Owen Wyn Owen
Owen Wyn Owen | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1925 |
| Died | 13 March 2012[1] |
| Occupations | Lecturer in mechanics, car restorer |
| Known for | Restoration of antique cars, most notably Babs |
Owen Wyn Owen (1925 – 13 March 2012) was a Welsh automobile restorer and mechanic. He lived in Capel Curig, Snowdonia. His working life was spent as a lecturer in engineering at Caernarfonshire Technical College in Bangor, but he is known for his outside achievements. He died in March 2012.
Restoration of Babs
His most famous restoration project, which received worldwide attention, was to excavate and restore Babs, after 40 years buried on a tidal beach.[2] "Babs" was the car that in 1927, driven by J. G. Parry-Thomas, whilst attempting the land speed record at the time (180 mph or 290 km/h), crashed and killed the driver.[3] The car was buried where the accident occurred on Pendine Sands.
In 1967 Wyn Owen decided to excavate and restore Babs. The car was first successfully tested on The Helyg straight in the early 1970s and was later successfully demonstrated in front of the world press and television on an air field near RAF Valley, Anglesey.
The restoration work took place in Owen's garage in Capel Curig, and Babs was displayed in the Pendine Museum of Speed during the summer months until its demolition in 2019. A replacement museum, the Museum of Land Speed, was opened at Pendine in 2022,[4] and the car is displayed there for part of the year.[5]
The car is owned by the Babs Trust.[5]
In 1999, Owen was awarded the Tom Pryce trophy,[6] engraved with the words Atgyfodwr Babs (English: Resurrector of Babs).
References
- ^ "Owen wyn Owen : Death". Daily Post. 17 March 2012. Retrieved 12 February 2015.
- ^ "Parry Thomas and Babs at Pendine Sands".
- ^ Wales: Old girl with a racy past, Telegraph Media Group, 12 August 2000, retrieved 2 March 2013
- ^ "Pendine Tourism Attractor project opens in time for Easter". Western Telegraph. 5 April 2023.
- ^ a b "Imagine history at the Sands of Speed". Museum of Land Speed. Retrieved 7 November 2025.
some objects, such as Babs, are only here for a few weeks of the year
- ^ About us Amdanom Ni, Welsh Group of Motoring Writers, archived from the original on 29 March 2013, retrieved 2 March 2013
External links
- "Biographical interview". National Screen and Sound Archive of Wales. 1997. Archived from the original (video catalogue entry online) on 9 June 2007. Retrieved 15 May 2008.
- "A ride on the roller Coast". Coast. 24 June 2007. BBC2 Wales.
"a cartoon of a car" with all pistons burning, is let loose on Pendine Sands once again for the Coast series