The National Motor Museum has completed its painstaking restoration of Sunbeam 1000hp, clearing the way for the legendary Land Speed Record car to return to Daytona Beach almost 100 years after Sir Henry Segrave became the first man to exceed 200mph.
Known affectionately as ‘The Slug’ for its streamlined, bullet-like profile, Sunbeam 1000hp occupies a unique place in British motoring history. It became the first car to break the 200mph barrier on 29 March 1927, recording 203.79mph on Daytona Beach and establishing Britain at the forefront of the world Land Speed Record.
The restoration has been achieved as the National Motor Museum Trust’s fundraising campaign reached its target, allowing work to be completed in time for the car’s departure to the United States later this month. Before travelling to Florida, the Sunbeam will make a high-profile appearance at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in August.
The restoration has tested the Museum’s engineering team throughout, with no workshop manuals or technical documentation surviving. Every component had to be dismantled and rebuilt through careful investigation, a process led by Senior Engineer Ian Stanfield. The team uncovered significantly more deterioration than anticipated within the front engine, requiring extensive repairs to original components, only posssible thanks to specialist engineering partners.
• Read more about the Sunbeam 1000hp’s engine restoration
Recent weeks have seen the second engine reunited with the chassis, both V12s successfully tested and the original bodywork refitted before the installation of new tyres completed the project.
Following its appearance at Pebble Beach later this year, the Sunbeam will continue its American tour before travelling to Daytona Beach for a ceremonial low-speed run on 29 March 2027, exactly a century after Segrave’s historic achievement. It will be the first time the car has returned to the famous Florida sands since its record-breaking appearance.
National Motor Museum Chief Executive, Jon Murden says, ‘I’m so proud of this achievement and the Museum workshop team who made it happen. I’m delighted that Ian Stanfield and his team’s expertise and perseverance has secured that the restoration has been completed on schedule. We are grateful to all the funders and supporters who helped our hopes for this legendary car become reality, and we are excited for the next chapter as the Sunbeam 1000hp goes back to US for first time in a century.’
The National Motor Museum Trust is now turning its attention to raising further funds to support the Sunbeam’s tour in the United States and its return to Britain in 2027, while continuing future restoration projects and educational initiatives inspired by one of the country’s most significant competition cars.
For more info, see nationalmotormuseum.org.uk
