by Bruce Wells | Jan 12, 2026 | This Week in Petroleum History
January 12, 1904 – Henry Ford sets Speed Record –
Seeking to prove his cars were built better than most, Henry Ford set a world land speed record on a frozen Michigan lake. At the time, the Ford Motor Company was struggling to get financial backing for its first car, the Model T. The automotive pioneer drove his No. 999 Ford Arrow across Lake St. Clair, which separates Michigan and Canada, at a top speed of 91.37 mph. (more…)
by Bruce Wells | Oct 14, 2025 | Petroleum Technology
Industry executives in 1968 recognized the public relations value of LNG fueling a land speed record.
Proclaiming natural gas “the fuel of the future,” the American Gas Association sponsored a sleek rocket car powered by liquified natural gas (LNG) that in October 1970 set a world land speed record that would remain unbroken for more than a decade.
In 1882, Mrs. Karl Benz secretly took her husband’s “Model III Patent Motorwagen” on a 65-mile road trip at an average speed of four mph. The public relations stunt took 15 hours. (more…)
