donald was later killed at Coniston Water, in 1967, while attempting to back up a 300-mph run.
This month’s featured Web site is one man’s tribute to this very influential family and includes sections devoted to Malcolm’s history and achievements; Donald’s history and achievements; the record boats and their specifications; the record cars and their specifications; a listing of all the records broken by the pair; an article archive; a discussion forum; and even a biography of Malcolm and Donald’s personal mechanic Leo Villa who was instrumental in the creation of all of their record breaking vehicles.
This site provides a very interesting look into the lives and accomplishments of these two heroes of British motorsport.
