The 2026 Royal Automobile Club Concours will celebrate the 100th anniversary of Sir Henry Segrave’s first Land Speed Record with a special display at Woodcote Park on 8 July, headlined by the very Sunbeam Tiger ‘Ladybird’ that set the record.
Segrave piloted Ladybird on Ainsdale Beach in Southport on 16 March 1926 to claim the World Land Speed Record. The pioneering Briton reached 152.33mph and became the first person to officially surpass 150mph. Segrave then set further Land Speed Records of 203.79mph in 1927 and 231.45mph in 1929, before dying the following year, aged 33, while attempting to set the World Water Speed Record on Lake Windermere.
To mark the centenary, Ladybird recently returned to Southport Sands, with current Land Speed Record holder Andy Green at the wheel. Now owned by Indian businessman and former F1 team owner Vijay Mallya, the car is currently on display in the Rotunda of the Royal Automobile Club’s Pall Mall clubhouse.
Also on display at the RAC Concours will be one of the four Sunbeam ‘Strasbourg’ Grand Prix cars built for the 1922 French Grand Prix and that was driven by Segrave at Brooklands in that same year.
The Segrave Trophy – a prestigious annual award founded by Lady Doris Segrave after Sir Henry’s death in 1930 – completes the showcase. Administered by the RAC, the trophy is awarded to Britons who demonstrate extraordinary skill and courage on land, water, air or in space.
‘Sir Henry Segrave embodies the very essence of British daring, defiance and determination,’ said RAC chairman Duncan Wiltshire. ‘This special centenary celebration not only honours his extraordinary achievements but also highlights the enduring legacy of innovation and courage that continues to inspire generations of engineers, drivers and adventurers.’
Segrave’s centenary display is one of several special features planned for the 2026 RAC Concours, which will also see RM Sotheby’s host its inaugural Woodcote Park Auction. Early highlights include a 2018 Aston Martin DB4 GT Continuation (est. £650,000-850,000), a 1932 Bentley 4/8-Litre Supercharged Two-Seater Sports (est. £450,000-650,000) and a 1935 Frazer Nash TT Replica (est. £180,000-260,000).
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