The Bloodhound land speed record car lives!

Late last year it looked as if Bloodhound, the project to push the Land Speed Record beyond 1,000mph, was dead. The administrators had been unable to find a buyer, and the car was going to be broken up for scrap. Then, just before Christmas, it was announced a buyer had been found.

Now we have the first evidence of Bloodhound’s regeneration under new management. The most obvious change is the switch of colour scheme, while the project is now operating out of new premises alongside the Magnox nuclear power station on the banks of the River Severn.

The project has been bought by Yorkshire engineer and entrepreneur Ian Warhurst, but will pursue a similar strategy as before. “It’s the most expensive car I’ve ever bought! Over the last decade, an incredible amount of hard graft has been invested in the project and it would be a tragedy to see it go to waste. I’ve been reviewing the project and I’m confident there is a commercial business proposition to support it.”

The plan is for funding to be sought through sponsorship once again, although this time Warhurst will top-up as needed to remove the financial peaks and troughs that caused the project to stumble before.

A detailed timescale will only be announced once operational and logistical planning is complete, but the plan is to take the car out to Hakskeen Pan in South Africa either late this year or early next to commence high speed testing.

Most of the original team members have moved across with the car, including driver Andy Green and chief engineer Mark Chapman.

Yes, we have been here before. Several times. But the issue was never the car or the engineering that underpinned it. It was money. And this time it looks like that, the trickiest problem of all, has been solved.