First 200mph record car Sunbeam 1000hp gives up more of its secrets in restoration at Beaulieu National Motor Museum

SPECIAL cleaning has revealed the original markings on a 96-year-old land speed record-breaker during its restoration at Beaulieu’s National Motor Museum.

Soda blasting was chosen as the safest way to remove loose paint, dirt and rust from the historic Sunbeam 1000hp car’s chassis, before it can be painted to preserve it for another 100 years.

Designed and built solely to break the 200mph barrier, the machine was once the fastest car in the world.

Museum manager and chief engineer Doug Hill explained: “Soda blasting is not as aggressive as shot blasting and was therefore the best way to remove the worst of the detritus. It exposed original markings, which would have been made at the Sunbeam Works in Wolverhampton in 1927.

“This was one of the biggest tasks for the main structure of the vehicle and the process was successful. Thankfully, it did not expose any areas of concern.”

Doug added: “We are now stress-testing various areas before clear coating the chassis with Trimite paint to preserve and encapsulate as much of its history as possible. This work will preserve the car for another 100 years.”

The Sunbeam 1000hp Restoration Campaign, launched with Hampshire-based Brookspeed Automotive in March, aims to raise £300,000 to restore ‘The Slug’ with the ambition of taking it back to Daytona Beach in Florida for the centenary of its record-breaking run in 2027.

When bodywork was removed to expose the chassis it revealed a time capsule of original mechanics’ tools and a preserved shilling with a 1921 stamp found in solidified oil on top of the rear suspension spring. They had remained hidden since Major Henry Segrave made motoring history by breaking the 200mph barrier.

Power was from two 22.5 litre V12 Matabele aero engines, each delivering 435bhp. These were positioned in line with the driver’s cockpit in between but have not run since before the Second World War after corrosion attacked internal workings.

In the next stage of the restoration, the axles and non-painted metal work will undergo a laser rust removal process. Sunbeam’s colossal rear V12 aero engine will also be reassembled by the National Motor Museum’s team of mechanics.

Visitors can see the exposed chassis on show in the museum or when Sunbeam 1000hp is taken to various motoring events around the country.