JCB engine shatters record

A VEHICLE powered by the same engine as that used in JCB’s industrial and farming machines has shattered the land speed record for diesel powered vehicles.

The British JCB Dieselmax had an average speed of 328.767mph during its record bid on the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah.

The car, driven by Wing Commander Andy Green, made two runs yesterday afternoon.

The first run was made at an average speed of 324.248mph with the return run averaging 333.339mph, beating the previous record of 235mph which has stood for more than 30 years.

In 1997, Green became the fastest man in the world when he drove ThrustSSC through the sound barrier to a speed of 763.035mph.

“To have built the world’s fastest diesel is a stunning achievement for the JCB Dieselmax team,” said Dr Tim Leverton, project director.

Sir Anthony Bamford, chairman of JCB, said: “This is a marvellous achievement for JCB, and a wonderful tribute to British engineering.”

The driver added: “The car was going incredibly quickly. I actually backed off going into the measured mile, and probably did a bit too much.”