Zborowski Higham Special 'Chitty 4'

Information

'Chitty 4', known as the Higham Special, was under construction at the time of Zborowski's death in 1924. It featured a 27-litre Liberty aero engine and was purchased from Zborowski's estate by John Parry-Thomas, who renamed it 'Babs' and fitted four Zenith carburettors and custom pistons. In April 1926, he used Babs to break the land speed record at 171.02 mph.

Just under a year later, Parry-Thomas crashed during a record attempt at Pendine Sands and was killed. Babs was subsequently buried in the dunes, with a rear-wheel failure believed to have caused the accident.

In 1967, engineering lecturer Owen Wyn Owen decided to excavate and restore Babs, gaining permission from Parry-Thomas's living nephew. The wreck was located, but the car was in rough condition. Much of the bodywork had corroded and the mechanicals, although in better shape, required significant replacement parts.

The rebuilt Babs was shown to the media in the 1970s and remained in Owen's ownership until his death in 2012. It passed to his son and is dynamically displayed at events across the country.