During a return run on the second day at Pendine sand in Carmarthenshire, South Wales, driver Joe Wales began sliding towards the seat at over 100mph while unable to see. The resulting pothole impact caused Bluebird Electric to bounce across the sand, damaging the bodyshell and steering components and disconnecting a bottom wishbone.

Joe, the great grandson of Malcolm Campbell and great nephew of Donald Campbell, was uninjured in the accident.

‘When you can't see the ground in front of you for 60 metres or 70 metres you're in trouble before you've seen it,’ Joe’s father, Don Wales, commented afterwards.

‘We’ll take the car back to Pembroke Docks and see what need to be fixed and where we go from here. We’re a small team with a lot of volunteer help and severely struggling with finance. Hopefully we can secure sponsorship to ensure the project still has life in it. But the important thing is that Joe is well.’

Bluebird Electric is powered by two 268bhp brushless permanent magnetic motors, each with 738lb-ft of torque, and was built by Bluebird Automotive in association with the University of Bristol, Swansea Metropolitan University and Tirius Ltd.

It’s the latest in a string of Campbell family land speed record attempts to be hend at the seven-mile Pendine sand beach, with the earliest dating back to 1924.

The accident follows months of delays for the project, held back by weather, parts delays, funding and time, but the team has said it will make another attempt as soon as funding and weather allows.