British driver who broke sound barrier sets new speed record

A British driver who was the first person to break the sound barrier in a car on land has set a new speed record, this time in a hydrogen-powered vehicle.

Andy Green, a 64-year-old retired Royal Air Force pilot, reached a speed of 406mph (654km/h) at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, the fastest a hydrogen-powered car has ever travelled.

Green's record was measured as an average of two runs in a car powered by two hydrogen internal combustion engines, with a combined 1,600 brake horsepower (bhp).

In 1997, Green drove the jet-powered ThrustSSC across Nevada's Black Rock Desert at 763mph (1,228km/h), making him the first, and still the only person, to break the sound barrier on land.

Twenty years ago, Green also set a world land speed record for a diesel vehicle in the JCB Dieselmax, attaining a speed of over 350mph (563km/h).

The new record, set in JCB's Hydromax vehicle, surpassed the previous official hydrogen combustion title set in 2004 (185.5mph) by more than double the speed.

"Setting a world land speed record with hydrogen power, 20 years after Dieselmax, is a huge privilege. This record is a huge achievement by a world class team and superb technology," Green said.

Last month, Green said his wife's encouragement was crucial in persuading him to accept the challenge after getting a call from JCB chairman Lord Anthony Bamford.

Lord Anthony said: "Twenty years ago we came to Bonneville with JCB Dieselmax and showed what British engineering could do with diesel power. Today we have done it again - this time with engines powered by hydrogen."

The company had developed the Hydromax car in an attempt to set a new record for a hydrogen-powered vehicle.

In May, the Hydromax reached 208mph (335km/h) during testing at RAF Wittering in Cambridgeshire.