The longest standing land speed record in the world is that for a steam powered car. Back in 1908, a man named Fred Marriott drove the Stanley Steamer Rocket (pictured) to a terminal speed of 127 mph. Now a British team in a very zooty steam-powered car is set to let Marriott rest after holding the steam banner for more than 80 years.
Other than Jay Leno, we’re thinking few people knew about the old record. Marriott set it on Daytona Beach, in a vehicle that looked like it was constructed out of a couple of canoes that were fixed together. The British team has a streamliner-esque creation that has more technological thought in the fasteners than the old Steamer had from tip to stern.
The Brits are running their car at Edwards Air Force base in the presence of FIA officials who will sign off on the runs as being legit, and they’ll hold the record for, well, ever. By the early indications of their testing, they have the suds to pull it off.
Here’s a press release that shows the progress that the team is making.
British Steam Car Team on Course for World Record Success!
Edward’s Air Force Base, California: Tuesday 18th August
The British Steam Car Team has now successfully carried out 5 test runs in excess of 100mph ahead of its bid to break the century-old world land speed record for steam-powered vehicles. After numerous setbacks last week, the team were jubilant on Saturday having unofficially beaten the Fred Marriott record. The teams own calibrated equipment measured the two way average at 137.14mph, and a 48min 52 second turn-around.
Tomorrow the British Steam Car Team will commence their attempts to achieve an official record The current FIA record is 127mph previously set by American, Fred Marriott, driving a Stanley steam car in 1906
Project Manager Matt Candy said:” it was an enormous achievement on Saturday and one we hope to replicate now that the FIA timing officials have joined us today. The timing equipment is currently being set up cross the 6mile lake bed. When we left England we knew we had a tough challenge ahead, but we had carried out all the testing we could. Since arriving in the UK the team has had to do a lot of preparations to the car with the effects of heat, altitude and the surface conditions. Compared to UK testing at Thorney, Portsmouth, the goal has been to make the car travel twelve times the distance, at double the speed and twice in within one hour. Saturday was a milestone for the team in achieving this goal”.
The FIA is the sanctioning body and now recognizes a land speed record as the average speed of two passes made across the same measured distance in opposing directions within 60 minutes of each other. The time of the two runs is then averaged to obtain the official recorded speed.
The record runs will commence at 6am (USA time). We will keep you posted with the team news!
