Jet-powered land speed record setting car offered at auction

Since the advent of the car, racers have pushed themselves and their machines to the limit to find out just how fast they can go.

The first land speed record, comprising the average of the maximum speeds set over a 1km course (with a flying start) that is travelled in both directions within a 30-minute time period, was set in December 1898 at the blistering pace of 63.15km/h.

The record, set in France by French driver Gaston de Chasseloup-Laubat (in an electric car no less) stood for about a month until Belgian, Camille Jenatzy recorded a speed of 66.66km/h in January 1899.

The subsequent 126 years have seen roughly 60 more records broken, with the current land speed record of 1227.98km/h set 28 years ago by British driver Andy Green in the jet-powered Thrust SSC. It was the first time the record exceeded the speed of sound (1235km/h).

The quest for the sound barrier was a big thing in the 1960s with the advent of jet and rocket-powered cars seeking to beat the standing 403mph (648.73km/h) record set by English driver Donald Campbell on South Australia’s Lake Eyre in July 1964.

American racer Craig Breedlove would break 500mph in October 1964 then 600mph over a 1-mile course a little over a year later in November 1965. The record was set in a four-wheeled, jet-powered car called Spirit of America – Sonic 1, which is now being offered for sale.

Part of the RM Sotheby’s Miami 2025 auction, Spirit of America – Sonic 1 is being offloaded from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum collection and has a guide price between $US500,000 and $US1,000,000 ($A790k – $A1.6m).