49 years ago on October 23, the product of three young guys from Milwaukee, The Blue Flame, driven by Gary Gabelich of Long Beach, California, set the absolute world land speed record at 1,014.656 km/h (630.388 mi/h), the first land speed record over 1,000 km/h.
While, in the 1960s, hotrodders purchased surplus military turbojet engines and attempted to see how fast they could go, these three guys (Pete Farnsworth, Ray Dausman, and Dick Keller) decided how fast they wanted to go and built the rocket power plant and streamlined monocoque-framed car to achieve their goal.
Their 1970 flying start FIA-certified kilometer record was not broken for 27 years and was the last absolute world land speed record set on the Bonneville Salt Flats. It remains the last absolute world land speed record set by an American car and driver. It also was the last absolute world land speed record set using pneumatic (Goodyear) tires.
The September 15, 1970 Milwaukee Journal article illustrates we called our shot for 1970. Unfortunately, we could not continue toward our ultimate goal, Mach 1, the following year.
Next Fall the National Museum of American History at the Smithsonian Institution will feature an exhibit labeled ?A Nation of Speed?. Somehow, they have decided to ignore The Blue Flame and Gary Gabelich?s historic American speed achievement. A nation of speed? Really?