Land speed racing started in France in 1898 and measures the ultimate speed for given wheeled vehicle in any form. Record attempts are standardized over a fixed course length and averaged over two runs in opposite directions.
The first land speed record, set in 1898, was 39.24 miles per hour set by Count Gaston Chasseloup-Laubat with a French Jeauntad electric car. Then first motorcycle record was set in 1903 by Glen Curtiss with a V-twin motorcycle of his own manufacture. In 1907, Curtiss rode his new motorcycle to a new record of 136.27 miles per hour, making him the fastest man an earth. This record would stand for more than 20 years.
In 1904, Henry Ford became the first to exceed 90 miles an hour: driving a Ford Arrow across the frozen Lake St. Claire, Michigan, he reached 91.37 miles per hour. Two weeks later, Ford’s record fell when William K. Vanderbilt Jr. drove a Mercedes 90 at 92.3 miles per hour. In 1906, Fred H. Marriot set a new record of 127.65 miles per hour with a steam powered Stanley Rocket. In 1910, Barney Oldfield set a new record of 131.275 miles per hour in a Lightning Benz. In 1920, a two-engined Duesenburg set a record of 156.03 miles per hour.
Shown below are some of the land speed vehicles on display at the World of Speed in Wilsonville, Oregon.
Claude Temple Land Speed Motorcycle
In 1926, Claude Temple set a land speed record for motorcycles of 121.16 miles per hour. Shown below is a replica of this motorcycle.
1927 Navarro Ford Dry Lakes Racer
This vehicle, built on a 1927 Ford Roadster body with a 1948 Ford flathead engine, had a top speed of 147 miles per hour.
1955 Jado Special
1929 Ford Land Speed Racer
1960 Mikey Thompson Challenger 1
1961 Mikey Thompson Assault 1
1961 Mikey Thompson Attempt 1
1961 Mikey Thompson Class F Tribute
2014 Triumph Castrol Rocket