 The Bluebird was the
first car built strictly for breaking land speed record.
On Feb 4, 1927 -
Malcolm Campbell of England, drove the Napier-Campbell Bluebird to
174.883 mph.
The Thrust SSC, driven by Andy Green and owned by Richard Noble,
was the first land based vehicle to break the sound barrier on October
15th 1997, with a two way average of 763.035 mph
Cruising at
Mach 1.020
 1.020 times
the speed at which sound travels in air |
The first
ever land-speed record was ostensibly established more than 100 years
back, when in 1898, Count Gaston de Chasseloup-Laubat of France drove
an electric car (in Acheres near Paris) at a speed of 39.24 miles
per hour. This flagged off the era of 'wheels' racing, when
only wheel-powered vehicles were eligible. The 'wheel' racing era
lasted till 1964, after which jet and rocket-propelled vehicles were
allowed, and began the 'Unlimited Era'.
The Unlimited Era showed a dramatic increase in land speed records
and the breaking of the sound barrier (Mach 1 - 748 miles per hour)
now became a reality. The era spawned several car-teams aspiring only
to break the Mach 1. Some of the notable landmarks are given below:
| Year |
Driver |
Car |
Venue |
Speed
(mph) |
| 1964 |
Art
Arfons (USA) |
Green
Monster |
Bonneville
Salt Flats, Utah |
434.02 |
|
Craig
Breedlove (USA) |
Spirit
of America |
Bonneville
Salt Flats, Utah |
468.72 |
|
Art
Arfons |
Green
Monster |
Bonneville
Salt Flats, Utah |
536.71 |
| 1965 |
Craig
Breedlove |
Spirit
of America (Sonic 1) |
Bonneville
Salt Flats, Utah |
555.583 |
|
Art
Arfons |
Green
Monster |
Bonneville
Salt Flats, Utah |
576.553 |
|
Craig
Breedlove |
Spirit
of America (Sonic 1) |
Bonneville
Salt Flats, Utah |
600.601 |
|
1970 |
G.
Gabliech (USA) |
The
Blue Flame |
Bonneville
Salt Flats, Utah |
630.388 |
|
1983 |
Richard
Noble (UK) |
Thrust
2 |
Black
Rock Desert, Nevada |
633.46 |
|
1997 |
Andy
Green |
Thrust
SSC |
Black
Rock Desert, Nevada |
763.035
– Mach 1.02 |
|
