Djelmo & Giulio Foresti, this is copyright covered work kindly presented to the website by leading (LSR) Land Speed Records Machinery Historian Robin Richardson & we shall add the images from the Archive.

This image of Pendine from the air tells all of the place and layout.

The History of the (LSR) is littered with 'might have beens'-cars and drivers that either failed to deliver or that delivered too little too late.  DJELMO and its driver Giulio Foresti are in that category, although Foresti at least, would have a greater influence on development of the LSR machinery than anyone at the time could have realized.

Giulio Foresti, the racer

By 1922-23 when the DJELMO was first conceived, the first World War had accelerated aviation engine technology to a point that lessons learned there were already being applied to land speed racers, Eldridge had built himself a huge FIAT based special using the lengthened chassis of the Mephistopheles Brooklands Car and inserting a FIAT A12 aero-engine.   Malcolm Campbell, himself a Brooklands regular, had persuaded Sunbeam to sell him the Manitou V 12 aero-engined record holder which Guinness had used to set the record at 133mph in 1922.   By 1924 when Campbell finally got his hands on it, he took the record to 146mph then 150mph on the Sands at Pendine.   The only threat to this approach at the time was the much more sophisticated 10.5 litre V 12 Delage that was essentially a scaled up Grand Prix design.   It set the record at 143mph in July; a record that was short lived once Eldridge and his FIAT arrived 6 day later having initially been disqualified for lack of a reverse gear - a situation soon remedied.

Giulio, Working on that massive 8 cyl. engine.

Presumably as a response to the Delage, Sunbeam drew up plans for a challenger of their own, one which did not rely on the use on an aero-engine.   For whatever reason, Coatalen and Bertarione went no further with this design and sold it instead to Paris based Egyptian Prince Djellalledin and an Italian engineer Edmond Moglia - hence the car named DJELMO was born........Given the specification, it could have been a success had it been produced quickly.  Indeed, the similar Delage was still winning races years later at Brooklands and is a regular today at events such as the Goodwood Festival of Speed.  

Djelmo's chassis was a simple affair comprising two deep side members with a pronounced sweep up at the rear to clear the back axle.   It was very crab-tracked being only 95cm at the rear compared to 1m  48cm at the front.   Total weight was predicted to be 910kilos of which 350kilos was contributed by its straight eight cylinder engine.   This was cast along with its gearbox as a complete unit that incorporated six evenly spaced bearers that bolted directly to the chassis to provide stiffness.   The steering box was fitted to the top of the gearbox that housed 2 forward and one reverse gear driving through a bevel drive to a rear axle with no differential.  Guilio Foresti relaxing at the wheel of Djelmo.

Enter the DJELMO, tenderly onto Pendine Sands driven by Giulio pic supplied by Dave Martin

Tension of the moment prior to a record attempt

   On the Beach at Pendine, at the wheel is Giulio.

Brakes were on the rear only & featured a novel pedal and level arrangement guarranteed to confuse anyone used to today's layout.   The clutch pedal was on the right, brake pedal on left which ONLY operated the left rear wheel brake!, the hand brake only operated the right rear wheel brake!!.   A bore of 107mm and stroke of 140mm gave capacity of 10 litres & power of 350hp, quite enough to make cope with by its braking system.   No fuel pump was required, this was gravity fed from a tank under its scuttle.  With its tightly cloaked body, later additions of superchargers planned were equally novel.  (Contemporary reports indicate more than one)  would have fitted in the tail, driven from the rear of the propshaft, compressed charge delivered by piping past the driver.  

The Prince predicted speeds circa 160mph at a site in USA (Prob. Daytona) initial tests were on roads at Arpajon in France where Eldridge & Rene Thomas battled using FIAT & Delage. Picture by Courtesy of Dave Martin

Like Moglia, Giulio Foresti was Italian living away from home in a capital city, London & was the earliest but only 'planned' driver for the project, Foresti was high profile already in road racing, London based had raced at Brooklands albeit not mentioned in Bill Boddy's track history.  An agent for sales /service of Itala cars Foresti's Brooklands workshop plus larger premises at Bryanston Sq. Nr. Edgeware Rd. & had important engineering skills along with race ability. 

A major affect upon LSR history followed by GF introducing one Leopoldo Alphonso Villa to the Challenges which were to follow, Villa was at a loose end after unexpectedly not following into his family catering, born in London of Italian parents his uncle Ferdy was an early car driver who ran a restaurant frequented by Foresti & knowing of Leo's mechanical eagerness he persuaded Foresti to take Leo on as a general helper, Leo grasped this chance & history took its course.   Machinery being delivered as chassis to be assembled on site at Foresti's Bryanston Sq. premises was becoming highly favoured so much that when Count Louis Zborowski wanted  a follow up to his aero-engined original Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (not the one associated with Dick van Dyke!) he called Foresti to use an Itala chassis & 250hp Hall Scott aero-engine, unfortunately weak links proved to be Itala's g/box & drive chain & after 4 months work its road test saw the propshaft cry enough after a few yards shooting the car skywards as Foresti ran over a departing clutch and flywheel. That stove pipecover end 'allegedly' was to foil small birds nesting there plus spanners & fasteners getting dropped in, to find their ways to 'the works'.!! 

Zborowski took the remains back to his Higham Estate & Foresti went back to conventional Itala work.   By 1917, Villa reached conscription age & Foresti as well as keeping business going took charge of transports for Italian Flying Corps in UK.  to make use of  experience whilst with Foresti Villa became posted to a unit fitting engines to planes, gaining further knowledge to be later invaluable when he worked with probably the most famous all time speed record breaker, M Campbell. 

Here is one unique 'J G Parry Thomas shot using that 120 mph Leyland in 1925 at Brooklands from the Dave Martins Collection at New Orleans. the start of a huge succession of events. 

DJELMO, Giulio, Final preparation for the catastrophic high speed run. 

A poor picture but how else can such a moment now be recorded

Thanks to Dave Martin we have that actual crash of Giulio in the DJELMO, a lucky daring man!      WW1 Armistice came, Villa went back to work for Foresti, this time as racing mechanic, one of their first projects was to rebuild a 16 yrs old Austro Daimler (essentially a 110hp Mercedes ) into a Brooklands racer.   Even though often outclassed by more modern machinery Foresti remained competitive even winning the odd races here and there when conditions & lady luck supplemented their fine preparation work. Villa thrived on this experience meeting all the big names of the day - Malcolm Campbell, Zborowski, Kaye Don, Barnato etc whilst proving he was as competent a racing mechanic as Foresti was a Driver.....By 1921, Foresti had also taken on Isotta Fraschini dealership although the deal suddenly turned sour for no obvious reason.....Undeterred he disappeared to Monte Carlo, returning  a few weeks later to tell Villa that he'd bought a Car Hire company in the South of France & intended to move there as soon as possible to handle repair maintenance & continue their racing.....1921 Targa Floria was he first step & a modified Itala which Foresti & Villa prepared in Itala's Turin factory pre shipping it to Sicily....In spite of dreadful conditions & many mishaps they did well & won their 3 litre class.    Reputations enhanced even further, Foresti sold the Car Hire business & took Villa to Ballot who were planning an assault on the following year's Targa with their more modern & smaller capacity cars....Team mate Jules Goux came second overall with Foresti & Villa fourth, & second in the 2 litre class.   BY 1922 an explosion whilst engine testing had put Villa in Hospital for a while, but Foresti continued to race with an old friend from his home town of Bergamo before moving back to England for a while.    Brooklands rival Malcolm Campbell, impressed by the speed of the the Ballot cars (GF was already their UK dealer) wanted to race them at Brooklands & also wanted Foresti's experience along with it.   As a 'sweetener' Campbell bought Foresti's old Itala racer.   Clearly Villa had also made an impression on Campbell who wrote to the Ballot factory offering him a job in UK.

He had plenty of time to think about things whilst they took turns at driving the Itala and Ballot to Campbell's house at Povey Cross.   Foresti stayed for 5 to 6 weeks, acting as Campbell's racing mechanic & no doubt sizing up facilities at Campbell's disposal.   Decision time! & Foresti made it clear to Villa that it was an opportunity  he should not pass up, but also revealing that he'd made plans of his own to race a still secret record breaker for Prince Djellaledin.  

Campbell & Villa here in what seems very like that Sunbeam? at Caerphilly Hillclimb.  Although Foresti and Villa parted company shortly after the Pendine Djelmo crash, a discussion between the 2 friends had Foresti point out that he felt Villa's talents could be best used by Campbell. 

This Curve at a 1913 Caerphilly Hillclimb with a sidecar outfit seems remarkably like the one above, Caerphilly which was a 1,194 yard long course with an average gradient of 1-in-8.6, which rose to 1-in-6.2, when the first open event was staged on September 11, 1907. (smartly spotted by Dave Martin of New Orlean) can any of the Caerphilly region or Clubs provide more info please

Caerphilly & District Motor Cycle & Light Car Club badge is it modern or past?, became found for us by New Orleans based Dave Martin, who performs wonders restoring long-lost plus tatty images to again be appreciated, thanks yet again, Caerphilly folks may be surprised to see this emerge. 

The gent. with his hand on shoulder seems remarkably like King George VI in this & has been identified so by several but I see it has the same dress worn by Malcolm Campbell in that Group pic. & Leo Villa in the foreground with the Sunbeam.

MILES is the word which counts here plus to AMERICANS to whom Kilometre seems to count for nothing so to the World MILES per Hour was the key.  In April 1926 at Southport Beach in a Sunbeam Henry Seagrave had attempted to set this world record & seemed right on the Record until his machine rose almost a foot off the surface after the Kilometre mark & a series of bangs followed & the Supercharger was not performing after that bump and only a Kilometre record, the mile mark had a slowing vehicle reach it & only a Kilometere Record could be considered.   All those desperately desiring to set world records stayed at the Hotel in Southport & plans formed & to Pendine became the aim. 

That unfortunate 1926 Sunbeam which brought 150mph for a Flying Kilometre record attempt at Southport Sands for consideration.  Smooth surface was called for so speedmen planned to use Pendine, seen here, that machine with George Seagrave at the wheel on Southport Sands.

Campbell in his Sunbeam with our thanks to Dave Martin

Here is a later one for Shell! with the wheel covers fitted

Another Pic of that team thanks to Dave Martin

Frontal view of the Sunbeam Bluebird

The same START  & FINISH Banner was owned by Carmarthen Motor Club & remained there for many years

BABS with JOHN GODFREY PARRY-THOMAS with his  taste for long woollen Pullovers prior to the catastrophe, again from Dave Martin's collection 

Shell loved appearing with Record Makers. here is BABS  with J G Parry Thomas pre days it had protective streamlining over the drive Chains.    Below, the remains of a battered BABS as that day's tide creeps relentlessly inwards, a hurried clean up very shortly after that horrifying crash.  Journalists, experts had suddenly been left without quotations, Press releases, interviews, pictures indicating brave attempts or rejoiced success following such a world record bid.   Having brutally lost their focused celebrity man so suddenly before their eyes, discoveries in a macabre aftermath seemed to allow embarrassed pens to record their scooped story, flowingly telling what might also have been, putting today's Print "to bed" press times remained, reports of what when where who how flowed, unrestrictedly, reporters do compete just a little! typewriters chattered, phoned in copy is never fully edited on site.  Editing or restricting contents from a far away newsdesk provides Glaring Headlines which sell a paper & keep those selling best in their jobs.   Those 'Circulation' frames outside a Newsagent or beside a Newspaper seller SHOW alarming surprising news scoop coverage particular papers get bought to be scanned through to enlighten the curious plus add to Sports Content in an earnestly sought Daily.  Surprise & promise of what it brings NEWS of is what sells Newspapers, whilst nowadays Media earnings rely equally heavily on Advertising, actual editorial control.   Reporters record what they see & copy down what they hear, so very few down the years used his correct JOHN GODFREY PARRY-THOMAS name & even on signs Parry Thomas is printed.  I shall refer to him as Parry Thomas hereafter in the site.

BABS removed from the scene

Babs is here in finer days seen Driven by Parry Thomas on the banking at Brooklands

Lady Methuen-Campbell tenatively identified the Lady to the left as Lady Blythswood, herself a fast car enthusiast. So many ask who is the young fellow in shorts & school cap that gets in so many speed records pics?, mystery solved via Raymond, the man who used to own that corner Garage in Pendine, Freddy Roberts, a local lad with great interest in speed machinery

This group at the rear of 'the Beach' at Pendine sees Malcolm Campbell &  Leo Villa & locals too after that Sunbeam Bluebird Record achievement.

A far clearer pic of Lady Blythswood alongside Campbell & that Sunbeam Bluebird.  Thanks to Roy for sending this in.

  For whatever reasons, the Djelmo that would have been such a threat in early 20's when first mooted became less and less likely to succeed with every day of the year of delay.   Thus it was 1927 before the car was brought to Pendine for an attempt on the British LSR, the World, absolute LSR, had already been raised to 203mph by Henry Seagrave in the 1000hp Sunbeam. after fixing a spate of engine problems Foresti made a number of high speed passes before a treacherous patch of soft sand brought the attempt to an end & Italy was denied a Land Speed Record holder.

Dave Martin has sent in this further image of DJELMO after the plucky attempt

White pullover Guys had DUNLOP on their polo neck Pullovers!

DJELMO being sadly towed off after such a brave LSR attempt.

.......'not far from the point Parry Thomas's tragic mishap seemed to start from & strangely these two events never seemed to have been studied to have perhaps been linked.....Djelmo went tumbling at an estimated 150mph & Foresti was lucky to emerge with nothing more than a scraped scalp & damaged arm, DJELMO was in an altogether worse state to be shipped back to Paris, never again to be seen running in anger, never to join those listed on the plaque at the Beach Hotel. Bob Berry's 2 wheel attempts along with George Eyston's MG Midget as it was called 750cc venture in 1932 also do not even make the plaque here & neither did the Diesel Car record attempt of 1936.

Several have identified the chap part seen at the left of the pic, to be an injured Giulio overseeing the tow away.

Drawn records only exist of the ideas for a planned replacement for DLELMO a sleeker lower car featuring twin engines fore & aft with the driver seated low in the middle.   Remains of DJELMO were reported to be behind a Paris garage just prior to WW2 being carted away as scrap by Gypsies.   Foresti continued racing on the continent, having missed his opportunity to be the only Italian ever to hold the land speed record.   He had however become the mentor to Leo Villa, who would go on to serve the Campbell family in all their record breaking endeavours, right up until Donald's tragic death at Coniston with the K7 Bluebird jet-boat. Leo Villa inevitably came to be called 'Pancho' by British media!.Robin Richardson 2003.

Parry Thomas at Brooklands Clubhouse in a pre Babs Leyland.

Earlier November 1925 Babs form, at Pendine, courtesy of Dave Martin's Collection, Carmarthen Motor Club's banner seems to have been well used down the years.

Fill'er up mate!, Parry Thomas probably not out to fetch a copy of The Western Mail & a packet of Mints, BABS in days prior to wearing streamlined chain covers pulls in for a top-up! 'shall ask Roy, the recent Garage owner what can be unearthed re the actual garage location, a Dave Martin contribution.  What a delight to find that Les Elmer of Aukland NZ visited Brooklands recently to find this filling station still there along with the Test Hill to the right of the pic. so, 'big thanks to Les.

Slightly later Babs pic from Dave Martin in April 1926

Parry Thomas's BABS after being unearthed & recovered from the sands.

My personal opinion would be that it should have remained beneath the sands at Pendine, however to each their own opinions.

The matter of two crashes with sand surface certainly contributing in one caused the Parry Thomas's BABS crash to be viewed far closely, whilst media had headlines (No pun) of driver decapitation by the right hand side chain drive (there were 2, one each side) snapping & springing out by centrifugal force horribly killing the driver & the vehicle crashed at high speed thereafter not being controlled. 

All contributed to a horrific but credible to the public example of newspapers quickly selling far more using aftermath imaged front pages & tragic columns than they would had they brought into the public mind that >a chain consists of a number of small item component parts.....each little part of a chain itself, each is a mass in a velocity & each weight travels in the path last directed!!......all racing motorcyclists know that when a chain breaks under strain of acceleration, it breaks in the top run travelling toward the front sprocket, it does not spring outwards centrifugally & inevitably travels downwards, thanks to the lower run of chain to the rear sprocket only a small piece finally around the front sprocket lastly being directed downwards.

1930 Sir Henry Seagrave lost his life in the search for Speed, (not at Pendine)

Not all seem to recall that a Captain George Eyston Driven "Flying Spray" was tested & tried seriously for the World Diesel engined vehicle speed record at Pendine in 1936, later, in 1938 Cpt. George Eyston did capture the record at UTAH 357.497 mph.

Cobb's Napier Railton project seen here at Brooklands never appeared at Pendine, nevertheless I cannot waste an image of that era which reflects earnest progression of speed machines, whilst it seemed to have been overtaken in developments, it's famous final flourish at Brooklands became the spirit of speed, an example remaining of motor racing strutted it's design plus strength regardlessly, to proudly launch itself against the nearest records at a disappearing Brooklands whilst political turmoil relentlessly hauled Europe along with an entire world becoming wartorn.

Started in 1933, with machined solid blocks via Thomson & Taylor of Brooklands, this developed and set that last & everlasting Banked Brooklands lap record of 143.44 mph in 1937.

Someone has obviously touched up the bottom of that nearside front wheel of Cobb's  Napier Railton in 1937 on it's way to it's everlasting Brooklands Lap record, I have to admit though that it is an impressive looking device which any of us old codgers now could imagine driving.  Nowadays when my wife's new Vauxhall Astra, makes my ancient Vauxhall Tigra look more like a 'hairdresser's car' a sniff of Castrol 'R' could cause me to reflect sadly of days in which I stank of the stuff!.

Babs when last seen exhibited carried none of the streamlined chain covers it was wearing when it crashed & the right side one was damaged & missing along with the chain after the fatal crash itself.....the angle & distance required for the chain to have actually reached Parry Thomas is hardly possible & would require further study.

The 1927 year seeing prominent sand racing speedmen being declared in the Llanelly Mercury as finding Pembrey's Cefn Sidan a better surface, Pendine a bleak future as a LSR venue seemed to loom for Pendine & perhaps in retrospect the silken back (Welsh term used to describe) longer sands of Cefn Siden may have been a better option.

A far finer Bluebird showed Developments are forever in progress

A rare faded pic of the daring photographers, positioning themselves for THE Picture of a Napier Bluebird passing the timing apparatus.

Many many years after a faded scored picture not being what a Photographer had then craved, to sell to publishers, we can use it here to capture fractions of seconds of a World Land Speed record being set before our eyes were we there in 1927.

Hats off!, a new record set, A most Fantastic picture with our thanks to Dave Martin (New Orleans) of all including local Policeman at that epic February 1927 Land Speed Record Celebration, a rarity to ponder over & enjoy!, Policeman present perhaps to check his Tax disc & Tyre treads! being obliged to keep his cap on. >> can people out there please help identify individuals in the picture? (we know Freddy Roberts got into it again)  thanks to Local historian Raymond.

An expanse where brave speedmen raced & attempted to break records Pendine has seen much, cloaked grief too, yet today, in the cool of an October evening, Pendine is grasping some of summer's last sunshine, still used by holidaymakers. who send postcards home, sadly all seem to readily forget & today sees no mention of Foresti's fearless charge at the wheel of a monster car down the beach!, Pendine could no longered be considered a safe place to attempt land speed records, even Motorcycle Races at Oxwich Bay, Cefn Sidan, Aberafon Beach, Southport, New Brighton, Wallasey, Weston Super Mare, Llanmadog, Broughton Bay had become far more significant than Pendine, a tiny 'Museum of Speed ' there is closed for the winter & sadly, largely regarded as just somewhere to hide when it rains.    Basically it should be around 20 time larger so many of the past machines in Wales & elsewhere could be displayed there for visitors to have more than a brief walkabout shelter.   Alternatively a better place in the Cities.

Thinner oils help you go faster!, makers get more money for less concentrated oils too.  Thank you Malcolm Campbell!

Henry Seagrave's 1928 Golden Arrow came into the ring for record attempts, again not caring to try Pendine, views from ahead or astern seemed to be in demand.

Things developed alarmingly quickly, streamlining altered continually 1928 saw Campbell abandon Pendine attempts & head for Daytona where this pic was taken.

1929 Golden Arrow, rear view!, Henry Seagrave again scorned the use of Pendine 

PENDINE?, so ready to forget things, I find this typical in Wales (I'm Welsh!) in 1933 Amy Johnson, by then married to Jim Mollison & Amy Mollison used Pendine to take off in their De Havilland Dragon (seen here)on another epic non stop flight, this time to USA.   This was that same Young lady that took a Gypsy Moth 11,000 miles from Croydon to Darwin single handed in 1930.  She sadly lost her life in 1941 in the Thames Estuary.

1933, look at Bluebird's new form Daytona again Pendine by now long forgotten by the Big boys

George Eyston 1927 at the wheel of a Bugatti started to show what he intended to be involved in.

Laugharn Castle en route to the famous 'Boathouse' in 1936, Dylan Thomas et al remained as normal whilst 2 yrs later George Eyston Brought the Midget MG back & speedsters continued at the other end of Pendine Sands

Promotion in print meant a tremendous amount to share prices plus success of ventures. thanks again to Dave Martin for finding such obscure data.

No, not Mr Eyston when younger, but what a toy for a lad for Christmas after learning of the MG Midget achievement.  Big thanks to Dave Martin yet again for finding this.

Captain George Edward Thomas Eyston, later to drive that huge, heavy & Tyre eating "THUNDERBOLT" Ready here at the MG works to load then head down to Pendine with that MG Midget which took the World record for it's class.

Mention a 'baby' engined or MG engined record attempt & Major Goldie Gardner would come to the mind of most for his MG Midget exploits & efforts up to his Frankfurt record for it in 1937, however Capt. George Eyston of the Thunderbolt machine on USA Salt Flats venues was driver here at PENDINE in 1932 of the MG 750cc engined machine, ONE pass of his pictured machine reached over 120mph, both runs came to a respectable 118.39 mph, not bad for a tiddler in those days & it deserves to be added to this page.

George Eyston dressed for the task with a white scarf to boot, looking exactly 'the part.

Driver & vehicle prepare to touch the sand surface

MG Midget enters the proving sands, another vehicle renders the slipway entrance closed.

Breaths were held reporters watched closely, cameras click, as the exploit begins in earnest.

The baby motor initially reaches incredible 120 mph speeds in the runs, & a power class capacity record is broken by a British MG. sales shot up especially in USA!.

Return run successful too, Media folk have stories, papers will sell & we have the pictures.  The preceding 5 pics are all from from Dave Martin's Collection 

That same George Eyston seen here in a blurred pic at Brooklands breaking the World Diesel powered car Record, so very few are even aware the tests with this machine took place at? yes Pendine.

NA MG people's Guest, here is George Eyston at the wheel of a 'T' in 1976.

Kaye Don was now coming to the fore & USA plus elsewhere saw on Water Speed Records attempted by many hard surface speedsters too, can anyone identify the vehicle leading the Silver Bullet here?

Times were changing, Pendine by now was a place of past speedsters.

Malcolm Campbell now in Bluebird of 1935, those 10 years since tussles at Pendine between developments & tuners were rife, big-time World records started to really mean World followed advancements, Leo Villa remained with the Campbell family after being onpassed with care from Giulio Foresti after his calamitous crashed attempt in Djelmo, another pic to reach us from New Orleans

Team Jaguar appeared as seen here in the 1937 Wales Rally, ID required, & Location has been confirmed to be Column Road outside the University of Wales at Cardiff, this is another from the Dave Martin Collection, no wonder Jags were so much desired!, my jealousy is difficult to conceal.

Don Wales, nephew of Sir Malcolm Campbell with the BE3 electric machine used at Pendine to reach it's class record in the field of Modern Electric power

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