For the British Steam Car to appear at public events, the team relies on sponsorship and the sales of merchandise to fund its tour. From the outset of the project, one of the goals was to inspire young people and students by stimulating interest in engineering and technology, hence her name “Inspiration”.
Her first national public event was at the Autosport International Show last weekend, and whilst the car proved a huge visitor attraction, the team was blighted by a burglary. Over £6,000 worth of branded merchandise was stolen. This will have serious repercussions for the on-going tour.
As the only retailer of such apparel we would like to appeal to everyone, if you see steam car team merchandise on sale, please report it to us!
Talking about the tour, Team Manager Lynne Angel said “people are in awe of the vehicle, she really is a show-topper. Although the press dubbed her as “the world’s fastest kettle” the car looks very futuristic and Thunderbird’esk. We have received such a wonderful reception when the car has been displayed. Our stand was one of the busiest at the show. People are fascinated by how she works; they enjoy sitting in the cockpit and interacting with the team. Many people just came over to the stand having watched the BBC documentary wanting to shake our hands. The project really celebrates British Engineering and ingenuity”
It is extremely important for projects such as the steam car to be showcased. It brings engineering to life visually, and could help enthuse the next generation of would-be engineers. It is a well-known fact that there is a huge shortfall of engineers in the UK at present and this will widen as the baby boomers retire causing a rapidly diminishing pool of talent.
With no funding, or grants the team relies on the goodwill of sponsors and the selling of merchandise to continue its UK tour. This theft really is criminal on so many levels.
In August 2009 the British Steam Car Team smashed the 100 year-old land speed record for a steam powered car. Principle driver Charles Burnett III broke the record with an average speed of 139.8mph on two runs over a measured mile at Edwards Air Force Base California. In addition, test Driver Don Wales established a new record for a measured kilometre – achieving an average speed of 148.166mph on two runs.
Both milestone events re-wrote the history books, and broke the longest standing FIA land speed records in history, previously set in 1906 by American, Fred Marriott. Between them drivers Charles Burnett III and Don Wales set five land speed records.
The British Steam Car demonstrated the best of British ingenuity and pioneering engineering on a world stage. The vehicle weighs more than three tons and with 12 boilers, which took more than 10 years to build and develop. The British Steam Car is unique and incorporates many interesting technical features. For example, the burners produce three megawatts of heat, the boilers contain nearly two miles of tubing and steam is injected into the turbine at more than the speed of sound.
The team would like to extend its appreciation to its sponsors and supporters. In particular Micro Movements, Goodyear, Spirax Sarco, and Digital Design & Media who have assisted the team tour to date. Plus WTW Truck Hire who have generously provided transportation for the vehicle to enable it to attend the events.
