Phil Hill is a legend for many reasons. His successes on American race tracks led him to a career as an international racing star and the Formula One championship in 1961. Hill remains the only American-born Formula 1 champion ever and along with that he racked up multiple LeMans wins, Sebring wins, and victories at tracks and events most of us mere mortals dream about attending let alone competing in that it boggles the mind. As a driver for Ferrari in 1959, Hill was given a shot at taking the seat on a streamliner on the Bonneville salt flats. Prior to hill driving the car, Stirling Moss had wheeled it to speed records in 1957, but that was then and this was 1959. The 1.5L four banger had a special twin-cam head, a Shorrock blower supposedly shoving 30psi down the throat of the little engine and all of its 90ci was gutting out some 300hp. This teardrop shaped car was setup to really make some noise.
In the capable hands of Hill it sure did makes some noise. The car went 254mph and way up from the 245mph that Moss had recorded earlier and taking the land speed record for cars of its type by a significant margin. It is funny to think of MG in this competitive setting as typically when you think of an MG you think of a tiny little convertible car with like 14hp. Not so back in the 1950s when the British sports car invasion was in full swing. The car is awesome and to know that Phil Hill wheeled it over 250mph is even better.
PRESS PLAY BELOW TO SEE THE LEGENDARY PHIL HILL WHEEL A PRETTY POTENT MG STREAMLINER TO 254MPH IN 1959
