World Land Speed Record cars from 1898 to 2026 — the machines that pushed the record from 39.244 mph to 763.035 mph (thank you Larry W!)

The FIA is in the process of digitizing for public viewing more than two million documents and pictures from its boxes of archive stored in Valleiry (thank you Paul!)

Its collection relating to the land speed record is one of the first projects to be undertaken and will be made public shortly.

Alongside the documents and pictures are hand-written notes, letters and official records, annotated by those witnessing or taking part in the record attempts, a distinct, human element reaching back through the years.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/aug/13/at-any-moment-i-might-fade-out-archives-reveal-fearless-era-of-land-speed-record-breakers

well, HELLO hot stuff! Now I want to know what this is... a Bocar? Kellison? (my guesses were wrong, it's a 1956 Almquist Sabre sitting on a modified Kurtis K500 Indy car chassis) The engine seems to be a GSXR 750 cc, 14200 rpm, Garrett Turbo. It's the toy of the CEO of the SecureIt small arms storage co

video at https://www.facebook.com/reel/1069519792399578b

DRSC Automotive is in Minnesota 

J & J Performance is in Florida

https://www.instagram.com/jandj.performance

https://www.instagram.com/tomkubiniec/

https://www.instagram.com/p/DM1RymXvb4e/

next month, JCB will be trying for a world land speed record

https://hpj.com/2026/07/06/jcb-hydromax-keeps-pushing-ahead-for-speed-record/

this is superb... the fastest Kenworth in Australia - Speedweek 2025 - Rob Waters and his W-Model Kenworth

 

https://www.perthnow.com.au/lifestyle/motoring/the-cars-coming-to-perth-that-you-need-to-see-to-believe-ng-b88846542z

https://thewest.com.au/lifestyle/motoring/well-go-trucking-fast-ng-b881126810z

And I scooped the Drive by at least 3 days, https://www.thedrive.com/news/kenworth-semi-built-to-break-land-speed-records-is-the-coolest-way-to-go-140-mph OR, they are simply reading my blog and posting the coolest stuff, and not bothering to give me credit as the source 

this was made in 2017 or 2018 by VTR Customs of Switzerland based on an R1200 R supplied by BMW, to race in the Sultans of Sprint series, a custom bike acceleration challenge in Europe that was a 2018/2019 event that didn't return after covid

https://dailytimewaster.blogspot.com/2025/03/looks-slippery.html
https://www.bikeexif.com/bmw-r1200-spitfire-vtr-customs-tw-steel

https://www.instagram.com/sultansofsprint/

thanks to Volksrob! Here's the story of Peter Mounsey, 96, with his '49 Velocette, the he hit 97 mph with! His goal was one mpg per year of age!

An Australian yachting legend who sailed around the world with his wife in the 1950s

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-03-16/cars-set-records-at-speed-week-on-lake-gairdner/105054664
https://www.facebook.com/DryLakesRacersAustralia/

Six years ago on Lake Gairdner, Lionel West flipped the original Bronze Aussie at over 250mph. Now it's rebuilt and looking to break 300 mph, but only achieved 291

 

West set a new Australian record (282mph) for his class of vehicle and reached a top speed of 291mph.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-03-16/cars-set-records-at-speed-week-on-lake-gairdner/105054664
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1053382726823016&set=pcb.1053383190156303

Renault, has made the Filante Record 2025, an ultra-efficient single-seater EV to break records for power consumption and range

pays tribute to three vintage Renaults created to smash land speed records. 

The round headlights take after 40 CV des Records from the mid-1920s, 

the wheels pushed outward of the body are a nod to the 1934 Nervasport des Records, 

the arches are inspired by the gas turbine-powered 1956 Etoile Filante.

https://www.motor1.com/news/749034/renault-filante-record-2025/

the Indy Motor Speedway Museum is auctioning off the '1965 Spirit of America Sonic I' that Craig Breedlove made and set the World Land Speed Record with

 https://rmsothebys.com/auctions/mi25/lots/r0008-1965-spirit-of-america-sonic-i/

https://www.autoevolution.com/news/for-1-million-you-can-get-yourself-this-600-mph-missile-on-wheels-243603.html#

A new video about Ab Jenkins and the land speed racing Allis Chalmers

2009 Vette pulled off 263.93 miles per hour in the standing mile

 https://www.autoevolution.com/news/2200-rwhp-c6-corvette-makes-world-record-standing-mile-pass-at-264-mph-lsx-is-not-happy-241176.html#

I've learned a lot about land speed racing venues around the world, but here's a new one to me (it started in 2009), proof that there are many more cool new things to learn and experience if you never quit

 https://www.facebook.com/reddustrevival2025

a 1935 Riley Kestrel, alone and unloved in Holland was chosen to be the eye magnet for marketing beer... it's working! Then they decided to land speed race it!

Nigel McNally founder and CEO of Brookfield Drinks and The Kestrel Brewing Co (Scotland), said: “Plenty of people told us we couldn’t do it. We have had setbacks and issues, particularly with the aerodynamics"

The car, with trademark fastback styling, had not been touched since 1965 when Nigel and Joel found it.

It's now powered by a specially modified 2.5 litre, 5-cylinder engine capable of 992bhp.

It achieved 7 land-speed records at Elvington Racetrack in June 2021, and is prepped for the June 17th 200mph record attempt..

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c033jx085nwo

https://theflyingkestrel.com/

https://www.bedfordtoday.co.uk/news/people/bedfordshire-duo-break-uk-land-speed-record-with-historic-run-in-classic-car-3285229?r=8940

https://www.facebook.com/theflyingkestrel

https://www.facebook.com/theflyingkestrel/photos_by

Bonneville is wet

https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=665355695625723&set=pcb.665356192292340

they are also racing in Bolivia at the Salar De Uyuni, https://www.facebook.com/dallashonda

https://www.facebook.com/DryLakesRacersAustralia

Always a pleasure to see what Stefan Marjoram has posted on his facebook

Goodwood FOS 10 years ago  https://www.facebook.com/stefanmarjoramart

On May 24, Paula Murphy will be celebrated at the Petersen, 1st with a film, then with a panel discussion with her.

Paula Murphy: Undaunted, a film from the Left Behind documentary series created by Pam Miller and Cindy Sisson. The series about women in the automobile and motorsports world, who didn't create the household names that Petty, Knievel, and Breedlove did. 

Her family came to Southern California in the 1950s, where she soon won her class in an Alfa Romeo in 1959. Shortly after, she went on to teach at Dan Gurney’s racing school, and caught the attention of marketing genius Andy Granatelli.

She soon became known as “Miss STP”, and driving for Granatelli’s then ubiquitous STP oil-additive brand, she set 365 new stock-car records for Granatelli and Studebaker at the Bonneville Salt Flats in 1963. 

Her success made her the first woman to compete in the Indianapolis 500, behind the wheel of the Novi, Granatelli’s challenging Studebaker Indy race car. Back to Bonneville in 1965, she piloted Avenger, the STP jet car—despite four inches of water on the ground—to 243.33 mph.

She drove a Studebaker Avanti coast-to-coast for the Ford Transcontinental Speed record and set four transcontinental speed records. 

Her first drag racing was in 1965 driving an Olds 4-4-2 prepared by Dick Landy. Her competitive best was 12.46 at 110 mph. 

She was licensed in a Funny Car when Tom ‘The Mongoose’ McEwen, then president of the United Drag Racers Association, welcomed her and presided over her licensing at Lions and Don ‘Big Daddy’ Garlits signed off. The NHRA nixed her license, and Grantelli didn't like that, and got it reinstated. The following year saw her dip into the sevens and break 200 mph. 

For the 1969 season, Paula purchased a Barracuda Funny Car built by Don Hardy and spent most of the year match racing around the Midwest—where the money was. 

She went to England in 1973, along with Don Schumacher, as part of a three-weekend trip organized by Tony Nancy.

Murphy went on to Grand Prix racing, where she was the only American selected to represent the United States in the first Women’s Grand Prix Race in 1974.

https://robbreport.com/motors/cars/petersen-automotive-museum-honors-racer-paula-murphy-1234842078

https://www.gregwapling.com/hotrod/land-speed-racing-history/land-speed-racing-paula-murphy.html

https://ahrf.com/paula-murphy

today's Google doodle celebrates Kitty O'Niel

https://www.google.com/doodles/kitty-oneils-77th-birthday

O’Neil was born on this day in 1946 to a Cherokee Native American mother and Irish father in Corpus Christi, Texas. 

O’Neil began experimenting with high-speed sports like water skiing and motorcycle racing. A true action-lover, she also performed dangerous acts such as falling from daunting heights while set on fire and jumping from helicopters. 

In the late 70s, she made it onto the big screen as a stunt double for films and TV series including The Bionic Woman (1976), Wonder Woman (1977-1979), and The Blues Brothers (1980). .

In 1976, O’Neil was crowned “the fastest woman alive” after zooming across the Alvord Desert at 512.76 miles per hour! She drove a rocket-powered car called the Motivator and surpassed the previous women’s land-speed record by almost 200 mph. 

Once she broke the women’s record by a landslide, it became evident that she could likely beat the men’s mark too. Unfortunately, her sponsors did not allow her to break the overall record as it threatened the status quo — they wanted to reserve the feat for a male driver.

1939 Popular Science magazine ran this 6 page feature on the 1938 Muroc Meet (thank you Terry for sharing it!!)

colorized movie footage of Campbell setting a land speed record of 276 mph in his Blue Bird at Daytona Beach back in 1935, should be appreciated, it's SHARP!

see the video at https://twitter.com/aut0mob/status/1591092866008625152