Father and son from Bedford star in new TV documentary as they attempt to transform a 1930s car into land speed record breaker

Father and son Nigel and Joel McNally, from Sharnbrook, are set to feature in a documentary as they attempt to renovate an abandoned 1930s Riley Kestrel car into a land speed record breaker.

The documentary series - filmed by Bedford’s Limelight TV and produced and distributed by Insight TV - tells the story of The Flying Kestrel.

Season 1 documents the epic journey of Nigel, founder and CEO of Brookfield Drinks, and his 21-year-old son Joel, as they set about transforming the rusted heap they recovered from a barn in Holland into a turbo-charged racer capable of speeds of over 200mph.

Brookfield Drinks is a specialist sales and marketing business focused on distributing beers and ciders including iconic Scottish beer Kestrel lager - and the Kestrel brand, hugely popular and successful in the 1980s and 1990s was bought by McNally in 2012.

Nigel said: “This has been a life-changing project. We have nurtured and developed The Flying Kestrel throughout the pandemic, giving the beautiful old car a new lease of life and finally uncovering its true potential.

"It’s the perfect showcase for our business and beer and testament to some important traits we have always held dear - unflappable teamwork, the ability to overcome adversity and the power in following your dreams and sticking your foot down on life’s accelerator.“

The 10 episode series will be broadcast to more than 300 million people worldwide and is available now on Amazon, Samsung TV Plus and on Insight TV’s platform

Alongside an intimate glimpse into the work of acclaimed Santa Pod-based engineer Jonathan Webster, the series shows it is not all plain sailing, with some dramatic setbacks along the way. With filming ongoing, Season 2 will tell the final story as the team goes for up to eight world-recognised land speed records in June.