Contents

Land speed record

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.html) 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)

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