The National Motor Museum, Beaulieu is celebrating a successful challenge to break the World Record for the Longest Line of Toy Cars.
Volunteers took ten hours to lay the staggering line of 24,189 toy cars which snaked 1.91km around the motor museum and the picturesque grounds outside.
While holidaymakers were stuck in Bank Holiday traffic, the toy cars at Beaulieu were queuing nose-to-bumper to beat the existing Guinness World Record of 14,310 toy cars set in Füssen, Germany.
Beaulieu’s new record requires verification by Guinness World Records but organisers are confident adjudicators will put their stamp of approval on the attempt to secure its place in history as an official Guinness World Record.
The line-up included models signed and donated by a host of celebrities including Pink Floyd drummer and classic car racer Nick Mason plus TV motoring presenters Quentin Willson, Vicki Butler-Henderson and Edd China. Sir Stirling Moss donated a model of the Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR in which he won the Mille Miglia race in 1955.
Official adjudicators Peter Jeffreys, of Wilsons law firm in Salisbury, and Nigel Ballard, of Mezars accountants, took three hours to count and check the line-up which started at Jack Tucker’s Garage inside the museum. No toy tanks, trains, caravans or boats were allowed.
2014 is a special year for record breakers at Beaulieu with its new display For Britain and For The Hell of It – The Story of Land Speed Records and a model of the next British Land Speed Record contender, Bloodhound SSC, was the 14,311th toy car which set the new record.
The last two cars in the line-up were signed models of Bloodhound SSC and Thrust SSC donated by Land Speed Record breakers Wing Commander Andy Green OBE and Richard Noble OBE. Richard Noble OBE will be telling the story of his World Land Speed Record at an event at Beaulieu on Thursday (May 8) and visitors can see the life-sized Bloodhound SSC prototype at Beaulieu on May 10.
Following the record attempt, the toy cars will be sold at Beaulieu’s Spring Autojumble on May 17 and 18 to raise money for Naomi House hospice. Sam West, Play Activities Co-ordinator for Naomi House, placed the final car on behalf of four children from the hospice who watched the record being set. The most valuable toy car models will be sold separately to raise the most money possible for the hospice.
David James, spokesman for Naomi House, said: “It’s been great to see such support for Naomi House in so many different ways. It was a fantastic day.”
Andy Ollerenshaw, from Beaulieu’s Events team, said: “It’s been a really fun and worthwhile project and something we’ve never done before at Beaulieu.
“We were overwhelmed by the response, both from members of the public who donated cars and visitors on the day. We’re hugely grateful to Sainsbury’s and local schools which collected toy cars to set the record, which exceeded our wildest expectations.”
For more information about Beaulieu visit: www.beaulieu.co.uk
