Thrust SSC

On 15 October 1997 Thrust SSC hit a speed of 763mph and in so doing, not only took the world land speed record, but also became the first land based vehicle to break the sound barrier.

I was in Coventry today and I took a trip to the Transport Musuem specifically to see this. And so glad I did.

The Thrust SSC project was probably the first time I realised how powerful the internet could be. A lot of the funding for the project came from private donations and the sale of merchandise (I've still got the model I bought, although the T-shirt has longs since been consigned to the duster box). Recognising the support of thousands of people back home, they had a (for then) state of the art website that had timing data almost immediately after each run. They were also blogging (although that word hadn't then been invented) each day about progress and set backs. It was cool - there they were in the Arizona desert and people at home were a part of the effort.

It may sound nothing much now - that sort of information is the norm today, but 13 years ago, it was revolutionary.

The link above goes to the original website. Kudos to them for leaving it intact. Its a little piece of web history and an even bigger piece of motoring history. The land speed record may get broken again, but no-one else will ever be able to say they were the first to break the sound barrier.

Respect.