Page 14 - the story of motoring
P. 14

The speed kings




       RULES  FOR  RECORD  BREAKING.    A  vehicle  and  engine  can  be  of any  size  but  there  must
       be  direct  drive  to two  wheels.    In 1965  the  authorities  set  up  a  second  class  of
       rzcord breaker  called  the  'Specials'  for jet  and  rocket  cars.       Two  runs  must  be  made
       in opposite  directions within  one  hour.       In this time  cars  can  be  refuelled  or  have
       tyres  changed.  The  calculated  speed  is the  average  of  the  two  runs.



                                            The  first World  Land  Speed  Record  was  set  at  39mph
                        \                '  in 1898.    This  was  achieved  by  an  electric  car
                                            driven  by  Count  Garton  de  Chasseloup-Laubat.      For
                                            the  next  few  there  was  great  rivalry between  elec-
                                            tric,  steam  and  petrol cars.     The  last  steam  car
                                            set  a  record  of  127mph  in 1906.


       ?he  First  Xorld  Land
       speed  Fiecord  Breaker              The  greatest  record  breaker  of  all was  Malcolm  Camp-
                                            bell  (9  records  between  1925  and  19351.    He  called  all
                                            his cars  Bluebird.     He  had  two  other  rivals,  Henry
      Segrave  and  Parry  Thomas.     Thomas  tragically  lost  his  life when  the  chains  driving
      the  wheels  snapped,  ripped  through  the  side  panels  and  cut  his  head  off.  Segrave  was                I  I
      the  first to break  the  200mph  limit in 1927.        He  also  drove  the  beautiful,  stream-
       lined  'Golden  Arrow'  (231mphl.     Malcolm  Campbell's  greatest  moment  of  triumph  came  in
      1935  at Bonneville  salt  flats,  U.S.A.      On  the  first run  oil sprayed  onto  the  wind-
       screen,  so  he  could  not  see  where  he  was  going.   Then  exhaust  fumes  entered  the  cock-
      pit and  he  was  being gassed.     To  make  matters  worse  a  tyre  caught  fire at the  end  of               1
      the  course.    If this was  not  enough  he  had  to do  a  return run.     This  occured  without
                                                                                                                        I
      a  hitch and  gave  him  the  record  of  30lmph.
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