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Land Speed Records 1898-2002

The information below is for self-propelled wheeled vehicles travelling over open ground. As such, it does not include records set by vehicles travelling on rails or motorized sleds over frozen lakes.

Additionally, the records below do not distinguish between different recognized classes of the land speed record, such as top speed for a motorcycle (333.117 mph), top speed for a steam-driven vehicle (145.607), or other top speeds that are not absolutes.

These are average speeds over the given distance. Two figures are given, one for the speed measured over a kilometre long course, and one for a mile long course. The speeds given are in miles per hour. The country field refers to the driver's nationality. Early records were not set according to clearly defined rules and thus some of them are controversial.

Disputed records are on a yellow background.

THIS TABLE IS A WORK IN PROGRESS most of the information is accurate but don't consider it as an absolute reference.

Date	Location	Date Driver	Country	Vehicle	Power	Kilo Speed	Mile Speed	Comments
December 18, 1898	Achères[?], France	Gaston de Chasseloup-Laubat[?]	France	Jeantaud Duc	Electric	39.24
January 17, 1899	Achères, France	Camille Jenatzy[?]	Belgium	CGA Dogcart	Electric	41.42
January 17, 1899	Achères, France	Gaston de Chasseloup-Laubat	France	Jeantaud Duc	Electric	43.69
January 27, 1899	Achères, France	Camille Jenatzy	Belgium	CGA Dogcart	Electric	49.93
March 4, 1899	Achères, France	Gaston de Chasseloup-Laubat	France	Jeantaud Duc Profilée	Electric	57.65
April 29, 1899	Achères, France	Camille Jenatzy	Belgium	CITA No 25 La Jamais Contente	Electric	65.79		First record over 100km/h
April 13, 1902	Nice, France	Leon Serpollet[?]	France	Gardner-Serpollet Oeuf de Pacques	Steam	75.06
November 5, 1902	Ablis, France	William K. Vanderbilt[?]	USA	Mors Z Paris-Vienne	IC	76.08
November 5, 1902	Dourdan, France	Henri Fournier[?]	France	Mors Z Paris-Vienne	IC	76.60
November 17, 1902	Dourdan, France	M. Augières	France	Mors Z Paris-Vienne	IC	77.13
July 17, 1903	Ostend, Belgium	Arthur Duray[?]	Belgium	Gobron Brillié Paris-Madrid	IC	83.46
November 5, 1903	Dourdan, France	Arthur Duray	Belgium	Gobron Brillié Paris-Madrid	IC	84.73
January 12, 1904	Lake St. Clair, USA	Henry Ford	USA	Ford Arrow	IC		91.37
March 31, 1904	Nice, France	Arthur Duray	Belgium	Gobron Brillié Paris-Madrid	IC	88.76
March 31, 1904	Nice, France	Louis Rigolly[?]	France	Gobron Brillié Paris-Madrid	IC	94.78
May 25, 1904	Ostend, Belgium	Pierre de Caters[?]	Belgium	Mercedes Simplex 90	IC	97.25
July 21, 1904	Ostend, Belgium	Louis Rigolly	France	Gobron Brillié Gordon Bennett[?]	IC	103.56
November 13, 1904	Ostend, Belgium	Paul Baras	France	Darracq[?] Gordon Bennett	IC	104.53
January 24, 1905	Daytona Beach, USA	Arthur MacDonald	France	Napier 6	IC	104.65
December 30, 1905	Arles, France	Victor Héméry[?]	France	Darracq V8 Special	IC	108.58
January 26, 1906	Daytona Beach, USA	Fred H. Marchriott[?]	USA	Stanley Steamer	Steam	121.57
November 6, 1909	Brooklands, Great Britain	Victor Héméry	France	200hp Benz No 1	IC	125.94	115.93
June 24, 1914	Brooklands, Great Britain	L. G. Hornstead	Great Britain	200hp Benz No 3	IC		124.09	First 2-way record
February 12, 1919	Daytona Beach, USA	Ralph de Plama	USA	Packard 905	IC	149.875		Recognized in the USA, not recognized by the AIACR
May 17, 1922	Brooklands, Great Britain	Kenelm Lee Guinness[?]	Great Britain	350hp Sunbeam[?]	IC	133.70	129.17	Last record set on a closed course
July 6, 1924	Arpajon, France	René Thomas[?]	France	Delage[?] La Torpille	IC	143.21	143.31
July 12, 1924	Arpajon, France	Ernest A. D. Eldridge[?]	Great Britain	FIAT Special Mephistopeles II	IC	146.01	145.89	Last record set on a public road
September 25, 1924	Pendine Sands[?], Wales	Malcolm Campbell	Great Britain	350hp Sunbeam Blue Bird	IC	146.15	146.16
July 21, 1925	Pendine Sands, Wales	Malcolm Campbell	Great Britain	350hp Sunbeam Blue Bird	IC	150.86	150.76
March 21, 1926	Southport, Great Britain	Henry Segrave[?]	Great Britain	4 Litre Sunbeam Ladybird	IC	152.30	149.32
April 27, 1926	Pendine Sands, Wales	J. G. Parry-Thomas	Great Britain	Higham-Thomas Special Babs	IC	169.29	168.07
April 28, 1926	Pendine Sands, Wales	J. G. Parry-Thomas	Great Britain	Higham-Thomas Special Babs	IC	171.01	170.62
February 4, 1927	Pendine Sands, Wales	Malcolm Campbell	Great Britain	Campbell Napier Blue Bird	IC	174.88	174.22	Last record set in Europe
March 29, 1927	Daytona Beach, USA	Henry Seagrave	Great Britain	100hp Sunbeam 'Slug'	IC	202.98	203.79
February 19, 1928	Daytona Beach, USA	Malcolm Campbell	Great Britain	Campbell Napier Blue Bird	IC		206.95
April 22, 1928	Daytona Beach, USA	Ray Keech[?]	USA	White Triplex Spirit of Elkdom	IC		207.55
March 11, 1929	Daytona Beach, USA	Henry Segrave	Great Britain	Irving-Napier Golden Arrow	IC	231.56	231.36
February 5, 1931	Daytona Beach, USA	Malcolm Campbell	Great Britain	Campbell Napier Railton[?] Blue Bird	IC	246.08	245.73
February 24, 1932	Daytona Beach, USA	Malcolm Campbell	Great Britain	Campbell Napier Railton Blue Bird	IC	251.34	253.96
February 22, 1933	Daytona Beach, USA	Malcolm Campbell	Great Britain	Campbell Rolls-Royce Railton Blue Bird	IC	272.46	272.10
March 7, 1935	Daytona Beach, USA	Malcolm Campbell	Great Britain	Campbell Rolls-Royce Railton Blue Bird	IC	276.16	276.71	Last record set on a beach
September 3, 1935	Bonneville Salt Flats[?], USA	Malcolm Campbell	Great Britain	Campbell Rolls-Royce Railton Blue Bird	IC		301.129
November 19, 1937	Bonneville Salt Flats, USA	George E. T. Eyston[?]	Great Britain	Thunderbolt	IC	312.00	311.41
August 27, 1938	Bonneville Salt Flats, USA	George E. T. Eyston	Great Britain	Thunderbolt	IC	345.20	345.48
September 15, 1938	Bonneville Salt Flats, USA	John Cobb[?]	Great Britain	Railton	IC	350.06	350.19
September 16, 1938	Bonneville Salt Flats, USA	George E. T. Eyston	Great Britain	Thunderbolt	IC	357.33	357.49
August 23, 1939	Bonneville Salt Flats, USA	John Cobb	Great Britain	Railton	IC	369.74	367.91	Last record set in Utah
September 16, 1947	Bonneville Salt Flats, USA	John Cobb	Great Britain	Railton 'Mobil' Special	IC	393.82	394.19	First one-way over 400mph
September 5, 1963	Bonneville Salt Flats, USA	Craig Breedlove	USA	Spirit of America	Turbojet	408.312	407.447	Ratified by FIM[?] as vehicle has 3 wheels
October 5, 1964	Bonneville Salt Flats, USA	Tom Green[?]	USA	Wingfoot Express[?]	Turbojet	415.093	413.199
October 7, 1964	Bonneville Salt Flats, USA	Art Arfons[?]	USA	The Green Monster	Turbojet	434.356	434.022
October 13, 1964	Bonneville Salt Flats, USA	Craig Breedlove	USA	Spirit of America - Sonic 1	Turbojet		468.719
October 15, 1964	Bonneville Salt Flats, USA	Craig Breedlove	USA	Spirit of America - Sonic 1	Turbojet		526.277
October 27, 1964	Bonneville Salt Flats, USA	Art Arfons	USA	The Green Monster	Turbojet	544.134	536.710
November 2, 1965	Bonneville Salt Flats, USA	Craig Breedlove	USA	Spirit of America - Sonic 1	Turbojet	555.485	555.485
November 7, 1965	Bonneville Salt Flats, USA	Art Arfons	USA	The Green Monster	Turbojet	572.546	576.553
November 15, 1965	Bonneville Salt Flats, USA	Craig Breedlove	USA	Spirit of America - Sonic 1	Turbojet	600.842	600.601
October 23, 1970	Bonneville Salt Flats, USA	Gary Gabelich[?]	USA	Blue Flame[?]	Rocket	630.389	622.407	First record over 1000km/h
December 17, 1979	Edwards AFB, USA	Stan Barrett[?]	USA	Budweiser Rocket[?]	Rocket			Questionable [1] (http://www.sciencenet.org.uk/database/Technology/ThrustSSC/t00219d) Supersonic top speed claim not officially recognized due to non-standard measurements.
October 4, 1983	Black Rock Desert[?], USA	Richard Noble[?]	Great Britain	Thrust2	Turbojet		633.468
September 25, 1997	Black Rock Desert, USA	Andy Green[?]	Great Britain	ThrustSSC	Turbofan	713.496	714.144
October 15, 1997	Black Rock Desert, USA	Andy Green	Great Britain	ThrustSSC	Turbofan	760.343 (1223.65 km/h)	763.035 (1227.99 km/h)	First supersonic record (Mach 1.016)

External links

www.sciencenet.org.uk (http://www.sciencenet.org.uk/database/Technology/ThrustSSC/t00215d)
Hasn't the Budweiser Rocket gone supersonic already? (http://www.sciencenet.org.uk/database/Technology/ThrustSSC/t00219d)
www.peterrenn.clara.net (http://www.peterrenn.clara.net/l.s.r)
Autoracing speed records (http://dmoz.org/Sports/Motorsports/Auto_Racing/Speed_Records/)
Landspeed record history (http://phyvax.ir.miami.edu:8001/curtright/lsr_history)

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