Thrust 2 - the 1983 Land Speed Record car
Thrust 2 is a British designed and built former Land Speed Record car.
Designed by John Akroyd, the 35,000hp Thrust 2 was powered by a single Rolls-Royce Avon engine with a maximum power thrust of 7711kg (17,000 lbs). It was constructed using a tubular steel frame with aluminum panel skin, and measured at over 27 ft in length.
On the 4 October 1983 to 15 October 1997, Thrust 2 regained and broke the World Land Speed record with a two-way average speed of 633.468 mph inside one hour. This magnificent feat was achieved by Richard Noble (now Richard Noble OBE) at the Black Rock Desert in Nevada, USA.
Richard Noble went on to head the
Thrust SSC project which once again broke the World Land Speed Record driven by RAF pilot Andy Green.
Both cars can be seen in the Museum’s Spirit of Speed gallery.