the remarkable story of one man's quest for Speed. By Noble Richard and Andy Green. ED Partidge.

1998. In English. Cover paperboard + jacket. 195x255. 320 pages

Author: MIKE DE LESSEPS

Subtitled: Dry Lakes and Land Speed Racing. A photographic essay of an SCTA sponsored dry lakes meet at El Mirage on a weekend in 1995. Superb photographs place you on that dry lakebed to stroll among the hot rods and motorcycles that were competing for new land speed records. El Mirage Impressions captures the atmosphere of dry lakebed speed racing in an unrivaled collection of photographs. Every time you pick up this book you will feel as though you were there that weekend and remember it fondly.

Paperback, 10-14 x 8-1/2, 128 pp, 130 b/w
Format: Softbound
Pages: 128
Length: 10.25w x 8.5h
ISBN: 1583880593

This book records the development, construction and operation of the last wheel-driven land speed record breaking car that the UK produced, and shows how the tragic demise of Donald Campbell prevented it from reaching its full potential. It is also the personal story of one of the design team, how he became involved, and his incredible experiences in doing so. With many previously unpublished photographs, drawings, and illustrations, this is a unique account of a legendary feat of engineering.

Ab Jenkins drove for Studebaker in speedway and road races during the late 1920's and early 30's, then took a Pierce-Arrow roadster to Bonneville, Utah, for the first-ever timed run on the Salt Flats. His 112 mile an hour record for 24 hours made him world-famous. In 1935 the Duesenberg Company converted one of its supercharged luxury cars into "The Mormon Meteor" for him to race at Bonneville against such men as John Cobb, Malcolm Campbell and Captain George Eyston. Repowered in 1936 with a 1,750 cubic inch Curtiss fighter plane engine, the car was re-named "Meteor II" and returned to the Salt Flats to set more records. In 1937, with sponsorship from major oil, tire and spark plug companies, he built Meteor III, a huge aero-engine monster that carried him to more records on the salt. Ab's son, Marvin, was a racer in his own right, driving one of the Studebakers more than 90 miles an hour in 1931. After the war Marvin was tapped to drive the famed Novi Indianapolis car at Bonneville, where he set Class D records in 1947. In Ab's final drive, he and Marvin teamed up in 1956 to drive a Pontiac to a 24 hour stock car record of more than 118 miles an hour.

Author: Gordon White
Format: Paperback, 160 Pages
ISBN: 9781583881736
Publisher: Iconografix

The inside story of the JCB Dieselmax land speed record success

At the Bonneville Salt Flats on August 23, 2006 the fastest man on earth, Andy Green, sped to 350.092mph in a yellow torpedo-shaped car called JCB Dieselmax, creating a sensational new land speed record for a diesel-powered vehicle.

This was the culmination of one of the most remarkable and adventurous projects in British motorsport history. The endeavor began with JCB Chairman Sir Anthony Bamford’s bold decision to use his company’s JCB444 diesel engine – normally used in diggers – as the basis for a record-breaking car, in order to showcase his products on a world stage. This book tells the whole dramatic story from the inside.

Author: David Tremayne
Format: Hardcover, 144 Pages
ISBN: 9781844254200
Publisher: Haynes Publishing

John Ackroyd, design engineer extraordinaire, has been a key man in a mad mix of land speed and long distance balloon record attempts, including the first supersonic land speed record. This book gives a fantastic insight into the frustrations, tragedies and triumphs of record breaking. It describes battles against the odds, the whims of the weather, the constraints of time and money, and the often strange intervention of fate.  Project Thrust, Virgin Atlantic, Pacific and global balloons, Earthwinds, Thrust SSC, Spirit of American, rocket motorcycle, rocket dragster, wheel-driven record breakers and waterspeed attempts are all here.  The story is told by the man who provided solutions, innovations, design and real problem solving which were major contributions to the record breaking achievements on land, sea and air in the last quarter of the 20th Century.

Author: John Ackroyd
Format: Hardcover, 288 Pages
ISBN: 9780954435783
Publisher: Redline Books

This is the definitive photographic record of Donald Campbell’s legendary Bluebirds, captured through the twin lenses of Leo Villa’s Stereo Realist Camera, and other images of the time.  An amazing body of photojournalism in color, 3D and black & white, that captures the life-and-death drama that was played out against the barren landscapes of salt beds and the magnificent backdrop of Coniston Water.   It also puts the story in its historic background, showing the fashions and styles of the day.  In 1964 Donald Campbell and his team went to Australia with the intention of breaking the land and water speed records in the same year.  The Double.   An adventure unsurpassed in record breaking history,  complicated by difficulty and obstacles. A constant fight against the elements and the technicalities of high speed vehicles.  For 12 years Donald Campbell dominated the record breaking scene on both sides of the Atlantic and throughout this period he was aided and advised by Leo Villa, his friend and chef d’équipe, who had known him since childhood.  Leo played a unique part in record breaking history and helped break 10 land speed records and 11 water speed records with Donald and Malcolm Campbell and their legendary Bluebirds.

Author: David De Lara
Format: Hardcover, 256 Pages
ISBN: 9780851840710
Publisher: Coterie Press Ltd.