TV presenter and inventor Edd China demonstrated two of his craziest creations at Beaulieu on Sunday July 23rd to launch the summer exhibition Wacky Record Breakers in the National Motor Museum.
The former Wheeler Dealers mechanic delighted Beaulieu visitors as he drove around the grounds of the attraction on Bog Standard, a complete bathroom suite that is taxed, insured and MoT’d. Just for the day, this exhibit was joined by his road-legal sofa, Casual Loafer, with Edd putting both vehicles to the test in sessions during the day.
Edd’s passenger for the demonstrations was one of his biggest fans, Wave 105 radio presenter Rick Jackson, who commentated as they careered around the special course. With Edd taking his place on the toilet seat of Bog Standard and gripping the sink handlebars, while Rick reclined in the bathtub, the pair achieved a heady 34mph as they motored along.
Casual Loafer did even better as it topped 37mph, with Edd controlling the car using its pizza steering wheel, beer can brake lever and gear selector topped with a chocolate bar. A Community Speedwatch speed camera measured the heady speeds of these oddball contraptions.
Visitors met and chatted with Edd, before heading inside the museum to see the rest of the Wacky Record Breakers exhibition, featuring more off-the-wall automotive oddities created by inventors Edd China and Colin Furze. The exhibition, which is on display until August 31st, celebrates the crazier side of motoring with each one of these custom-built vehicles proving that you don’t need a sports car to break a world record.
Edd’s bizarre builds include Fast Asleep, a double bed that can whisk its restful occupants along at the national speed limit. If you think that is strange, then you’ll be blown away by Gone to Speed, a garden shed capable of a window box-wobbling 58mph. This unassuming wooden structure is just at home on the highway as it is nestled in a suburban back yard. Watch Gone to Speed and some of Edd’s other vehicles in action by clicking here.
Inventor Colin Furze has masterminded some truly insane creations, specialising in making slow things go very fast. Joining Wacky Record Breakers is the world’s fastest fairground dodgem, the world’s fastest pram and a mobility scooter that also once held its own speed record.
Driven by Top Gear’s The Stig for a record-breaking run, the customised 1960s dodgem topped over 100mph; far quicker than the 5mph it would have seen when working at a fairground. A 600cc Honda motorcycle engine provides the get-up-and-go for this madcap machine. The automotive oddities continue with the high-speed mobility scooter, capable of over 80mph thanks to its 125cc Honda motorcycle engine.
Equally incredible is the world’s fastest pram, built to exceed 53mph with a petrol engine mounted in a custom-built frame. This wacky creation turns the pedestrian act of pushing a pram on its head; the driver stands on two foot platforms trailing behind the pram and hangs on tight. To watch Colin’s most daring projects take shape, click here.
Wacky Record Breakers is just one of the awesome displays in the National Motor Museum this summer. For a very different collection of record breakers, make sure you also see For Britain And For The Hell Of It which features the museum’s amazing collection of British Land Speed Record monster machines.
The Wacky Record Breakers exhibition is included in the Beaulieu admission ticket, which also allows entry to the rest of the National Motor Museum, with its collection of more than 250 vehicles, the newly relaunched World of Top Gear, On Screen Cars, Beaulieu Abbey, the Montagu ancestral family home of Palace House and the grounds and gardens. Tickets can be bought in advance online at www.beaulieu.co.uk or for more information call 01590 612345.
Wacky Record Breakers Fact File
- Bog Standard, Gone to Speed and Fast Asleep are all former speed record holders
- Bathroom suite Bog Standard is capable of 42mph
- Garden shed Gone to Speed can reach 58mph
- Double bed Fast Asleep has a top speed of 69mph
- See some of Edd China’s most memorable creations on the move at http://youtube.com/EddChina
- The world’s fastest dodgem set a record with an average speed of 100mph
- The world’s fastest pram can reach 53mph
- The world’s fastest mobility scooter set a world record at 71mph, but can go even faster to reach 82mph
- For film footage of Colin Furze’s crazy inventions in action, visit his Youtube channel, https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCp68_FLety0O-n9QU6phsgw
