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During the subsequent restoration of the car, it was found that this could not have been the case and that it was more likely that Thomas had been killed as a result of the injuries he sustained while the car rolled and slid along the beach at more than 100 mph (160 km/h).
33:
260:. From 1923 he lived in the "flying village" there, in a bungalow converted from a First World War hut named The Hermitage. It was an ascetic life, shared only with two Alsatian dogs and his cars, in stark contrast to the hedonism of the
218:, a company whose main products were commercial vehicles. He filed for and received a number of patents, in the fields of electrical and automotive engineering. After the First World War he and his assistant
355:
on the same beach. At the time of the accident, it was thought that the right-hand chain had broken and had hit Thomas, causing a fatal head injury as the car was rolling.
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had used in 1924 and 1925. The following day, 28 April 1926, he raised it to over 170 mph (270 km/h), a record that stood for almost a year.
370:
was buried in the dunes at
Pendine Sands. Some 42 years later in 1969 it was controversially recovered, and over the next 15 years was restored by
246:
from New
Zealand, he started Thomas Inventions Development Co., based inside the Brooklands circuit itself. After his death, this company became
272:
287:
By 1925 Parry-Thomas realised that commercial success required a higher profile than
Brooklands could offer, and switched his attention to the
386:, Carmarthenshire until the museum's demolition in February 2021. The new museum building was completed in early 2023 and opened on March 31.
644:
599:
527:
202:
493:
320:, emerged with another new body. He celebrated by driving the lanes around Brooklands that same evening, despite his lack of headlamps.
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was fitted with yet another new body, partially enclosing the drive and rear wheels by fairings. Parry-Thomas was killed at
639:
243:
316:
276:
609:
264:. Parry-Thomas achieved some success on the circuit, winning 38 races in five seasons and setting numerous records.
604:
565:
234:
in 1920 persuaded him to give up his career with
Leyland to become a full-time motor-racing driver and engineer.
570:
311:, as the other record contenders were planning. The car was running in 1925 but did not perform as expected.
383:
191:
120:
299:
and rebuilt the car with new bodywork for improved aerodynamics. The car was powered by a huge 27-litre
594:
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323:
A few days later, despite the poor conditions and soft, wet sand, Parry-Thomas took the record at
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166:. He was the first driver to be killed in pursuit of the land speed record.
183:
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307:'s factory connections, Parry-Thomas was unable to obtain a brand-new
561:
Short Biopic' made by Tom
Tremayne regarding Parry Thomas's life etc.
366:, Surrey, close to the Brooklands Circuit. Following the inquest,
271:
201:
419:
549:
16:
British racing driver and land speed record holder (1884–1927)
494:"Pendine Tourism Attractor project opens in time for Easter"
303:
V-12 aero-engine. Without
Campbell's money and prestige, or
347:
on 3 March 1927 while trying to regain his own world
226:
luxury motor car, which was intended to compete with
362:Parry-Thomas was buried in St Mary's Churchyard in
186:when he was five years old, and he was educated at
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83:Serious head injury in motor accident during
8:
230:. His experience of driving this car around
351:that had been broken just weeks earlier by
575:being recovered from Pendine Sands in 1969
431:
429:
31:
20:
190:. He went on to study engineering at The
154:(6 April 1884 – 3 March 1927) was a
480:"Parry Thomas and Babs at Pendine Sands"
406:
399:
327:, Wales, the same six-mile beach that
242:In partnership with another engineer,
214:Parry-Thomas became chief engineer at
7:
625:Racing drivers who died while racing
620:People educated at Oswestry School
552:programme with archive footage of
546:Wales and the History of the World
250:and went on to build such cars as
178:, Wales, the son of the curate of
14:
314:In April 1926 the car, now named
295:from the estate of the deceased
162:driver who at one time held the
1:
420:"Parry-Thomas family archive"
182:. The family moved to nearby
645:20th-century Welsh engineers
600:British automotive engineers
378:. For part of every summer,
339:During the winter of 1926/7
382:remained on display at the
661:
464:"The "Babs" controversy".
436:Jennings, Charles (2004).
374:, at the time a member of
635:Sportspeople from Wrexham
174:Parry-Thomas was born in
152:John Godfrey Parry-Thomas
30:
25:John Godfrey Parry-Thomas
615:Land speed record people
170:Early life and education
384:Pendine Museum of Speed
192:City and Guilds College
121:City and Guilds College
571:British Pathé film of
522:. Shire Publications.
284:
211:
210:, with sports bodywork
630:Sport deaths in Wales
520:The Land Speed Record
275:
205:
640:Welsh racing drivers
248:Thomson & Taylor
80:Cause of death
610:Grand Prix drivers
291:. He acquired the
285:
212:
605:Brooklands people
529:978-0-7478-0115-3
498:Western Telegraph
468:: 485. June 1968.
440:. Little, Brown.
376:Bangor University
349:land speed record
289:land speed record
268:Land speed record
244:Major Ken Thomson
164:land speed record
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85:land speed record
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131:Engineer &
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500:. 5 April 2023.
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539:External links
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293:Higham Special
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222:designed the
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508:Bibliography
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438:The Fast Set
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409:, p. 9.
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262:Bentley Boys
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220:Reid Railton
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160:motor-racing
151:
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133:motor-racing
67:(1927-03-03)
65:3 March 1927
50:6 April 1884
18:
595:1927 deaths
590:1884 births
466:Motor Sport
309:Napier Lion
228:Rolls-Royce
194:in London.
103:Nationality
584:Categories
390:References
238:Brooklands
232:Brooklands
128:Occupation
46:1884-04-06
257:Blue Bird
111:Education
518:(1991).
329:Campbell
184:Oswestry
140:Employer
98:, Surrey
566:YouTube
422:. 2008.
364:Byfleet
301:Liberty
283:in 1926
281:Pendine
206:A 1927
180:Rhosddu
176:Wrexham
96:Byfleet
87:attempt
56:, Wales
54:Wrexham
526:
444:
135:driver
123:London
395:Notes
335:Death
156:Welsh
106:Welsh
573:Babs
554:Babs
524:ISBN
442:ISBN
380:Babs
368:Babs
341:Babs
317:Babs
277:Babs
119:The
62:Died
40:Born
564:on
550:BBC
279:at
254:'s
586::
496:.
456:^
428:^
556:.
532:.
482:.
450:.
117:,
48:)
44:(
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