Coventry museum celebrates land speed record anniversary

Richard Noble, pictured in the Black Rock Desert, Nevada, in 1997

An entrepreneur is celebrating the anniversary of a land speed record he broke in Nevada 40 years ago.

Richard Noble was behind the wheel of Thrust 2 as it averaged 633mph (1018.7km/h) in the Black Rock Desert in 1983.

He will be reunited with the vehicle at an event at Coventry Transport Museum where it is displayed.

Mr Noble described Thrust 2 as "one of the most successful land speed record cars of all time".

On 4 October 1983, Noble achieved an average of 633.468 mph over a measured mile to return the land speed record to Britain

The Thrust 2 project began with a budget of just £175 - money that came from the sale of the wreckage of Mr Noble's first jet-engine car, Thrust 1, which he crashed in 1977.

• Listen: The man behind a 633mph land speed record

Powered by a single Rolls-Royce Avon jet engine sourced from an English Electric Lightning, Thrust 2 broke a record on 4 October 1983 that had stood for about 13 years.

Mr Noble said the inexperienced project team battled financial challenges, weather adversity and a high-speed accident to triumph in the "pre-eminent motor sport challenge".

"Operating in the dangerous transonic supersonic speed range, such is the level of risk that driver survival is not assured," he added.

"Despite this, the car achieved its design speed which made it one of the most successful land speed record cars of all time."

The vehicle is on permanent display in the museum's Land Speed Gallery alongside Thrust SSC which, with the support of Mr Noble, Andy Green piloted to a supersonic 763mph (1227.9km/h) in 1997.

This record remains unbeaten.

Mr Noble pictured with Thrust 2 when it was unveiled to the public in the 1980s

At the anniversary event on Wednesday, Mr Noble will be joined by project engineers for a talk, after which he will sign copies of his book, Thrust 2: A Memory.

Coventry Transport Museum said the event was an opportunity to celebrate an important "engineering achievement".

"Thrust 2 is one of our star attractions which brings visitors from all over the world," explained museum manager Steve Spencer.

Tickets to the event are sold out.