As a boy I lived in Wendover and my Dad would take me out to Bonneville during the speed trials, this was in the mid '50's. There used to be several tracks out there including a 10 mile long international course and a giant oval track where cars would race for 24 hours when the salt was good. I remember that my Dad used a post hole digger and dug a hole, the salt was about three feet thick before he hit mud. Last time I was out there in 2017 for Speed Week you would be lucky to see the salt a couple inches thick and some years you could just scuff your shoe on it and see mud. Seeing those salt racers as a small kid was a treat and it was a huge event to an eight year old, a lot of the racers used the hangers at the airfield to work on and repair their racers and I would climb over the fence and go nose around the hangers and watch the crews and look at the cars. Now I try to go back every year that I can and watch, my Dad is long time gone now and my kids are all grown up, Wendover has gotten much bigger in population and is not the same town of 500 people as it was then, I go back to Speed Week, sit on the salt, watch the cars and look at the stark mountains of the Silver Island range.....and I reminisce of the times that were and of a little boy that was was awestruck.........
I grew up in America in the 1950's too, but I try not to think of those times now because comparing the American Dream of the 1950's to what America has become today is much too painful.
@@petervossos4816 There are several reasons for the salt disappearing, the biggest reason is by mineral extraction, there is a company that drains off the salt water by pumping the water from the Salt Flats into evaporation ponds several miles away through a network of canals, and when the ponds evaporate out, leaving the minerals, they scoop the material up and process it for potash to make fertilizer, thus interrupting the natural cycle of how the salt flats get replenished each year. Several years ago the mineral company was given a grant to buy massive pumps, the company would take the minerals the wanted from the dry ponds, they didn't harvest the salt, other companies are doing that, re-flood the ponds and then pump the brine back out to the salt flats where the salt precipitated back out adding a new layer of salt every year and slowly building the surface back up. This actually worked and after a few years you could see the flats improving. Unfortunately, the grant money ran out and the company is under no obligation, legally, to keep pumping the brine back as it's expensive to run the pumps, however there is some state money that was found, a few tax breaks to the company and from private party donations to keep the pumps going through the "Save the Salt Organization...(savethesalt.org). Other factors are of course environmental, the West is in a drought for many years now and that contributes, so less rain is coming down to help, the natural cycle is off-kilter. I explained it as best I can, at least from what I know of it, and from what I've seen over the last 65 years, and in fact, I will be "on the salt" the 7th of August 2022 for the first day of Speedweek. If you ever get the chance to come out to see it you should, come out for the day, or camp nearby for a few days, bring lunch and some shade, sit on the salt, watch racers go by at two or three hundred miles an hour. Until then, Cheers! And good luck to you!
@@ScarfAndGoggles Agreed about the lack of background music. Your videos have an atmosphere all their own. With such well researched, well delivered commentary & fascinating footage & stills to absorb music would distract. Especially when you have a brace of RR type Rs at full chat to listen to!
In 1977, I spent the afternoon with Captain Eyston in New Jersey. He and his daughter had come to visit America, and their first stop was Morristown, NJ. At the outbreak of WWII, Eyston sent his wife and daughter to Morristown, where they rented a house next door to my mother's grandmother. In the neighborhood, the girls were Betty A and Betty B. I was a few months out of college and I was about to start my first job. I knew Betty Eyston Elwes because I had spent a few days at her house in 1975 while I was backpacking in Wales. The "Pool House" was filled with plaques and trophies and she told me that her father was a race car driver. When they arrived in Morristown, my instructions were to take Mr. Eyston for a drive so Betty and Betty could have tea alone together. I took him to a local classic car dealer (The Stable, Ltd.) in my 1972 Mustang. He was very English and did not care for my car at all. I had no idea that one of the most famous drivers of all time was in my passenger seat. Captain Eyston moved with difficulty and didn't have much to talk about, so I did most of the talking. I don't think he cared much for me, either. When we arrived at The Stable, there were only 6 cars in the showroom. He went directly to the back of the room where a 1954 Aston-Martin DB2/4 sat in a corner. He didn't even look at the Mercedes, Ferraris or Lotuses. He turned to me with bleary eyes blazing into my forehead and said, "Now, that's a fine automobile." It was priced at $5,000. We drove back to Morristown and chatted about SU carburetors and the straight sixes which depended on them. And he knew a lot about XPAG engines. I bought the Aston two days later and enjoyed it until 1986. It became a "wife or car must go" situation, and I made the wrong choice. It was not until many years later that I learned about Captain Eyston.Thank you Internet. My mother had no idea that he was a land speed record holder and an OBE. Neither did I until I started searching with AltaVista that I realized that Captain George E. T. Eyston was a man of outstanding accomplishments. I have a guest room at one of my vacation houses in the Poconos which is a shrine to George Eyston. His books, posters, advertisements, relics are displayed proudly. I have hundreds of press photos on my hard drive, and dozens of framed pictures in the Eyston Room. I think Betty Eyston Elwes is still alive. She sent me a CD with some mpegs of the Thunderbolt at Bonneville, which I think are the ones on this video. She has a son whom I met when I stayed at the Pool House, and I hope that he will know that he has a special friend in America who has admired his grandfather for almost 50 years.
Its funny how you can be in the presence of great people and never know it until much later, invariably when its to late to hear their stories, still you have this wonderful memory.
As a kid we had motoring playing cards and as soon as you had the one with a picture of "Thunderbolt" on it you were sure to win the round with "5000 h.p." ! And today, 50 years later, I discover that Thunderbolt was a real car and really did produce 5000 h.p. Thank you.
I think it's admirable that Campbell offered his own Rolls Royce engine as a spare for the endeavour. I think that speaks volumes about the character of these people, chasing after the feats of technology and engineering more than personal fame.
Hey mate I’m building a Harley to compete against a mate by his request. Ya get bored racing ya self so ya keep the competition going. The friendship at the salt flats is like nothing else. Everyone wants to help everyone it’s awesome. A bloke crashed his mates car so he lowered the roof n got it back out racing so the owner gave him the car. He knows the driver will keep it going. A mechanic at my local bike shop goes to speedweek aswell and we have a special bond because of it. I plan to be the fastest bike rider on earth and turn one of my wheelchairs into a landspeed record vehicle. I’ll be building the worlds fastest dirtbike and worlds fastest two stroke single cylinder engine. I was electrocuted by 19,000 volts 3 n it blew me up but I’m still alive. I’m not scared of dieing, I’m scared of not living. These people are the same. People say what if we die? We say what if we win?
@Sean Fox I think that spirit still exists, Craig Breedlove helped out Richard Noble when he suggested raising the nose of Thrust 2 to remove some downforce, allowing the car to beat his record! Noble wrote about it in his book.
As a new Zealander, I'm shocked to hear this marvellous piece of engineering got burnt, chopped up and buried at Wellington Airport! I've unknowingly flown over the remains of this masterpiece numerous times!
@@ekspatriat Going to the South Pole with horses and a semi tank that could not move at all. UK exploration is filled with men that refused to accept the nature. They even claimed that horses were made by God, so man could use them for movement and labour, nothing else. They were designed for humans to exploit.... 🤣
Wow, I'd never even heard of George Eyston and Thunderbolt, but that car has become my instant favourite of all the classic, old-school land speed record vehicles; what a brutal machine!!
@@ScarfAndGoggles Have you done, or could you do, a video on the late Sir Donald Campbell, and his 1964 Record of 403.1 set here in Australia? (Forget this, I just found it!!!)
Eyston was wise enough to move on to new challenges, likely realizing that someone would invariably best him, and he might possibly succumb to an accident. A fascinating story! The engines and the transmission were massive for that time - amazing.
I love hearing about this era of engineering innovation, great competition and derring do. Fantastic vehicles driven by amazing characters. An excellent channel deserving of more subscribers.
The fast development of Aero engines, which began with WW1-continued unabated , especially by Wars end, when there was a huge surplus of those massive engines, at reasonable prices. This fed the new craze of Motor Racing, record-breaking, and edurance, which in turn, helped the Aero industry, just in time for WW2.
A fantastic era of gentleman racers! Even going so far as to lend engines to their competitors...... If only all RUclips videos were narrated the same the world would be a better place!
having had the pleasure of working Bonneville and building the 3RT Racing car, I have to say that this is one of the best historical videos ever made. The story, video quality, engineering information and run tapes are just plain superb. What a great story. The Brits approached and practiced streamlining early in the evolution of land speed record runs. I ran an American racing team, but have a great deal of respect for what the Brits contributed in many ways, in many chassis, and many record breaking runs. So sad, that this machine, like so many others met such an ugly and unfortunate end. .
Just a detail info correction for non-UK viewers here: The RR engines are narrated as costing £5800 ea in 1930, equating to approx £380,000 in today’s money. This is then misleadingly captioned as equivalent to USD $475,000 which sounds a lot but actually hugely understates just how expensive in global terms those engines were at the time. £1 sterling was equivalent to just under $5 in 1930, and £380,000 approximates to around 1.7 Million dollars, not 475,000.
I have seen some of these early record breaking cars. Seeing them in person gives you a sense on how brave the drivers had to be. Those huge skinny tires in the 30s cars are just amazing.
What a machine. You can only wonder in amazement that something so heavy could go so fast. The gearbox alone was a piece of engineering genius to say nothing of the rest of the car.
Thank you for an excellent example of online documentary. I write as a retired academic, part of whose work was as an historian. And I'm pretty fussy. So well done.
A fantastic story, many thanks for bringing it all together. These guys were amazing, they did not use wind tunnels,CAD, dynos, their knowledge of aerodynamics was limited by todays standards, but they knew the fundamental physics about how the power required changed with speed, doubling the engine for a limited increase in speed. The same approach was used for the current record using two engines.
It's funny how most of us petrolheads, when thinking about land speed record breaking cars, the first thing that springs to mind is the Rolls-Royce Merlin when actually the R-Type is way more powerful and suited for this kind of application. Obviously its scarcity makes it harder to get when there are (or at least were at the end of WWII) loads of Merlins thrown around from Spitfires and Mustangs. Brilliant story telling, I'm really fond of how you make your narratives clear and straightforward. Always a pleasure to watch and to save! I'm eager for more! Honestly, who thumbs down such a great work??
These men must be just as respected for their ability to recruit sponsors and a technical team to help them achieve their goals as their guts to actually get in the thing and push the pedal to the floor.
Only just found this channel, got to say it,s now on my subscriptions. That between the wars era of land speed records is one that has fascinated me since being a small kid in the 1950s, I had Dinky Toys of Thunderbolt, Bluebird, Speed of the Wind and others. Those engineers, designers, manufacturers and designers were absolutely incredible and as for the drivers, how can a mere mortal express adequate admiration? I’m a regular at Goodwood and Brooklands and the Napier Railton that has been restored at Brooklands never fails to give me goosebumps.
Thank you so much for a really informative video that’s easily up to your usual high standard. Easton and Thunderbolt have always been somewhat overlooked, relative to the exploits of Campbell and the Bluebirds, so thank you for filling in the blanks. Especially interesting to see that although Easton was undeniably an excellent engineer, he wasn’t averse to adopting the ideas of others when the need arose. A sign of a truly talented engineer. As we’re currently social distancing, I’ve started building car models for the first time in 40 years. Your video has inspired me to see if I can build a Thunderbolt model. Thanks once again.
What a great story. And how about the way the helped each other. You know someone is going to try and beat your record and your reaction is to lend them your engine as a spare.
Its what people do when they have a true passion for something, but in today's media climate that would not be allowed, you have to have angst and bitterness for the show, its sad that we have degenerated to this level.
My first hero - and my first proud achievement was constructing the model of Thunderbolt from the plan in my older cousin's handed-down pre-war Mecanno set during WW2. Also heard Capt.Eyston speak live on the BBC shortly after the War but sadly cannot recall his words. A true hero, dedicated to perpetuating the Nation's pre-eminence in Engineering achievement. Thanks very much.
These mini docs are priceless. Thank you so much for creating these time capsules. The engineering achievements, the audacity of vision, and the courage to risk millions as well as life and limb all combine to make one feel quite inconsequential however. I've wasted my life. These men were giants.
That was really cool well narrated I love history of old cars I'm 65 now years old and I've always loved cars since I was a little boy had a lot of fast cars I just love automobile Stories and memorabilia Thank you for the cool video
Incredible the camaraderie between the land speed record holders at the time, sharing or loaning parts/designs from their own vehicles to competing drivers to enable their attempt at raising the LSR higher
I really really enjoyed the video the info the knowledge and the time put into the research I never knew about the car Thunderbolt until now and the Magnificent engineering that went into such a machine thank you for sharing
Excellant and so informative thank you. I fondly recall the little 'Castrol books of Speed' in the 50's and how I used to claim them from my Dad, men such as George Eyston were legend.
That whole period of land speed record attempts is just fascinating. There was fierce rivalry of course, but also mutual respect between those rivals. Thunderbolt is my favourite car of that era, I have an old Dinky model of it. I can barely imagine the cacophony of sound that those twin aero engines would have made. Awe-inspiring. Thanks for sharing this great footage and engaging story. Love and peace.
Man, to have been at Bonneville back in the day, when world speed records could be traded on a daily or hourly basis... what a thing to behold. If only we could see the same today.
Ok so Thunderbolt was no looker (unlike the gorgeous Railton Mobiil Special) but it is a testament to Eystons engineering prowess and those astonishing engines that such a heavy vehicle was so damn fast. Thanks for a brilliant look at this truly remarkable car and its legendary creator.
A truly marvelous presentation. Every (gear)Petrol Head should visit Bonneville should time and resources allow. My Uncle Charlie ran Model Ts at El Mirage when he was young and some of my favorite days have been spent there as well.
As a child in the 1950's the dark blue livery Dinky toy of Thunderbolt was one of my favourites and frequently broke the world land speed record on carpet, assisted by a number of large rubber bands liberated from my father's company office. Sadly it too has disappeared, I suspect taken to a jumble sale when I was away at school. Thank you for the excellent video.
Your channel is an oasis in the RUclips desert. Your videos are well researched, factual, and interesting without the faux drama and annoying background music of other channels. The commenters are also a cut above providing additional insights rather than a food fight.
Open cockpit at that speed is insane! As a kiwi it saddens me to hear of the demise of thunderbolt in a warehouse in Wellington, New Zealand. And engineering masterpiece lost in the blaze.
Really enjoying your land speed record presentations.From childhood I have been fascinated by the people and machines they created to push the record ever onwards, your videos really help to bring the human aspect of this in to perspective. Thank you. One quote from John Cobb that I will never forget when he was asked about the lack of brakes on his land speed cars was "I am interested in going, not stopping" which gives a great insight in to the mindset of those who dared.
Thanks for getting in touch - so glad you’re enjoying my videos. Cobb was an amazing character, as you suggest he epitomised the mindset of a record breaker.
Surprising the total lack of any advertising on the car. Unless it was entirely paid for by benefactors who wished to remain anonymous, curious why anyone would want to fund such endeavors unless there would be some payback in terms of corporate publicity. Well done. Subbed...!!!
It wasn't financed by corporations but by a few wealthy individuals..... That is how it was done back in the day........ The only thing on the car that a capable individual would have a difficult time making/designing would be the tires........ You'll see tire company logos and occasionally a winged horse but not much else.....
@@wolfilewis7986 Cobb's car, originally "The Railton Special", after its designer, the prolific car designer, Reed Railton, ended up "The Railton-Mobil Special" through corporate sponsorship.
Amazing video. Land speed record stories are so often full of heroics and sportsmanship. Love the fact that the engines were used in different vehicles and that Campbell loaned him an engine.
Thats a great documentary ! Had me totally engrossed - Pity the car was lost in a fire ! Them record breakers were really really brave ! 470mph when your road car could hardly mange 65mph ! Thanks a million for putting these stories together !
Loved this film. I have an old book that I found at an autojumble, "SPEED ON SALT" by George Eyston and W. F. Bradley. It says published in spring 1936 and the forward is by Sir Malcolm Campbell. One of the best books I have ever read, a true English battle of chivalry, persistence and innovation.
As a boy I lived in Wendover and my Dad would take me out to Bonneville during the speed trials, this was in the mid '50's. There used to be several tracks out there including a 10 mile long international course and a giant oval track where cars would race for 24 hours when the salt was good. I remember that my Dad used a post hole digger and dug a hole, the salt was about three feet thick before he hit mud. Last time I was out there in 2017 for Speed Week you would be lucky to see the salt a couple inches thick and some years you could just scuff your shoe on it and see mud. Seeing those salt racers as a small kid was a treat and it was a huge event to an eight year old, a lot of the racers used the hangers at the airfield to work on and repair their racers and I would climb over the fence and go nose around the hangers and watch the crews and look at the cars. Now I try to go back every year that I can and watch, my Dad is long time gone now and my kids are all grown up, Wendover has gotten much bigger in population and is not the same town of 500 people as it was then, I go back to Speed Week, sit on the salt, watch the cars and look at the stark mountains of the Silver Island range.....and I reminisce of the times that were and of a little boy that was was awestruck.........
Beautiful memories, sir. Just beautiful.
You should ask your kids to join you, sounds like amazing memories to have.
I grew up in America in the 1950's too, but I try not to think of those times now because comparing the American Dream of the 1950's to what America has become today is much too painful.
How come the salt went away?
@@petervossos4816 There are several reasons for the salt disappearing, the biggest reason is by mineral extraction, there is a company that drains off the salt water by pumping the water from the Salt Flats into evaporation ponds several miles away through a network of canals, and when the ponds evaporate out, leaving the minerals, they scoop the material up and process it for potash to make fertilizer, thus interrupting the natural cycle of how the salt flats get replenished each year. Several years ago the mineral company was given a grant to buy massive pumps, the company would take the minerals the wanted from the dry ponds, they didn't harvest the salt, other companies are doing that, re-flood the ponds and then pump the brine back out to the salt flats where the salt precipitated back out adding a new layer of salt every year and slowly building the surface back up. This actually worked and after a few years you could see the flats improving. Unfortunately, the grant money ran out and the company is under no obligation, legally, to keep pumping the brine back as it's expensive to run the pumps, however there is some state money that was found, a few tax breaks to the company and from private party donations to keep the pumps going through the "Save the Salt Organization...(savethesalt.org). Other factors are of course environmental, the West is in a drought for many years now and that contributes, so less rain is coming down to help, the natural cycle is off-kilter. I explained it as best I can, at least from what I know of it, and from what I've seen over the last 65 years, and in fact, I will be "on the salt" the 7th of August 2022 for the first day of Speedweek. If you ever get the chance to come out to see it you should, come out for the day, or camp nearby for a few days, bring lunch and some shade, sit on the salt, watch racers go by at two or three hundred miles an hour. Until then, Cheers! And good luck to you!
Well researched, beautifully presented and narrated...thank you (PS thanks for NOT adding background music)
Definitely a lot more enjoyable without annoying, overbearing background music.
Glad you liked it!
@@ScarfAndGoggles Agreed about the lack of background music. Your videos have an atmosphere all their own.
With such well researched, well delivered commentary & fascinating footage & stills to absorb music would distract. Especially when you have a brace of RR type Rs at full chat to listen to!
@@ScarfAndGoggles I agree, great job! Thoroughly enjoyed it.
@@ws4051 Ditto " background music "
In 1977, I spent the afternoon with Captain Eyston in New Jersey. He and his daughter had come to visit America, and their first stop was Morristown, NJ. At the outbreak of WWII, Eyston sent his wife and daughter to Morristown, where they rented a house next door to my mother's grandmother. In the neighborhood, the girls were Betty A and Betty B.
I was a few months out of college and I was about to start my first job. I knew Betty Eyston Elwes because I had spent a few days at her house in 1975 while I was backpacking in Wales. The "Pool House" was filled with plaques and trophies and she told me that her father was a race car driver. When they arrived in Morristown, my instructions were to take Mr. Eyston for a drive so Betty and Betty could have tea alone together. I took him to a local classic car dealer (The Stable, Ltd.) in my 1972 Mustang. He was very English and did not care for my car at all. I had no idea that one of the most famous drivers of all time was in my passenger seat.
Captain Eyston moved with difficulty and didn't have much to talk about, so I did most of the talking. I don't think he cared much for me, either. When we arrived at The Stable, there were only 6 cars in the showroom. He went directly to the back of the room where a 1954 Aston-Martin DB2/4 sat in a corner. He didn't even look at the Mercedes, Ferraris or Lotuses. He turned to me with bleary eyes blazing into my forehead and said, "Now, that's a fine automobile." It was priced at $5,000. We drove back to Morristown and chatted about SU carburetors and the straight sixes which depended on them. And he knew a lot about XPAG engines.
I bought the Aston two days later and enjoyed it until 1986. It became a "wife or car must go" situation, and I made the wrong choice.
It was not until many years later that I learned about Captain Eyston.Thank you Internet. My mother had no idea that he was a land speed record holder and an OBE. Neither did I until I started searching with AltaVista that I realized that Captain George E. T. Eyston was a man of outstanding accomplishments.
I have a guest room at one of my vacation houses in the Poconos which is a shrine to George Eyston. His books, posters, advertisements, relics are displayed proudly. I have hundreds of press photos on my hard drive, and dozens of framed pictures in the Eyston Room.
I think Betty Eyston Elwes is still alive. She sent me a CD with some mpegs of the Thunderbolt at Bonneville, which I think are the ones on this video. She has a son whom I met when I stayed at the Pool House, and I hope that he will know that he has a special friend in America who has admired his grandfather for almost 50 years.
Very nice and interesting story...thankyou for sharing Tim.
Its funny how you can be in the presence of great people and never know it until much later, invariably when its to late to hear their stories, still you have this wonderful memory.
Right on !
great story - what a fascinating time to make and break records - the most legendary people rarely mention the trails they have blazed
Well presented. Thanks for not having music.
As a kid we had motoring playing cards and as soon as you had the one with a picture of "Thunderbolt" on it you were sure to win the round with "5000 h.p." ! And today, 50 years later, I discover that Thunderbolt was a real car and really did produce 5000 h.p. Thank you.
I think it's admirable that Campbell offered his own Rolls Royce engine as a spare for the endeavour. I think that speaks volumes about the character of these people, chasing after the feats of technology and engineering more than personal fame.
Hey mate I’m building a Harley to compete against a mate by his request. Ya get bored racing ya self so ya keep the competition going.
The friendship at the salt flats is like nothing else. Everyone wants to help everyone it’s awesome. A bloke crashed his mates car so he lowered the roof n got it back out racing so the owner gave him the car. He knows the driver will keep it going.
A mechanic at my local bike shop goes to speedweek aswell and we have a special bond because of it.
I plan to be the fastest bike rider on earth and turn one of my wheelchairs into a landspeed record vehicle. I’ll be building the worlds fastest dirtbike and worlds fastest two stroke single cylinder engine.
I was electrocuted by 19,000 volts 3 n it blew me up but I’m still alive.
I’m not scared of dieing,
I’m scared of not living.
These people are the same.
People say what if we die?
We say what if we win?
Knowing Campbell and listening to the commentary, i suspect the word 'loaned' and not 'leant' was key in Campbell's thought process
A great documentary thanks! Says a lot for the spirit of record-breaking that Sir Malcolm loaned him an R-Type engine.
@Sean Fox I think that spirit still exists, Craig Breedlove helped out Richard Noble when he suggested raising the nose of Thrust 2 to remove some downforce, allowing the car to beat his record! Noble wrote about it in his book.
As a new Zealander, I'm shocked to hear this marvellous piece of engineering got burnt, chopped up and buried at Wellington Airport! I've unknowingly flown over the remains of this masterpiece numerous times!
Jordan Saramet me to mate. Bloody hell what a waste.
It's all logical: They are and were englishmen. Live back in the stone ages.
What could possibly go wrong storing it amongst all that flammable material under a tar roof?
@@jmp01a24 What you going on about?
@@ekspatriat Going to the South Pole with horses and a semi tank that could not move at all. UK exploration is filled with men that refused to accept the nature. They even claimed that horses were made by God, so man could use them for movement and labour, nothing else. They were designed for humans to exploit.... 🤣
Wow, I'd never even heard of George Eyston and Thunderbolt, but that car has become my instant favourite of all the classic, old-school land speed record vehicles; what a brutal machine!!
What a superb video.
354mph in a 7 ton car in those days must’ve felt like a thousand! These people were daredevils doing what they did. 🇬🇧
Well done. A story that needed telling.
What a sad and ignominious end for a wonderful piece of engineering and endeavour.
There's not too many videos on RUclips that capture your attention and make you watch them all the way through. This is one of them, thank you :)
Wow, thank you!
@@ScarfAndGoggles Have you done, or could you do, a video on the late Sir Donald Campbell, and his 1964 Record of 403.1 set here in Australia?
(Forget this, I just found it!!!)
I did know of George Eyston and "Thunderbolt" but this has filled in lots of gaps. Very informative. Thankyou.
Eyston was wise enough to move on to new challenges, likely realizing that someone would invariably best him, and he might possibly succumb to an accident. A fascinating story! The engines and the transmission were massive for that time - amazing.
I love hearing about this era of engineering innovation, great competition and derring do.
Fantastic vehicles driven by amazing characters.
An excellent channel deserving of more subscribers.
The fast development of Aero engines, which began with WW1-continued unabated , especially by Wars end, when there was a huge surplus of those massive engines, at reasonable prices.
This fed the new craze of Motor Racing, record-breaking, and edurance, which in turn, helped the Aero industry, just in time for WW2.
and they all helped each other. I like that.
I didn't know about Eyston or Thunderbolt before seeing this. Great video.
why would anyone dislike this video? what more could you ask for? This is an amazing channel.
There 'll always been grinches
Only sick climate-green hippies don’t like this. I liked a lot !
A fantastic era of gentleman racers! Even going so far as to lend engines to their competitors...... If only all RUclips videos were narrated the same the world would be a better place!
Thanks for your comment - glad you enjoyed it!
Thank you Scarf and Goggles for an incredibly fascinating technical documentary on this fantastic land speed car...the specs are mind boggling..!
You're welcome - glad you enjoyed it!
Very well made and interesting video and thanks for not drowning the narration with music.
Sad sight to see Thunderbolt's burnt out carcass just thrown aside like that!
Imagine they used hybrid version of this thurderbolt coming
having had the pleasure of working Bonneville and building the 3RT Racing car, I have to say that this is one of the best historical videos ever made. The story, video quality, engineering information and run tapes are just plain superb. What a great story. The Brits approached and practiced streamlining early in the evolution of land speed record runs. I ran an American racing team, but have a great deal of respect for what the Brits contributed in many ways, in many chassis, and many record breaking runs. So sad, that this machine, like so many others met such an ugly and unfortunate end.
.
A thrilling account of real racing and history--thank you.
A tale well told! That Rolls engine may be the best looking engine produced by Britain. MASSIVE.
Jaguar XKE DOHC Six Cylinder Engines are Nice Looking and Produces Beautiful Mechanical and Exhaust Sound along Winning Lemans Four Times in the 1950s
Just a detail info correction for non-UK viewers here:
The RR engines are narrated as costing £5800 ea in 1930, equating to approx £380,000 in today’s money. This is then misleadingly captioned as equivalent to USD $475,000 which sounds a lot but actually hugely understates just how expensive in global terms those engines were at the time.
£1 sterling was equivalent to just under $5 in 1930, and £380,000 approximates to around 1.7 Million dollars, not 475,000.
I have seen some of these early record breaking cars. Seeing them in person gives you a sense on how brave the drivers had to be. Those huge skinny tires in the 30s cars are just amazing.
I really like the narration. He has great pronunciation. Very easy to understand, great story, too!
Amazing story. Thank you.
Glad you enjoyed it!
What a machine. You can only wonder in amazement that something so heavy could go so fast. The gearbox alone was a piece of engineering genius to say nothing of the rest of the car.
These documentaries are so well done. Excellent scripting, editing, and attention to detail. From one motorhead to another: Thank you!
Glad you like them!
Thank you for an excellent example of online documentary. I write as a retired academic, part of whose work was as an historian. And I'm pretty fussy. So well done.
Wonderful documentary and history lesson on the underated Capt George Eyston. Thank you.
A fantastic story, many thanks for bringing it all together. These guys were amazing, they did not use wind tunnels,CAD, dynos, their knowledge of aerodynamics was limited by todays standards, but they knew the fundamental physics about how the power required changed with speed, doubling the engine for a limited increase in speed.
The same approach was used for the current record using two engines.
Just that amazing gearbox by itself is a marvel.
Incredible bit of engineering!
Awesome history and Thunderbolt was an awesome car! Glad the video recording wasn't lost like the car!
It's funny how most of us petrolheads, when thinking about land speed record breaking cars, the first thing that springs to mind is the Rolls-Royce Merlin when actually the R-Type is way more powerful and suited for this kind of application. Obviously its scarcity makes it harder to get when there are (or at least were at the end of WWII) loads of Merlins thrown around from Spitfires and Mustangs.
Brilliant story telling, I'm really fond of how you make your narratives clear and straightforward. Always a pleasure to watch and to save! I'm eager for more!
Honestly, who thumbs down such a great work??
These men must be just as respected for their ability to recruit sponsors and a technical team to help them achieve their goals as their guts to actually get in the thing and push the pedal to the floor.
Only just found this channel, got to say it,s now on my subscriptions.
That between the wars era of land speed records is one that has fascinated me since being a small kid in the 1950s, I had Dinky Toys of Thunderbolt, Bluebird, Speed of the Wind and others. Those engineers, designers, manufacturers and designers were absolutely incredible and as for the drivers, how can a mere mortal express adequate admiration?
I’m a regular at Goodwood and Brooklands and the Napier Railton that has been restored at Brooklands never fails to give me goosebumps.
Congratulations, A very well done documentary and thank you for not spoiling it with unnecessary music. I wish that others would follow your example.
Another great story and forgotten one at that
Thank you so much for a really informative video that’s easily up to your usual high standard. Easton and Thunderbolt have always been somewhat overlooked, relative to the exploits of Campbell and the Bluebirds, so thank you for filling in the blanks. Especially interesting to see that although Easton was undeniably an excellent engineer, he wasn’t averse to adopting the ideas of others when the need arose. A sign of a truly talented engineer. As we’re currently social distancing, I’ve started building car models for the first time in 40 years. Your video has inspired me to see if I can build a Thunderbolt model. Thanks once again.
This is a very well crafted video. The blend of ASMR worthy voice and music delivered the story beautifully.
Wow, thank you!
What a great story. And how about the way the helped each other. You know someone is going to try and beat your record and your reaction is to lend them your engine as a spare.
Its what people do when they have a true passion for something, but in today's media climate that would not be allowed, you have to have angst and bitterness for the show, its sad that we have degenerated to this level.
A splendid story finely told.
Thank you kindly!
My first hero - and my first proud achievement was constructing the model of Thunderbolt from the plan in my older cousin's handed-down pre-war Mecanno set during WW2. Also heard Capt.Eyston speak live on the BBC shortly after the War but sadly cannot recall his words. A true hero, dedicated to perpetuating the Nation's pre-eminence in Engineering achievement. Thanks very much.
These mini docs are priceless. Thank you so much for creating these time capsules. The engineering achievements, the audacity of vision, and the courage to risk millions as well as life and limb all combine to make one feel quite inconsequential however. I've wasted my life. These men were giants.
Fascinating! As an MG enthusiast and owner, I’ve read much about George Eyston. Thanks much for posting this one.
Fantastic !I love your attention to detail and focus on engineering. Thanks
Glad you liked it!
Great video and story. It was a real pity when the car was destroyed and the gearbox disappeared, luckily the engines remained.
Captured a great piece of history, well done and thank you.
One of many other jewels they can be find in this excellent channel... THANK YOU very much !!!
That was really cool well narrated I love history of old cars I'm 65 now years old and I've always loved cars since I was a little boy had a lot of fast cars I just love automobile Stories and memorabilia Thank you for the cool video
Incredible the camaraderie between the land speed record holders at the time, sharing or loaning parts/designs from their own vehicles to competing drivers to enable their attempt at raising the LSR higher
As a kiwi guts me to see how it was treated in our country and left for scrap in the end..thanks for the video
Outstanding video, Thank you for this detailed information. I had not heard of any of this before your video. Amazing engineering on display!
An amazing era for the LSR,thanks for taking the time to do these videos,i really look forward to them when they pop up!
More to come!
Best voiceover I've heard in a while-in quite a while, in fact! Very good indeed.
Thank you very much indeed!
I saluted throughout this video.
When I worked at Hendon I walked past this engine everyday.
Fascinating story properly told, as usual! The video production and your narration style are fabulous! Well done!
Thank you so much 😀
Excellent video. I'm glad there wasn't any music added, your words were more than enough to keep me engaged.
Very informative and well presented. Thank you.
I really really enjoyed the video the info the knowledge and the time put into the research I never knew about the car Thunderbolt until now and the Magnificent engineering that went into such a machine thank you for sharing
excellent story
Great tribute to a true sportsman.
Crazy to know that the remains of the chassis are buried under the runway I drive past daily......Awesome documentary and great work!
Excellent video, thankfully populated with original photos and devoid of silly animation. Great job ! 🇬🇧
Absolutely fascinating and beautifully made video, thank you!
Excellant and so informative thank you. I fondly recall the little 'Castrol books of Speed' in the 50's and how I used to claim them from my Dad, men such as George Eyston were legend.
That whole period of land speed record attempts is just fascinating. There was fierce rivalry of course, but also mutual respect between those rivals. Thunderbolt is my favourite car of that era, I have an old Dinky model of it. I can barely imagine the cacophony of sound that those twin aero engines would have made. Awe-inspiring. Thanks for sharing this great footage and engaging story. Love and peace.
Another excellent video... thank you very much
Glad you enjoyed it
Man, to have been at Bonneville back in the day, when world speed records could be traded on a daily or hourly basis... what a thing to behold. If only we could see the same today.
Ok so Thunderbolt was no looker (unlike the gorgeous Railton Mobiil Special) but it is a testament to Eystons engineering prowess and those astonishing engines that such a heavy vehicle was so damn fast. Thanks for a brilliant look at this truly remarkable car and its legendary creator.
Just discovered this channel a week a go.this is an amazing beast,just imagine the sound of the two merlins.
Well done! An excellent piece of documentary film-editing and commentary.
Thank you very much!
A truly marvelous presentation. Every (gear)Petrol Head should visit Bonneville should time and resources allow. My Uncle Charlie ran Model Ts at El Mirage when he was young and some of my favorite days have been spent there as well.
As a child in the 1950's the dark blue livery Dinky toy of Thunderbolt was one of my favourites and frequently broke the world land speed record on carpet, assisted by a number of large rubber bands liberated from my father's company office. Sadly it too has disappeared, I suspect taken to a jumble sale when I was away at school. Thank you for the excellent video.
Superb documentary congratulations !
particularly liked the understated intelligent narration
What an absolutely fascinating story. And very well presented. Thank you so much. We owe much to these pioneers of yesteryear.
The engineering is mind boggling,and the vehicle worked!
A fantastic piece with a happy ending 👍🏻🏴
Another wonderfully researched and presented video. Thanks.
Your channel is an oasis in the RUclips desert. Your videos are well researched, factual, and interesting without the faux drama and annoying background music of other channels. The commenters are also a cut above providing additional insights rather than a food fight.
Very well researched and out together.
I think this is my favorite land speed vehicle. What a beautiful sound.
Open cockpit at that speed is insane! As a kiwi it saddens me to hear of the demise of thunderbolt in a warehouse in Wellington, New Zealand. And engineering masterpiece lost in the blaze.
Yeah as a kiwi I was gutted it was dealt to so sadly
This was extraordinary. Thanks for this terrific bit of history. I love this stuff!
Excellent production, thank you!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Really enjoying your land speed record presentations.From childhood I have been fascinated by the people and machines they created to push the record ever onwards, your videos really help to bring the human aspect of this in to perspective. Thank you.
One quote from John Cobb that I will never forget when he was asked about the lack of brakes on his land speed cars was "I am interested in going, not stopping" which gives a great insight in to the mindset of those who dared.
Thanks for getting in touch - so glad you’re enjoying my videos. Cobb was an amazing character, as you suggest he epitomised the mindset of a record breaker.
Surprising the total lack of any advertising on the car. Unless it was entirely paid for by benefactors who wished to remain anonymous, curious why anyone would want to fund such endeavors unless there would be some payback in terms of corporate publicity. Well done. Subbed...!!!
It wasn't financed by corporations but by a few wealthy individuals.....
That is how it was done back in the day........
The only thing on the car that a capable individual would have a difficult time making/designing would be the tires........
You'll see tire company logos and occasionally a winged horse but not much else.....
@@wolfilewis7986 Cobb's car, originally "The Railton Special", after its designer, the prolific car designer, Reed Railton, ended up "The Railton-Mobil Special" through corporate sponsorship.
@@wolfilewis7986 back before you had to wear a dammed baseball cap as soon as you got out!
"Immortality" through being the fastest, or associated with the fastest - in "Snobbish" society. ?? Maybe??
Amazing video. Land speed record stories are so often full of heroics and sportsmanship. Love the fact that the engines were used in different vehicles and that Campbell loaned him an engine.
Thats a great documentary ! Had me totally engrossed - Pity the car was lost in a fire ! Them record breakers were really really brave ! 470mph when your road car could hardly mange 65mph ! Thanks a million for putting these stories together !
At about the same time the Germans were setting new world records on public roads of around 265mph, took around 80 years for that to be broken.
Great video. Thank you.
Love this channel - please keep them coming.
Loved this film. I have an old book that I found at an autojumble, "SPEED ON SALT" by George Eyston and W. F. Bradley. It says published in spring 1936 and the forward is by Sir Malcolm Campbell. One of the best books I have ever read, a true English battle of chivalry, persistence and innovation.
Sir , you have made my Sunday morning. Incredible story.
Agreed in California
Absolutely brilliant, thank you
Glad you enjoyed it!
Well done for producing such a wonderfully detailed program, and well presented too. The History Channel should talk to you!
Wow, thank you!
The history channel is garbage. They don't care anymore it's about money.
Simply wonderful !!!