HERE ARE THE LAND-SPEED RECORD HOLDERS OF THE PAST

Human beings have wanted to break land-speed records since they were powered by fossil fuels. Here's a list of the record holders of the past.

The list starts with the Sunbeam 350hp from 1922, where the car achieved 129.17mph on a public road. This may seem pedestrian in this day and age, but when you consider there was very little in terms of safety, it was quite an achievement.

In fact, there would be many deaths during the years as men pushed harder and harder to go as fast as possible. Over the next few decades, records would tumble as engines became more powerful and aerodynamics improved.

Eventually, jet power would take over, and speeds would significantly increase. The Thrust SSC broke the sound barrier in 1997 when the 111 000hp from its twin-jet engines took the car to 763.035mph. This record still stands today.

Click on the play button below to find out more about these marvellous land-speed record breakers.