Mr Whoppit

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

[4][5][6] Whoppit was noted in 2003 by reporter Frank Bennett as being part of the "threesome" arriving for the 1964 record run – the others being Campbell himself, and his wife.

[7] 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.

[8] Campbell died as a result of a crash while driving his jet hydroplane Bluebird K7 in a record attempt on Coniston in 1967.

[10] In 1956, Merrythought manufactured a 9-inch tall Woppit bear wearing a red felt jacket[11] and one of these was given to Donald by his close friend and manager Peter Barker.

In the late 1990s, Merrythought re-issued a limited production of 5,000 replicas of Mr Whoppit, with the original red jacket now sporting the Bluebird motif.

[16][17][18][19] The decision to auction off Mr Whoppit was a cause of acrimony between Gina Campbell and Donald's widow Tonia Bern-Campbell, which re-surfaced again during the recovery of Bluebird in 2001.

Mr. Whoppit in 2024 wearing the medallion gifted to Donald Campbell by his father.
Mr. Whoppit in 2024 wearing the medallion gifted to Donald Campbell by his father.
Mr Whoppit sold at the Ruking Museum in 2024.