Land Speed Records

A fascinating, illustrated guide to 120 years of the Land Speed Record, from the French electric carriage that reached 39mph in 1898, to the modern jet and rocket-propelled cars that will attempt to break the current record in 2018.

The Land Speed Record is a fascinating story of human endeavour – of man and machine battling time to be the fastest. Since 1898 many have dreamed of being the fastest on earth, first with electric, then steam, then petrol, moving forward to the jet car, and into the present and future with rocket power. The glory years of the record are studded with iconic names such as Malcolm and Donald Campbell, Henry Segrave, John Cobb, George Eyston, and more recently Craig Breedlove and Richard Noble. The next race is on for 1,000mph with the latest British attempt by Bloodhound SSC. In this colourfully illustrated introduction, using many photographs from the Motoring Picture Library at Beaulieu, Malcolm Campbell’s grandson tells of the brave drivers and powerful machines that have propelled themselves into the record books.