In the early days of motoring, the pursuit of speed was a relentless endeavor. Just 40 years after Karl Benz patented his pioneering Patent Motor Car in 1886, engineers were pushing the boundaries of what was possible, transforming automobiles from novelties into high-speed machines. A prime example of this ambition was the Sunbeam 1,000 HP, a British-built behemoth that shattered the 200 mph barrier in 1927. Powered by not one, but two aircraft engines, this vehicle represented a radical approach to land speed record attempts.
The Sunbeam 1,000 HP, similarly known as “The Slug” or “Mystery,” was a 24-foot-long, 4-ton marvel of engineering. Driven by Henry Segrave, it achieved an average speed of 203.79 mph on the sands of Daytona Beach, Florida, on March 29, 1927, becoming the first car to officially exceed 200 mph. This feat followed roughly 20 years after Louis Emile Rigolly reached 103.561 mph on a beach in Ostend, Belgium, in 1904, marking a significant leap in automotive speed.
Segrave wasn’t a stranger to speed, having previously set a Land Speed Record in 1926, reaching 152.33 mph in a 4.0-liter Sunbeam Tiger. The Sunbeam 1000 was the brainchild of Louis Coatalen, Sunbeam’s chief engineer and designer, who conceived of using two 22.4-liter V12 Matabele airplane engines in a single chassis. Each engine produced approximately 435 horsepower, resulting in a combined output nearing 1,000 hp – a staggering figure for the time.
These Matabele engines had a unique history. Built in 1918 for World War I aircraft, they never saw service in the war. Instead, they were repurposed for powerboat racing, first powering the 39-foot Maple Leaf V in 1920, and then the 34-foot Maple Leaf VII in 1921, which unfortunately sank on its maiden voyage. Both engines were salvaged and eventually found their way to Sunbeam, ready for a latest challenge. The engines’ prior life in aviation and marine racing speaks to their robust construction and power potential.
A Unique Design for Record-Breaking Speed
The Sunbeam’s design was unconventional, even for its time. Coatalen intentionally shaped the car’s body to resemble an inverted boat, believing this would improve aerodynamics. It also featured a flat underbelly, intended to allow the vehicle to slide if a wheel was lost, preventing a catastrophic rollover. The two massive V12 engines were arranged in line, with the front engine connected to a custom-built three-speed gearbox and the rear engine directly driving the back wheels via chain sprockets. Segrave was positioned between these powerful engines, a testament to the car’s audacious design.
The construction of the Sunbeam 1,000 HP was a collaborative effort. Captain J.A. “Jack” Irving oversaw the build, utilizing a chassis from John Thompson Motor Pressings, steel forgings from Vickers, Hartford shock absorbers, and a Dewandre Vacuum braking system. According to reports, the first firing of the engines shook the Sunbeam Moorfield facility in Wolverhampton so intensely that Segrave initially doubted the car was drivable.
Daytona Beach and Beyond
Segrave’s successful run at Daytona Beach on March 29, 1927, cemented the Sunbeam 1,000 HP’s place in automotive history. Daytona Beach had already established itself as a hub for speed attempts, with a 30-year history of record-breaking runs dating back to 1902. The hard-packed sands provided an ideal surface for these early land speed records.
Although, the record didn’t stand for long. Less than a year later, on February 19, 1928, Malcolm Campbell, driving another Sunbeam – the Blue Bird – achieved a speed of 206.956 mph at Daytona Beach, surpassing Segrave’s mark. The Sunbeam 1,000 HP was then largely forgotten, spending decades in relative obscurity.
Restoration and a Return to Daytona?
In 1970, the Sunbeam 1,000 HP was acquired by the Montagu Motor Museum (now the National Motor Museum) in the United Kingdom. A comprehensive restoration project began in 2024, with the ambitious goal of having the car ready for the 100th anniversary of Segrave’s record-breaking run in March 2027. The restoration team successfully fired up the rebuilt rear engine in September 2025, a significant milestone in the project.
Whether the team will successfully return “The Slug” to Daytona Beach in 2027 remains to be seen. The restoration represents a remarkable effort to preserve a pivotal piece of automotive history and honor the daring spirit of early land speed record attempts. The Sunbeam 1,000 HP stands as a testament to the ingenuity and ambition of a bygone era, a time when engineers dared to combine the power of aircraft engines with the chassis of a car to conquer the limits of speed.
The ongoing restoration of the Sunbeam 1,000 HP highlights the enduring fascination with land speed records and the technological advancements that have driven them. As the project nears completion, anticipation builds for a potential return to Daytona Beach, where this remarkable machine first etched its name into the history books.
