Jive-Bomber submitted a new blog post: B.M.C.'s Land Speed Records for 1959 Continue reading the Original Blog Post
Non-traditional??? Never!! And I want one! Back in 'the old days' teams that came to the salt were responsible for all set up and tear down. Early SCTA had some help with the Utah Highway Department with grading and line marking. But now they do all the set up.
For more on Mickey Thompson, https://www.bing.com/videos/search?...A3CDF7A6B9BDA095EEDBA3CDF7A6B9BDA&FORM=VRDGAR
The views of Wendover really bring back the memories as I was there from 1954 to 1958 with my family. My Dad was running the same car pictured in my avatar picture along with his friends from the San Diego Roadster Club. His little (88" wheelbase) car ran 174 mph with a front mount supercharger in 1954 and 151 on alcohol (6 Strombergs on a 270" Dodge!!!). The car never spun and he ran "high tech" Sears Allstate tires!!!
My earliest car days consisted of BMC products which I rallied and autocrossed. The local BMC dealer had a picture on the wall of one of the BMC streamliners which in some strange way made me proud to drive away in my Sprite and later my Elva Courier. I was amazed that any BMC powered car could attain such speeds.
Newbie here, but one with great appreciation of what I see here. Work gave me my first chance to see the Flats; it was February and they were wet, but I've still been there. The sign put up by BLM, though, isn't doing so well. Lots of bullet holes and exit splats from both sides. As a rural Vermonter, I thought I had a grasp on "nowhere". The Flats and Wendover recalibrated my concept of "nowhere".
Very cool! I for one am glad to see BMC's racing featured on the HAMB, since I've had my share of their cars through time, including a 1953 MG TD, a '69 Austin America, and a London Taxi cab, which I'm currently building into a hot rod, even if it's not a traditional choice for a hot rod build. True to its British roots, I'm upgrading the taxi suspension to Jaguar independent, both front and rear, and a 350/400TH combo that has British roots too. The 400TH was stock in the Jag XJ12, which is where this one came from, and the Chevy small block came from the same XJ12, where it was swapped in as a replacement for the unreliable Jag V12. Somehow, I suspect a build thread might not last long here, in the face of the "tradition" police.
From the beginning of LSR,the British have always been in the thick of things,from Malcom Campbell to Richard Hammond and a lot folks in between.Some of the best looking cars were built by the British,including my favorite,the Sunbeam Bluebird. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_land_speed_record
Of course I love seeing Healeys at Bonneville. Here's some more: Carroll Shelby setting endurance records in 1954: Donald Healey joining the 200 mph club in 1956 And a return to Bonneville in 2011:
The latest BMC Land Speed record was set on September 6, 2014 by Chris Conrad, aka Milwaukee Midget at 6' 4" in his I/GT MG Midget. Broke the 20+ year old record for street bodied 1,000cc cars. New record is 122.539mph with a one way best of 126.684. The BMC A engine launched in '51, the chassis in '58, and the body style in '62.
The Jalopy Journal
