Steam-Powered Record-Breaker Visits Goodyear’s TyreFort

Goodyear’s TyreFort in Birmingham was today visited by a rather special guest; the British Steam Car. The unusual and record-breaking car braved the snow to be demonstrated to the 250 employees based at TyreFort; an especially appropriate setting given that the car runs on Goodyear rubber.

On 25 August, 2009 at Edward’s Air Force Base in California, USA the British Steam Car, driven by Charles Burnett III, broke the existing land speed record by a steam-powered vehicle with an average speed of 139.843 mph over two consecutive mile-long runs. This was recorded and has since been ratified by the FIA. On the following day the British Steam Car, driven this time by Don Wales, broke a second record by achieving an average speed of 148.308 mph over two consecutive kilometre-long runs. This was also recorded and again, has since been ratified by the FIA.

This was another Land Speed Record for Goodyear, who set a record in 1963 to have the first tyre to exceed 400mph (Craig Breedlove driving Spirit of America). Since then, Goodyear tyres have also been chosen for the British-made JCB DieselMax car, which set a 328mph record for diesel powered vehicles at 328mph in 2006. Weighing three tons, the sleek 25ft British Steam Car is made from a mixture of lightweight carbon-fibre composite and aluminium wrapped around a steel space frame chassis. It is fitted with 12 boilers containing nearly two miles of tubing. Demineralised water is pumped into the boilers at up to 50 litres a minute and the burners produce three megawatts of heat. Steam is superheated to 400 degrees Celsius which is injected into the turbine at more than twice the speed of sound.

The British Steam Car was even chosen by Time and CNN as one of its Best Innovations of 2009 continuing the firm’s long association with automotive advancement.