Spirit of America 1
- DALLAS, TX, May 16, 2007 - From the moment man first climbed behind the wheel of an automobile, he began looking for with new ways to move across the earth faster. Now, the fascinating journey of man's obsession with speed can be followed through the collection of
Land Speed Record Models at
DFW Elite Toy Museum.com.
With 81 cars, the collection of 1/43-scale models is a unique journey through an often-overlooked segment of automotive history. All of the cars are either very limited edition or hand-built models, and are rarely seen individually - let alone in one showroom. They run from the 1898
Jeantaud Profilee to 1995's Minnesota Special.
"We have nearly every car that has held the
Land Speed Record, including the very first record-holder from 1898," says
Ron Sturgeon, owner of
DFW Elite Toy Museum.com. "It is incredible to be able to see them all together and to witness how the vehicles have evolved."
The first human to set a Land Speed Record was Frenchman
Count Gaston de Chasseloup-Laubat, who hit the then-unheard-of speed of 39.24 mph, a speed that rivaled the full-out gallop of a horse. Laubat's 1898 attempt to prove that automobiles were a viable alternative to horse-driven vehicles launched an eternal quest to set -and then shatter - new speed records.
Although every car in the
museum has staked its claim in history, some are better known than others. The 1927
Napier-Campbell Bluebird is notable because it was the first car built specifically for breaking the existing Land Speed Record. Piloted by famed English driver
Malcolm Campbell, the car hit 174.883 mph on the beach at
Pendine Sands. Campbell set - and broke - eight more records over the next eight years.
Campbell's son,
Donald, followed in his father's footsteps; more than four decades later, he pushed his
Bluebird-Proteus CN7 to 403.125 mph at
Lake Eyre, Australia, using a gas turbine engine to propel himself into the record books.
"The history of these cars is so rich and fascinating,"
Sturgeon says. "To see what these drivers set out to do, to drive at speeds that were unheard of at the time, is absolutely amazing. And then, to be able to see the cars that accomplished these feats - it really is a unique aspect of automotive history."
The collection of
Land Speed Record models can be seen along with the other rare and antique toy cars in the
Toy Museum inside
DFW Elite Auto Rental at 5940 Eden in
Fort Worth. Hours are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, with weekend hours by appointment. In
Fort Worth, call 817.838. RENT (7368); in Dallas call 214.247.4700. For more information, visit them online at
www.DFWEliteAutoRental.com.
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YEAR DESCRIPTION
1899
Jeantaud Profilee
1899
Jamais Contente
1902 Mors Z
1902
Baker Torpedo
1904
Mercedes Simplex
1905 NapierC
1905 OraccoV8
1906
Stanley Steamer
1910
BIitzenBenz22OHP
1910 Lightning Benz-
Barney Oldfield
1911 Blitzen Benz 220 HP
1914
Hornsted Benz
1919
Packard 905
1920
Tommy Milton's Double
Duesenberg
1922
Sunbeam 350 HP
1923
Fiat Mefistofele Eldridge
1924
Sunbeam 350 HP
1924
Sunbeam 350 HP- curved windshield
1924 Sunbeam #6 (flat windscreen)
1925
Bluebird
1926
Brooklands B.A.B.S.
1927
Sunbeam l000HP
1927 B.A.B.S.
1927
Napier-Campbell Bluebird
1927 Bluebird (original version, no louvers)
1928
Stutz Blackhawk
1928 Bluebird
1928
Sunbeam Silver Bullet
1928
Opel RAK 2
1929 Golden Arrow
1929
Napier Arrol-Aster Bluebird
1930
Sunbeam Silver Bullet
1930
Sunbeam Silver Bulleted/Silver
1931 Napier Bluebird
1932 Napier Bluebird
1933
Campbell-Rolls Royce Bluebird
1935 Bluebird
1935 Bluebird
1936 Speed of the Wind
1937
Thunderbolt
1938 Speed of the Wind II
1938
Thunderbolt
1938 Railton Special (black sides)
1938
Thunderbolt
1939
Mercedes T80
1939 Railton Red LIon
1947 RaiIton 'Mobil' Special
1959
Mickey Thompson Challenger-blue
1959
Mickey Thompson Challenger
1959 City of Salt Lake
1960
Art Arfon's Green Monster "Anteater"
1960
Proteus Bluebird CN7
1980 Bluebird Mach 1.1 CMN8
1960
Mickey Thompson Challenger I
1960 City of Salt Lake
1980 Flying Caduceus
1962 Summers Brothers Special
1983
Craig Breedlove's Spirit of America
1963
Wingfoot Express
1963 Flying Caduceus
1964
Wingfoot Express
1964 Proteun Bluebird CN7
1965
Goldenrod
1965
Green Monster
1965 Wingfoot Express II
1965
Goldenrod (large Intake version)
1966
Green Monster
1968 Mickey Thompson Autolite Special
1970
Blue Flame Rocket Car
1976 Thunderbird Turbine
1977
Barry Bowles Rocket Powered Blonde Bombshell
1978
Malcolm Olley's Jet Car
1979
Budweiser Rocket Car Edwards Record Car
1979
Budweiser Rocket Car Edwards Record Car
1983
Thrust II
1983
Jaguar XK6 Fire car for Thrust II
1995 Minnesota Special
1991
Spirit of 76 (Speed-o-Motive)
1991
Craig Breedlove's Spirit of America Sonic 1---
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Press Release Keywords:- attractions, auto, car, cars, collection, dallas, destinations, exhibit, family, fort, fun, land, model, models, museum, record, scale, speed, texas, tourist, toy, toys, worth
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