Since we first found ways of moving other than on our own two legs, human beings have been fascinated with speed. It might be for this reason alone that cars have developed so much since their first inception, in terms of not only fuel efficiency, comfort and safety, but of course in terms of reaching high speeds as well. So, to pay tribute to some of the pioneers of land speed records, here are some examples of their finest work.

1. Karl Benz: 16km/h 1889

No story of development would be complete without something said about its humble beginnings. The first automobile to be driven in public was driven by German mechanical engineer, Karl Benz. His one-cylinder, four-stroke engine left him looking mighty pleased with himself has he shattered speeds of a whopping 16km/h. Not very fast, but a good start indeed.

2. Overall Land Speed Record: 1227.9 km/h 1997

The nineties was a time where daredevils and thrill seekers enjoyed quite a bit of limelight, but none have come close to a record set by Andy Green, who was operating the ThrustSSC. On the 15^th of October, Green achieved speeds of 1227km/h and walked away to tell the tale.

3. The Fastest Motorcyclist: 605.698km/h 2010

Motorcycles are commonly associated with exceptionally high speeds, but few have come close to the Ack Attack which was ridden in September of 2010 by Rocky Robinson. Despite the fact that his name is a symbol of bad luck, Robinson was fortunate enough to smash and retain the overall top speed on a motorbike.

4. The Fastest Wind Powered Vehicle: 203.09km/h 2009

Finding alternative means of fuelling land travel has been tackled with varying success over the years, but few have boasted speeds through wind power that can hold a candle to the Ecotricity Greenbird which was driven by Richard Jenkins in March 2009. This vehicle, powered entirely by wind, managed to achieve speeds of up to 203km/h.

5. The Fastest Solar Powered Car: 91.332km/h: 2014

Granted, 91km/h isn’t very fast for any land vehicle, but with regards to mileage per unit of fuel… you can’t really complain. The impressive bit about a solar powered car is not the speeds that it can attain, but rather the fact that it is an example of a viable alternative fuel source in action. The fact that the Sky Ace Tiga which was driven by Kenjiro Shinozuka could almost breach speeds in excess of 100km/h is an impressive one.

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