History of Speed. The complete history of the land speed record

132 Pages·2017·109.904 MB·English

by  Jack Harrison

CONTENTS
HISTORY OF SPEED
AUTHOR:
THEFEARLESSFEW JackHarrison
FourJacksMedia
[email protected]
006 Gastonde 050 RenéThomas
Chasseloup-Laubat 052 ErnestEldridge PAGEDESIGN:
008 CamilleJenatzy 058 SirMalcolmCampbell CraigLamb
KrieleLtd
010 LéonSerpollet 060 SirHenrySegrave
[email protected]
016 WilliamKVanderbilt 062 JohnParry-Thomas
018 HenriFournier 064 CharlesRaymondKeech COVERDESIGN:
020 MauriceAugières 082 GeorgeEyston HollyFurness
022 ArthurDuray 084 JohnCobb PRODUCTIONEDITOR:
028 LouisRigolly 092 CraigBreedlove PaulineHawkins
030 PierredeCaters 094 DonaldCampbell
REPROGRAPHICS:
032 PaulBaras 102 TomGreen
PaulFincham
038 VictorHémery 104 ArthurEugene‘Art’Arfons
JonathanSchofield
040 FredMarriott 106 GaryGabelich
ADVERTISING:
042 LydstonHornsted 114 RichardNoble
BillyManning
048 KenelmLeeGuinness 122 AndyGreen
[email protected]
THEFULLSTORY MARKETINGMANAGER:
CharlottePark
004 INTRODUCTION 080 CHAPTER8
COMMERCIALDIRECTOR:
Theevolutionofspeed BrilliantBlueBird
NigelHole
012 CHAPTER1 086 CHAPTER9
PUBLISHINGDIRECTOR:
Landspeedpioneers ThebattlemovestoBonneville
DanSavage
024 CHAPTER2 096 CHAPTER10 PUBLISHER:
Petrolcomestothefore AnewCampbell, SteveO’Hara
anewrivalry
034 CHAPTER3 vImagesmarked✪areinthe
Controversy,chaos 108 CHAPTER11 publicdomain
andthemagicalton SpiritofAmerica vImagesmarked✱arepublished
underaCreativeCommonsLicence,
044 CHAPTER4 116 CHAPTER12 creativecommons.org
Steam’sfinalflourish RichardNobleandThrust2 vImagescreditedPressAssociation
arecourtesyofPAImages
054 CHAPTER5 vImagescreditedMPLarecourtesy
124 CHAPTER13
Settingtherecordstraight oftheMotoringPictureLibrary
Thespeedofsound
vImagescreditedSSCarecourtesy
066 CHAPTER6 ofSSCProgrammeLtd
130 REACHINGTHELIMIT
AmannamedCampbell
BloodhoundSSC PRINTEDBY:
072 CHAPTER7 (andthefutureofthe WilliamGibbonsandSons,
200mphatDaytona landspeedrecord) Wolverhampton
ISBN:
978-1-911276-42-5
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
PUBLISHEDBY:
MortonsMediaGroupLtd
Theone-linementionsonthispagedonotdojusticetotheskillandwork
MediaCentre
thatgoesintoproducingavolumesuchasthis,frominitialideathroughto MortonWay
thefinishedproductyouseeinfrontofyou. Horncastle
I’vecollaboratedwithdesignerCraigLambandproductioneditorPauline Lincolnshire
LN96JR
Hawkinsonanumberofprojects,andonceagainthey’vebeenapleasureto
workwith.Asever,Iamindebtedtothemfortheireffortsandpatience. COPYRIGHT:
Mortons’widerpublishingteammustalsobeaffordedgreatcredit– MortonsMediaGroupLtd
HollyFurnessforthesuperbcoveradorningthiseditionandpicturedesk 2017allrightsreserved.
operatorsPaulFinchamandJonathanSchofieldforensuringtheimagery
featuredisofthehighqualityrequired.
Speakingofimagery,JonDayattheMotoringPictureLibraryhasbeen
mosthelpfulinmakingthenecessarysearchesofthericharchivehe
manages.Withoutthewonderfulphotographyandhisefforts,itwouldhave
beendifficulttogetthisbookazineofftheground.
Nopartofthispublicationmaybeproducedor
AndaseverIhaveenjoyedfantasticpersonalsupportthroughout,makingit transmittedinanyformorbyanymeans,electronic
ormechanical,includingphotocopying,recording,or
possibletospendthetimeresearchingandwritingaboutthiswonderfulsubject.
anyinformationstorageretrievalsystemwithoutprior
permissioninwritingfromthepublisher.
003contents.indd 3 22/08/2017 18:13
INTRODUCTION
THE EVOLUTION
1898 39.24
1898 41.42
1899 43.69
1899 49.92 OF SPEED
1899 57.60
1899 65.79
1902 75.06
1902 76.08
1902 76.60
1902 77.13 Thisstorybeginswitharatherserenerunof39.24mphinthe
1903 83.47 Frenchcountryside,andculminateswithasupersonicroarof
1903 84.73 763.07mphacrossadesertinNevada.Attheverybasiclevel,
1904 94.78 botheventsweremanandmachinepushingpastwhatpeople
1904 97.25 believedtobepossibleandfindingalevelbeyond.Butthe
1904 103.56 incredibledifferenceinthespeedsachieveddemonstratesjust
1904 104.52 howfarthelandspeedrecordhasprogressedinthe120years
1905 109.65 sinceitsinception.
1906 121.57 Withoutanydoubt,advancementsintechnologyand
1909 125.95 engineeringhavebeenpivotal.Thedevelopmentofthepetrol
1914 124.12 engine,agreaterunderstandingofaerodynamics,theembracing
1922 133.75 ofjetpower,thedeploymentofrocketpropulsion…allhave
1924 143.31 hadacrucialimpact.Whateverthetoolsavailablethough,the
1924 146.01 keydriverbehindthemind-bogglingincreasesissheerhuman
1925 146.16 ingenuityanddesire.
1925 150.76 From1898throughto1997andbeyond,thispotent
1926 152.33 combinationhasfuelledarelentlesspursuitofspeed–andit’s
1926 169.30 spawnedatrulyremarkablecompetitionthathasproduced
1926 171.02 somefascinatingcharactersandtheirweirdandwonderful
1927 174.88 machines.
1927 203.79 Ithasbeenmyabsolutepleasuretotelltheirtalesinthe132
1928 206.96 pagesbeforeyou;IsincerelyhopeI’vedoneitthejusticeitso
1928 207.55 clearlydeserves.
1929 231.45 JackHarrison
1931 246.09 Author
1932 253.97
1933 272.46
1935 276.82
1935 301.13 RECORDSHOLDERSBYNATION
1937 312.00
1938 345.50 10
1938 350.20 GREATBRITAIN
1938 357.50 8
1939 369.70 FRANCE
1947 394.20
7
1963 407.45
USA
1964 403.10
3
1964 413.20
1964 434.02 BELGIUM
1964 468.72 1
1964 526.28 IRELAND
1964 536.71
1965 555.48
1965 576.55
1965 600.60
1970 630.39
1983 633.47
1997 714.14
1997 763.07
???? 1000MPH?
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004introduction.indd 5 22/08/2017 16:15
The FEARLESS FEW
Gaston de
Chasseloup-
Laubat
The first fastest man
F
rencharistocratCountGastonde
Chasseloup-Laubatcementedhis
nameasapioneerofmotorracing
whenhewontheprestigiousMarseille-LaTurbie
roadracein1897.
Victoryinthe140-mileeventmighthaveproved
tobeadefiningcareermoment,butthefollowing
yearLaFranceAutomobilemagazinelaunched
anewcampaigntofindtheworld’sfastestcar-
and-drivercombination;Chasseloup-Laubatduly
entered.
Aboardanelectric-poweredvehicleprovidedby
FrenchcarmanufacturerJeantaud,hecompleted
theone-kilometrecourseatAchères,some15miles
northofParis,in57secondsandwrotehisname
intothehistorybooksbysettingthefirsteverland
speedrecordof39.24mph.
Duringthecourseofthenextthreemonths,
Chasseloup-Laubatandhisarch-rivalCamille
Jenatzywentbackandforth–eachendingupwith
threerecordstotheirnames.ItwasJenatzywho
hadthefinalsay.
Asthenewcenturydawned,theoriginalrecord
holderwouldhavetocontendwithaverydifferent
kindoffight,thistimeagainstanillnessthatwould,
sadly,goontoclaimhislifein1903.
RECORDS
Date Speed Place Car.
December18,1898 39.24mph Achères,France JeantaudDuc
January17,1899 43.69mph Achères,France JeantaudDuc
March4,1899 57.60mph Achères,France JeantaudDuc
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BELOW:
Chasseloup-Laubat,driving,witha
companionin1885–13yearsbeforehis
record-breakingexploits.MPL
HistoryofSpeed 7
006gastondechasselouplaubat.indd 7 22/08/2017 12:16
The FEARLESS FEW
The Red Devil
8 HistoryofSpeed
008camillejenatzy.indd 8 22/08/2017 12:18
Camille Jenatzy
W
henBelgianracerCamilleJenatzyheard
ofChasseloup-Laubat’srecord-setting
feat,herespondedwithalettertoLa
FranceAutomobileinwhichheexpresseddisappointmentatnotbeing
partoftheoriginalcompetitionatAchères.Hewentontochallengethe
Frenchmantoaduel,anddeclaredthatunderthesameconditionshe
woulddefeattheJeantaud.
Thelandspeedrecordholderdulyaccepted,andthepairwenthead-
LEFT: to-headonJanuary17,1899.Jenatzy,nicknamedLeDiableRouge(The
Jenatzyatthe RedDevil)onaccountofhisflowinggingerbeard,becamethefirstman
wheel.MPL tobreakthecovetedmarkbysettingaspeedof41.42mph.However,
hisjoywasshort-livedasamere10minuteslaterChasseloup-Laubat
claimedbackthecrown.
Afiercerivalryensued,andconventionalwisdommighthaveseen
Jenatzygiveupthefightwhenhisnemesisclockednearly60mphin
Marchofthesameyear,buttheBelgianwasundeterred.Hereturned
withamodifiedelectricmachineandbecamethefirstmantodriveat
morethanamileperminute–arecordthatwouldremainunbrokenfor
threeyears.
JenatzycontinuedtoraceontracksandroadsacrossEurope,and
pilotedaMercedestovictoryinthehighlysought-afterGordonBennett
CupinIrelandin1903–subsequentlyofferingastrangepredictionthat
hewouldlosehislifeinthesamemakeofcar.
Inacrueltwistoffate,hisprophecywasrealisedinbizarre
circumstances10yearslater.HuntingwithfriendsinLuxemburg,hehid
behindatreeandpretendedtobeananimal,aprankthatworkedfar
toowellandledtoanothermemberofthepartyfiringathim.Jenatzy
wasrushedtohospital,inaMercedes,butbledtodeathbeforereaching
ahospital.
RECORDS
Date Speed Place Car.
January17,1899 41.42mph Achères,France CGADogcart
January27,1899 49.92mph Achères,France CGADogcart
April29,1899 65.79mph Achères,France LaJamaisContente
HistoryofSpeed 9
008camillejenatzy.indd 9 22/08/2017 12:18
The FEARLESS FEW
RECORDS
Date Speed Place Car.
April13,1902 75.06mph Nice,France Gardner-Serpollet
10 HistoryofSpeed
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