Land speed record
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The land speed record is the fastest speed achieved by any wheeled vehicle on land, as opposed to one on water or in the air. It is standardized as the speed over a course of fixed length, averaged over two runs in opposite directions. The current absolute (or unlimited) record holder is ThrustSSC, a twin turbofan jet-powered car which has achieved 763 mph (slightly under 1228 km/h) over one mile, breaking the sound barrier. There are also records for specific classes of vehicle, such as motorcycles (350.884 mph, currently held by Chris Carr), and steam-driven vehicles (Fred Marriott, 127.659 mph), but this list only includes the absolute speed records for wheeled vehicles on ground, without rails. Early records predate standardisation and are sometimes controversial.
Contents |
[edit] 1898 to 1947
| Date | Location | Driver | Vehicle | Power | Speed over 1 km |
Speed over 1 mile |
Comments | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| mph | km/h | mph | km/h | ||||||
| December 18, 1898 | Achères, Yvelines, France |  Gaston de Chasseloup-Laubat |
Jeantaud Duc | Electric | 39.24 | 63.15 | |||
| January 17, 1899 | Achères, France |  Brandon Kesler |
CGA Dogcart | Electric | 41.42 | 66.66 | |||
| January 17, 1899 | Achères, France | Gaston de Chasseloup-Laubat |
Jeantaud Duc | Electric | 43.69 | 70.31 | |||
| January 27, 1899 | Achères, France | Camille Jenatzy |
CGA Dogcart | Electric | 49.93 | 80.35 | |||
| March 4, 1899 | Achères, France | Gaston de Chasseloup-Laubat |
Jeantaud Duc Profilée | Electric | 57.65 | 92.78 | |||
| April 29, 1899 | Achères, France | Camille Jenatzy |
CITA No 25, Jamais Contente | Electric | 65.79 | 105.88 | — | First record over 100 km/h | |
| April 13, 1902 | Nice, France Promenade des Anglais |
Leon Serpollet |
Gardner-SerpolletOeuf de Pâques (Easter Egg)' | Steam | 75.06 | 120.80 | |||
| November 5, 1902 | Ablis, France |  William K. Vanderbilt |
Mors Z Paris-Vienne | IC | 76.08 | 122.44 | |||
| November 5, 1902 | Dourdan, France | Henri Fournier |
Mors Z Paris-Vienne | IC | 76.60 | 123.28 | |||
| November 17, 1902 | Dourdan, France | M. Augières |
Mors Z Paris-Vienne | IC | 77.13 | 124.13 | |||
| July 17, 1903 | Ostend, Belgium | Arthur Duray |
Gobron Brillié Paris-Madrid | IC | 83.46 | 134.32 | |||
| November 5, 1903 | Dourdan, France | Arthur Duray |
Gobron Brillié Paris-Madrid | IC | 84.73 | 136.36 | |||
| January 12, 1904 | Lake St. Clair, USA | Henry Ford |
Ford Arrow | IC | — | 91.37 | 147.05 | On frozen lake | |
| March 31, 1904 | Nice, France | Arthur Duray |
Gobron Brillié Paris-Madrid | IC | 88.76 | 142.85 | |||
| March 31, 1904 | Nice, France | Louis Rigolly |
Gobron Brillié Paris-Madrid | IC | 94.78 | 152.53 | |||
| May 25, 1904 | Ostend, Belgium | Pierre de Caters |
Mercedes Simplex 90 | IC | 97.25 | 156.50 | |||
| July 21, 1904 | Ostend, Belgium | Louis Rigolly |
Gobron Brillié Gordon Bennett Cup | IC | 103.56 | 166.66 | |||
| November 13, 1904 | Ostend, Belgium | Paul Baras |
Darracq Gordon Bennett | IC | 104.53 | 168.22 | |||
| January 24, 1905 | Daytona Beach, USA | Arthur MacDonald |
Napier 6 | IC | 104.65 | 168.42 | |||
| December 30, 1905 | Arles, France | Victor Hémery |
Darracq V8 Special | IC | 109.65 | 175.44 | |||
| January 26, 1906 | Ormond Beach, USA | Fred Marriott |
Stanley Rocket Racer | Steam | 127.66 | 205.44 | |||
| January 24, 1907 | Ormond Beach, Florida | Glenn Curtiss |
Curtiss V8 40 hp (30 kW) motorcycle | IC | — | 136.27 | 219.31 | Moto record stood for about 30 years | |
| November 6, 1909 | Brooklands, United Kingdom | Victor Héméry |
200 hp (150 kW) Benz No 1 | IC | 125.94 | 202.68 | 115.93 | 186.57 | |
| June 24, 1914 | Brooklands, United Kingdom |  L. G. Hornstead |
200 hp (150 kW) Benz No 3 | IC | — | 124.09 | 199.70 | First 2-way record | |
| February 12, 1919 | Daytona Beach, USA | Ralph DePalma |
Packard 905 | IC | 149.875 | 241.200 | — | Recognized in the USA, not recognized by the AIACR | |
| May 17, 1922 | Brooklands, United Kingdom | Kenelm Lee Guinness |
350 hp (260 kW) Sunbeam | IC | 133.70 | 215.17 | 129.17 | 207.88 | Last record set on a closed course |
| July 6, 1924 | Arpajon, France | René Thomas |
Delage La Torpille | IC | 143.21 | 230.47 | 143.31 | 230.64 | |
| July 12, 1924 | Arpajon, France | Ernest A. D. Eldridge |
FIAT Special Mephistopeles II | IC | 146.01 | 234.98 | 145.89 | 234.79 | Last record set on a public road |
| September 25, 1924 | Pendine Sands, Wales | Malcolm Campbell |
350 hp (260 kW) Sunbeam Blue Bird | IC | 146.15 | 235.21 | 146.16 | 235.22 | |
| July 21, 1925 | Pendine Sands, Wales | Malcolm Campbell |
350 hp (260 kW) Sunbeam Blue Bird | IC | 150.86 | 242.79 | 150.76 | 242.62 | |
| March 21, 1926 | Southport, United Kingdom | Henry Segrave |
4 Litre Sunbeam Ladybird | IC | 152.30 | 245.10 | 149.32 | 240.31 | |
| April 27, 1926 | Pendine Sands, Wales | J.G. Parry-Thomas |
Higham-Thomas Special Babs | IC | 169.29 | 272.45 | 168.07 | 270.48 | |
| April 28, 1926 | Pendine Sands, Wales | J.G. Parry-Thomas |
Higham-Thomas Special Babs | IC | 171.01 | 273.60 | 170.62 | 274.59 | Killed at end of run |
| February 4, 1927 | Pendine Sands, Wales | Malcolm Campbell |
Campbell Napier Blue Bird | IC | 174.88 | 281.44 | 174.22 | 280.38 | Last record set in Europe |
| March 29, 1927 | Daytona Beach, USA | Henry Segrave |
1000 hp (750 kW) Sunbeam 1000 hp Slug | IC | 202.98 | 326.66 | 203.79 | 327.97 | |
| February 19, 1928 | Daytona Beach, USA | Malcolm Campbell |
Campbell Napier Blue Bird | IC | — | 206.95 | 333.05 | ||
| April 22, 1928 | Daytona Beach, USA | Ray Keech |
White TriplexSpirit of Elkdom | IC | — | 207.55 | 334.02 | ||
| March 11, 1929 | Daytona Beach, USA | Henry Segrave |
Irving-Napier Golden Arrow | IC | 231.56 | 372.66 | 231.36 | 372.34 | Golden Arrow never ran again |
| February 5, 1931 | Daytona Beach, USA | Malcolm Campbell |
Campbell Napier Railton Blue Bird | IC | 246.08 | 396.03 | 245.73 | 395.46 | |
| February 24, 1932 | Daytona Beach, USA | Malcolm Campbell |
Campbell Napier Railton Blue Bird | IC | 251.34 | 404.49 | 253.96 | 408.71 | |
| February 22, 1933 | Daytona Beach, USA | Malcolm Campbell |
Campbell Rolls-Royce Railton Blue Bird | IC | 272.46 | 438.48 | 272.10 | 437.90 | |
| March 7, 1935 | Daytona Beach, USA | Malcolm Campbell |
Campbell Rolls-Royce Railton Blue Bird | IC | 276.16 | 444.44 | 276.71 | 445.32 | Last record set on a beach |
| September 3, 1935 | Bonneville Salt Flats, USA | Malcolm Campbell |
Campbell Rolls-Royce Railton Blue Bird | IC | — | 301.129 | 484.620 | ||
| November 19, 1937 | Bonneville Salt Flats, USA | George E. T. Eyston |
Thunderbolt | IC | 312.00 | 502.11 | 311.41 | 501.17 | |
| August 27, 1938 | Bonneville Salt Flats, USA | George E. T. Eyston |
Thunderbolt | IC | 345.20 | 555.55 | 345.48 | 556.00 | |
| September 15, 1938 | Bonneville Salt Flats, USA | John Cobb |
Railton Special | IC | 350.06 | 563.37 | 350.19 | 563.58 | |
| September 16, 1938 | Bonneville Salt Flats, USA | George E. T. Eyston |
Thunderbolt | IC | 357.33 | 575.07 | 357.49 | 575.32 | |
| August 23, 1939 | Bonneville Salt Flats, USA | John Cobb |
Railton Special | IC | 369.74 | 595.04 | 367.91 | 592.09 | |
| September 16, 1947 | Bonneville Salt Flats, USA | John Cobb |
Railton Mobil Special | IC | 393.82 | 633.79 | 394.19 | 634.39 | First one-way over 400 mph |
[edit] 1963 to 1970
| Date | Location | Driver | Vehicle | Power | Speed over 1 km |
Speed over 1 mile |
Comments | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| mph | km/h | mph | km/h | ||||||
| September 5, 1963 | Bonneville Salt Flats, USA | Craig Breedlove |
Spirit of America | Turbojet | 408.312 | 657.114 | 407.447 | 655.722 | Ratified by FIM as vehicle has 3 wheels |
| July 17, 1964 | Lake Eyre, Australia | Donald Campbell |
Bluebird CN7 | turboprop | 403.10 | 644.96 | |||
| October 5, 1964 | Bonneville Salt Flats, USA | Tom Green |
Wingfoot Express | Turbojet | 415.093 | 668.027 | 413.199 | 664.979 | |
| October 7, 1964 | Bonneville Salt Flats, USA | Art Arfons |
The Green Monster | Turbojet | 434.356 | 665.231 | 434.022 | 664.694 | |
| October 13, 1964 | Bonneville Salt Flats, USA | Craig Breedlove |
Spirit of America | Turbojet | — | 468.719 | 754.330 | ||
| October 15, 1964 | Bonneville Salt Flats, USA | Craig Breedlove |
Spirit of America | Turbojet | — | 526.277 | 846.861 | ||
| October 27, 1964 | Bonneville Salt Flats, USA | Art Arfons |
The Green Monster | Turbojet | 544.134 | 875.699 | 536.710 | 863.791 | |
| November 2, 1965 | Bonneville Salt Flats, USA | Craig Breedlove |
Spirit of America - Sonic 1 | Turbojet | 555.485 | 893.966 | 555.485 | 893.966 | |
| November 7, 1965 | Bonneville Salt Flats, USA | Art Arfons |
The Green Monster | Turbojet | 572.546 | 921.423 | 576.553 | 927.872 | |
| November 13, 1965 | Bonneville Salt Flats, USA | Bob Summers |
Goldenrod | IC | 409.277 | 658.526 | Last record using an internal combustion engine | ||
| November 15, 1965 | Bonneville Salt Flats, USA | Craig Breedlove |
Spirit of America - Sonic 1 | Turbojet | 600.842 | 966.961 | 600.601 | 966.574 | |
| October 23, 1970 | Bonneville Salt Flats, USA | Gary Gabelich |
Blue Flame | Rocket | 630.389 | 1014.52 | 622.407 | 1001.67 | First record over 1000 km/h; record stood for 13 years |
[edit] 1983 to 1997
| Date | Location | Driver | Vehicle | Power | Speed over 1 km |
Speed over 1 mile |
Comments | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| mph | km/h | mph | km/h | ||||||
| October 4, 1983 | Black Rock Desert, USA | Richard Noble |
Thrust2 | Turbojet | — | 633.468 | 1019.47 | ||
| September 25, 1997 | Black Rock Desert, USA | Andy Green |
ThrustSSC | Turbofan | 763.343 | 1223.65 | 763.035 | 1227.99 | First supersonic record (Mach 1.016) |
[edit] See also
- British Land Speed Record
- Fast cars
- Motorcycle land speed record
- Pioneer 2M - Soviet Union attempt at the land speed record in early 1960s
- Budweiser Rocket - Made a disputed 746 mph run in 1979
- North American Eagle - Project aiming at a minimum 800 mph
Extremes of motion
Speed records
Air speed record (Transcontinental) | Land speed record (Railed | Road car | Motorcycle | British) | Water speed record (Underwater)
Sound barrier | Speed of light
Distance records
Flight distance record | Flight altitude record | Ocean depth record | Flight endurance record
Boundary of space
see also: Spaceflight records | List of transport records | FAI records
