World Land Speed Record Collection

Stanley Steamer car, 1906
Stanley Steamer car. This is the 1906 model of the steam-powered car produced by the Stanley Motor Carriage Company, a US company that operated from 1902-1917

Thrust SSC Testing
Jeremy Bliss (GBR) ThrustSSC Systems Manager. Thrust SSC Testing, Farnborough, England, 14 October 1996

Mechanics working on Bluebird CN7 for World Land speed record attempt, Lake Eyre, 1964
Mechanics working on Bluebird CN7 for World Land speed record attempt, Lake Eyre, Australia, 1964

Elfin Ford used to test tyre grip during Bluebird record attempt, Lake Eyre, 1964
Elfin Ford used to test the grip of scale models of Bluebird CN7s tyres on the salt, driven by Andrew Mustard during Donald Campbells World Land Speed Record attempt, Lake Eyre, Australia, 1964

Ampol fuel trucks en route to Lake Eyre for Bluebird CN7 Land Speed Record attempt, 1964
Ampol fuel trucks en route to Lake Eyre for Bluebird CN7 Land Speed Record attempt, Australia, 1964

Mechanics working on Bluebird CN7 at lake Eyre for World Land speed record attempt, 1964
Mechanics working on Bluebird CN7 at lake Eyre for World Land speed record attempt, Lake Eyre, Australia, 1964

Support vehicles, Bluebird CN7 World Land Speed Record attempt, Lake Eyre, Australia
Toyota and Land Rover support vehicles, Bluebird CN7 World Land Speed Record attempt, Lake Eyre, Australia, 1964

Longines timing equipment for Bluebird CN7s World Land Speed Record attempt, Lake Eyre, Australia, 1964

Bluebird CN7 support team barbequeing at Lake Eyre, Australia, 1964. Creator: Unknown
Bluebird CN7 support team barbequeing at Lake Eyre, Australia, 1964

Scene during Bluebird CN7 world land speed record attempt, Lake Eyre, Australia, 1964

Bluebird CN7 deploying parachute at Lake Eyre, World Land Speed Record attempt, 1964
Bluebird CN7 deploying parachute at Lake Eyre, World Land Speed Record attempt, Australia, 1964

Bluebird CN7 in temporary canvas hangar for World Record attempt, Lake Eyre, Australia, 1964

Bluebird CN7 instrumentation panel, 1964. Creator: Unknown
Bluebird CN7 instrumentation panel, 1964

Bluebird CN7 being transported to Lake Eyre for World Record attempt, 1964
Bluebird CN7 being transported to Lake Eyre for World Record attempt, Australia, 1964

Toyota Ampol fuelling trucks for Bluebird CN7 World Land Speed Record attempt, Australia
Toyota Ampol fuelling trucks for Bluebird CN7 World Land Speed Record attempt at Lake Eyre, Australia, 1964

Transporting Bluebird CN7 through the bush to Lake Eyre, World Land Speed Record attempt
Transporting Bluebird CN7 through the bush to Lake Eyre for World Land Speed Record attempt, Australia, 1964

Bluebird CN7, Donald Campbell and support crew, Lake Eyre, Australia, 1964
Bluebird CN7, Donald Campbell and support crew, World Land Speed Record attempt, Lake Eyre, Australia, 1964

Bluebird CN7 World Land Speed Record attempt, Lake Eyre, Australia, 1964

Donald Campbell with his wife Tonia and Bluebird CN7, Lake Eyre, Australia, 1964

Bluebird CN7 support crew, Ken Norris (3rd from left), Leo Villa (3rd from right)
Bluebird CN7 support crew, including Ken Norris (3rd from left) and Leo Villa (3rd from right), Lake Eyre, Australia, 1964

Bluebird CN7 support crew member Allan Dougherty, Lake Eyre, Australia, 1964

Mechanics fuelling Bluebird CN7 for World Land Speed Record attempt, Lake Eyre, 1964
Mechanics fuelling Bluebird CN7 for Doanld Campbells World Land Speed Record attempt, Lake Eyre, Australia, 1964

Marking the course for Bluebird CN7s World Land Speed record attempt, Lake Eyre
Marking the record run course for Bluebird CN7s World Land Speed record attempt, Lake Eyre, Australia, 1964

Mechanics inflating Bluebird CN7 tyre for World Land Speed Record attempt, Lake Eyre
Mechanics inflating one of Bluebird CN7s tyres for Doanld Campbells World Land Speed Record attempt, Lake Eyre, Australia, 1964

Donald Campbell in front of Bluebird CN7, Lake Eyre, Australia, 1964. Creator: Unknown
Donald Campbell in front of Bluebird CN7, Lake Eyre, Australia, 1964

World Land Speed Record course for Bluebird CN7, Lake Eyre, Australia, 1964
Blue paint marking the World Land Speed Record course for Bluebird CN7, Lake Eyre, Australia, 1964

Allan Dougherty, support crew member for Bluebird CN7 World Land Speed Record attempt, holding on of the cars wheels, Lake Eyre, Australia, 1964

Donald Campbell being interviewed in front of Bluebird CN7, Lake Eyre, Australia, 1964

Sir Malcolm Campbells Bid for a New Record, 1935. Creator: Unknown
Sir Malcolm Campbells Bid for a New Record, 1935. Malcolm Campbell (1885-1948) being photographed at Brooklands in Surrey following Bluebirds rebuild, and prior to going to Daytona Beach in Florida

Sir Henry Segrave, American-born British world speed record driver, 1930. Sir Henry O Neil de Hane Segrave (1896-1930) was the first person to break the 200 mph barrier when he set a new Land Speed

Thrust SSC Testing: ThrustSSC reached a peak of 330 mph during testing on the Al Jafr desert
ThrustSSC reached a peak of 330 mph during testing on the Al Jafr desert. Thrust SSC Testing, Al Jafr Desert, Jordan, 16 November 1996

Thrust SSC Testing: ThrustSSC during testing in the Al Jafr desert
ThrustSSC during testing in the Al Jafr desert. Thrust SSC Testing, Al Jafr Desert, Jordan, 16 November 1996

Brooklands, Weybridge, Surrey. Malcolm Campbell in Puegot Bluebird and Captain Woolf Barnato in his Talbot. 14 October 1922

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In 1906, the Stanley Steamer car roared across the vast desert plains, leaving a trail of dust in its wake as it set the world land speed record. Fast forward to 1964, and mechanics were hard at work on the iconic Bluebird CN7, preparing it for its own attempt at breaking records on Lake Eyre. The Elfin Ford played a crucial role during this time, testing tire grip to ensure maximum performance. As anticipation grew, Ampol fuel trucks embarked on their journey towards Lake Eyre, carrying with them the lifeblood that would power the Bluebird CN7's quest for glory. The dedicated mechanics continued their meticulous work by fine-tuning every aspect of the vehicle at Lake Eyre. Support vehicles lined up along the shores of Lake Eyre in Australia as they awaited history in motion. Longines timing equipment stood ready to capture every fraction of a second as Bluebird CN7 revved its engine and prepared for takeoff. Amidst all the excitement and hard work, even moments of leisure found their place. The support team gathered around barbeques at Lake Eyre, savoring delicious meals while bonding over shared dreams and aspirations. Finally, with hearts pounding and adrenaline rushing through their veins, spectators witnessed an awe-inspiring scene unfold before their eyes - Bluebird CN7 hurtling down the track with unparalleled speed. As it reached its peak velocity, a parachute deployed to aid in deceleration after achieving an astonishing feat. The canvas hangar provided temporary shelter for Bluebird CN7 during this monumental endeavor – protecting it from both natural elements and prying eyes alike. Within its walls lay an instrumentation panel that held vital information guiding each daring move made by driver and machine. These captivating images from 1964 encapsulate not only a momentous world land speed record attempt but also serve as testaments to human ingenuity and relentless pursuit of pushing boundaries further.