Steam Car Ready For Record Attempt

• News
• Published: 10 Aug 2009 in Motoring and Car Insurance

A steam car with a unique car insurance policy and its team are ready to make their attempt at breaking a century-old world land speed record.

The 25ft British Steam Car has been built by enthusiasts from Hampshire, but will take to the track at the Edwards Air Force base in California to see if it can crack the 127mph reached by American Fred Marriott in a Stanley steam car in 1906.

The record is officially the longest recognised land speed record, but the British team hopes their car dubbed the "fastest kettle in the world" will top the charts at 170mph.

After exceeding the record in an unofficial test run the Lymington-based team say they are now on course to break the record for steam powered vehicles, despite a series of "technical issues", which have delayed the attempt until mid-August.

Officials from the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) are due to calibrate and record the team's official world record attempt during a series of morning runs between August 18 and 22.

The unique car is fitted with 12 boilers containing nearly two miles of tubing and uses demineralised water to produce three megawatts of heat.