Mr Whoppit

Mr Whoppit was the teddy bear mascot of Donald Campbell, the land and water speed record holder.

As was his father Sir Malcolm Campbell, Donald Campbell was highly superstitious. Both consulted spiritualist mediums and fortune tellers, Donald also placed his faith in a lucky mascot, Mr Whoppit. He refused to drive unless Whoppit was with him. One of his wife Tonia's tasks was to hand Whoppit to him on entering the cockpit.

Whoppit was with Campbell during his serious crash during a land-speed record attempt at the Bonneville Salt Flats in 1960, driving the Proteus Bluebird.

Campbell was killed during a record attempt on Coniston in 1967, while driving the jet hydroplane Bluebird K7. His body wasn't recovered, although Mr Whoppit floated free and was found almost immediately (Campbell's body was finally located and recovered in 2001).

Campbell also named one of his dogs 'Whoppit'.

Gar Wood and his brother George also kept teddy bears tied to their raceboat engines.