john cobb (motorist)

John Rhodes Cobb (December 2, 1899 - September 29, 1952) was a British racing motorist. He made money as a director of fur brokers Anning, Chadwick and Kiver and could afford to specialise in large capacity motor racing. He was born and lived in Esher, Surrey, near the Brooklands race track. Driving the piston engined, wheel driven Railton Special he broke the Land Speed Record on August 23 1939 at a speed of 350.20 m.p.h. Without this being beaten he raised the record to 394.19 m.p.h. in 1947.

The record was unbeaten until 1963 when it was narrowly surpassed by Craig Breedlove in the jet powered Spirit of America. During World War II he served as a pilot in the Royal Air Force and between 1943 and 1945 in the Air Transport Auxiliary. He reached the rank of Group Captain. He died attempting to improve the water speed record at Loch Ness in the jet speedboat Crusader at a speed in excess of 200 mph. There is a memorial to him erected by the people of Glenurquhart. He is buried at Christ Church, Esher.

References

Cobb, John Cobb, John Cobb, John Cobb, John

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