Thrust ssc

Andy Green was the first person to break the sound barrier on land

On 15th October 1997, Andy Green reached 763.035mph. Led by Richard Noble, the scale of the achievement of the Thrust SSC team was described by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory at NASA: "achieving supersonic speeds in a car is at least as difficult as putting a man on the moon."

“Every British Land Speed Record car reflects its Brooklands Heritage”

DIESELMAX

350mph in a diesel car

Driven by Andy Green, the JCB Dieselmax LSR car achieved a World Land Speed Record for a diesel car of 350.092mph over a distance of 1 mile on 23 August 2006 at Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah.

JCB Dieselmax

Andy Green was the first person ever to drive at supersonic speeds, reaching 763.035mph. His target now is to reach 1,000mph.

bloodhound Lsr

A car capable of more than 800mph

The Bloodhound LSR car has two propulsion systems.  An EJ200 gas turbine and a Nammo rocket. While testing the car on Hakskeen Pan, South Africa with just the EJ200 in operation, Andy Green reached 628mph in 58 seconds.

628MPH IN 58 SECONDS

Andy Green drives Bloodhound SSC on Hakskeen Pan on 16 November 2019

Brooklands timeline

  • 1907
  • 1908
  • 1926
  • 1934
  • 1947
  • 1970
  • February 18, 2022 - Timeline – Brooklands Track Opens

    February 18, 2022

    Brooklands track opens

    “One of the Wonders of the World”

    At the time, there was no place in England where cars could be raced.  The brainchild of Hugh Fortescue Locke King was to build a racing circuit on his family estate where cars could exceed 100mph and spectators could see the cars at all times. 

    Brooklands track was opened on 17th June 1907.  It was 2.75 miles long and 100 feet wide with 30 foot-high banking at either end.  The first track of its kind, it had taken just 10 months to build and cost £150,000 (£19 million today).

  • October 4, 2023 - Timeline – First Flight at Brooklands

    October 4, 2023


    First flight at brooklands

    First powered flight in Great Britain


    On 8th June 1908, Edwin Alliott Verdon-Roe (AV Roe) flew for 150ft in his Roe 1 biplane at Brooklands.  Although not officially recognised, he was the first man to design, build and fly a powered aircraft in Great Britain. In this picture AV Roe stands beside his crashed Avro No.1 Triplane at Wembley, 24th December 1910, after attempting a turn.

  • February 18, 2022 - Timeline – First British Grand Prix

    February 18, 2022

    Delage of Senechal crosses the line to win the first British Grand Prix at Brooklands in 1926


    First british grand prix

    Brooklands – 7th August 1926


    The Delage 15S8 of Robert Sénéchal and Louis Wagner crossing the finishing line to win at Brooklands.  The 1926 Grand Prix cars had the engine capacity reduced from 2 litres to 1.5 litres to try and reduce the power and speed of the cars.  The winning Delage 15S8 was highly sophisticated with an all-alloy, double overhead cam engine.  Fitted with twin superchargers, the 8 cylinder 1.5 litre engine could run at 8,000rpm. 

  • February 18, 2022 - Timeline – Vickers Designs New Fighter

    February 18, 2022


    Vickers funds New fighter

    Vickers bought Supermarine for its seaplane capabilities 


    Vickers-Armstrong Ltd, Brooklands bought Supermarine in November 1928. Following the success of the Schneider Trophy-winning Supermarine S6 aircraft, RJ Mitchell and his team began work on a new fighter in February 1934. Designated the Type 300, the Air Ministry initially rejected the design. Vickers Chairman Robert McLean funded the design with Rolls-Royce and also insisted the Type 300 be named Spitfire.

  • February 18, 2022 - Timeline – The Railton Mobil Special

    February 18, 2022


    The Railton Mobil Special

    The first car to exceed 400mph.


    The car was designed by Reid Railton and built at the Thomson & Taylor works, Brooklands. It used two supercharged Napier Lion engines producing 1,450shp each. One engine drove the front wheels and the second engine drove the rear wheels, to reduce wheel slip. Driven by John Cobb, the car exceeded 403mph during one of the timed runs on 16th September 1947 at Bonneville Salt Flats.

  • February 18, 2022 - Timeline – Manufacture of Concorde

    February 18, 2022

    Concorde


    Manufacture of Concorde

    All 20 British and French production fuselages were built at Brooklands.


    In 1961, the first UK meeting to discuss the design and build of a Supersonic Transport Aircraft was held at Brooklands. By early 1970 on-site manufacture of the nose fuselage, forward fuselage, rear fuselage, fin and rudder began. These assemblies were sent by truck to Filton and Toulouse where the aircraft were assembled and flown.

ANDY GREEN – BROOKLANDS HERITAGE

 

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