Broke 106 Records

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31623, 8 March 1968, Page 7

Broke 106 Records

JUST before it was an- ° nounced, the new American Motors AMX sports model broke 106 national and international speed records in a series of highspeed runs. The team of drivers was led by the world land speed record holder, Craig Breedlove, and included Mrs Lee Breedlove. Two cars were used. One was fitted with a modified

version of the American Motors 4.7-litre V-8 engine bored out to slightly more than 5 litres. The second had a similar engine of slightly less than 5 litres, and was used for breaking records in the under 5.1-litre class.

The car with the larger engine, running to take records in the class for cars from 5.1 litres to 8 litres capacity, recorded lap speeds of more than 175 m.p.h. The AMX with the smaller engine in the 3-litre to 5.1-litre class recorded lap speeds of more than 160 m.p.h. In the smaller-capacity class the car set 90 new records, including every American closed-car record for distances up to 5000 kilometres and for times up to 24 hours.

In the larger-engine class it set 16 new records, including three new marks for the 71-mile flying start at 174.295 m.p.h., and five new records for the 100-mile standing start at 173.044 m.p.h. In the smaller-capacity class, the AMX set a new 24tiour record of 140.790 m.p.h., improving the previous record by more than 38 m.p.h. All records were certified by the United States Automobile Club and by the Federation Internationale de L’Automobile, the international body. The runs were made on a five-mile track in Texas, and the cars were heavier than standard, as they carried 37gallon fuel tanks.