High-Speed History

Written by Mighty Max

Since the dawn of man, people have striven to be the fastest. When the automobile was invented, this desire only became stronger. One after another, drivers mounting new and improved vehicles sprung from the woodwork and fought tooth and nail to be the fastest person on Earth and hold the land speed record. This was the golden age of the wheel-driven automobile and these are the drivers that risked it all to hold the title.

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High Speed History: A History of Land Speed World Records in the Golden Age of Wheel -Driven Automobiles

Car MPH Driver and (Country of Origin) Location and Year Power
Jeantaud Duc 39.24 Gaston de Chasseloup-Laubat

(France)

December, 1898

Achères,

France

Electric
Jeantaud Duc

 

57.65 Gaston de Chasseloup-Laubat

(France)

 

March, 1899

Achères,

France

Electric
La Jamais Contente 65.79 Camille Jenatzy

(Belgium)

January, 1899

Achères,

France

Electric
Gardner-Serpollet
Œuf de Pâques
75.06 Léon Serpollet

(France)

April, 1902

Nice,

France

Steam
The Mors Machine 76.08 William K. Vanderbilt (USA) August, 1902

St. Arnoult,

France

Internal Combustion
Ford 999 Racer 91.37 Henry Ford (USA) January, 1904

Lake St. Clair,

United States

Internal Combustion
Stanley Rocket 127.66 Fred Marriot (USA) January, 1906

Ormond Beach,

United States

Steam
Fiat Mephistofele 145.89 Ernest Eldridge (United Kingdom) July, 1924

Arpajon,

France

Internal Combustion
Sunbeam 350HP Blue Bird 146.16 Malcolm Campbell (United Kingdom) September, 1924

Pendine,

United Kingdom

Internal Combustion
Sunbeam 350HP Blue Bird 150.87 Malcolm Campbell (United Kingdom) July, 1925

Pendine,

United Kingdom

Internal Combustion
Babs 170 Parry Thomas (United Kingdom) April, 1926

Pendine,

United Kingdom

Internal Combustion
Napier-Campbell Blue Bird II 174.88 Malcolm Campbell (United Kingdom) February, 1927

Pendine,

United Kingdom

Internal Combustion
Sunbeam 1000HP Mystery 203.79 Henry Seagrave (United Kingdom) March, 1927

Daytona Beach,

United States

Internal Combustion
Napier-Campbell Blue Bird III 206.96 Malcolm Campbell (United Kingdom) February, 1928

Daytona Beach,

United States

 

Internal Combustion
White Triplex 207.552 Ray Keech (USA) April, 1928

Daytona Beach,

United States

Internal Combustion
Golden Arrow 231.45 Henry Segrave (United Kingdom) March, 1929

Daytona Beach,

United States

Internal Combustion
Campbell-Napier-Railton Blue Bird IV 246.09 Malcolm Campbell (United Kingdom) February, 1931

Verneuk Pan,

South Africa

Internal Combustion
Campbell-Napier-Railton Blue Bird IV 253.97 Malcolm Campbell (United Kingdom) February, 1932

Daytona Beach,

United States

Internal Combustion
Campbell-Railton Blue Bird V 272.46 Malcolm Campbell (United Kingdom) February, 1933

Daytona Beach,

United States

Internal Combustion
Campbell-Railton Blue Bird V 276.82 Malcolm Campbell (United Kingdom) March, 1935

Daytona Beach,

United States

Internal Combustion
Campbell-Railton Blue Bird V 301.13 Malcolm Campbell (United Kingdom) September, 1935

Bonneville Salt Flats,

United States

Internal Combustion
Thunderbolt 311.42 George Eyston (United Kingdom) November, 1937

Bonneville Salt Flats,

United States

Internal Combustion
Thunderbolt 345.49 George Eyston (United Kingdom) August, 1938

Bonneville Salt Flats,

United States

Internal Combustion
Railton Special 350.20 John Cobb (United Kingdom) September, 1938

Bonneville Salt Flats,

United States

Internal Combustion
Thunderbolt 357.50 George Eyston (United Kingdom) September, 1938

Bonneville Salt Flats,

United States

Internal Combustion
Railton Special 369.74 John Cobb (United Kingdom) August, 1939

Bonneville Salt Flats,

United States

Internal Combustion
Railton Mobil Special 394.20 John Cobb (United Kingdom) September, 1947

Bonneville Salt Flats,

United States

Internal Combustion
Bluebird CN7 403.10 Donald Campbell (United Kingdom) July, 1964

Lake, Eyre,

Australia

Turboshaft
Goldenrod 409.28 Bob Summers (United States) November, 1965

Bonneville Salt Flats,

United States

Internal Combustion

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