The Vampire returns…
Fans of high-octane fuelled excitement will be thrilled to hear that the jet-powered land speedster, Vampire, made a grand return this year – and it’s being sponsored by Arnold Clark Autoparts.
The UK land speed record holder – which averaged 303 miles per hour in its record attempt – is well-known for appearing on BBC Top Gear in 2006, where presenter Richard Hammond suffered a high-speed crash while filming for a land speed record attempt. Afterwards, the car was mothballed and sold on eBay as scrap.
However, in 2019, the car, along with the project of restoring it to its former glory, was picked up by a group from Herefordshire, known simply as ‘The Syndicate’ – a group of eight car enthusiasts who put their blood, sweat, and tears into remaking the famous dragster.
After years of work, including sourcing parts from eBay, receiving help and advice from the original developers of the Vampire, Andrew Hurdle and Kieran Westman, and a little luck, the Vampire returned from beyond the grave, officially starting up after a full year of restoration work in 2020.
The land speed beast has an incredible set-up; built from light-weight materials and housing both a Rolls Royce Orpheus 101 engine (the same that can be found in Red Arrow Gnat aircraft) and an afterburner from a SEPECAT Jaguar jet, the Vampire boasts a power weight ratio of 12,000HP!
With the Vampire living once again, The Syndicate have taken it to the road (in a manner of speaking) and have been showcasing the fruits of their labours, both in person and online through DRIVETRIBE, the car social media platform started by Richard Hammond, James May, and Jeremy Clarkson. The Vampire made its first public appearance in 15 years at the Bromyard Speed Festival, followed by a whirlwind autoshow tour, including pitstops at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, the Royal International Air Tatoo, and Dragstalgia.
Eagle-eyed fans might have noticed that at its recent public appearances, the Vampire has been sporting new sponsorship logos, including Arnold Clark Autoparts.
Considering how important part sourcing was to the restoration of the Vampire, it only makes sense that one of the UK’s fastest growing motor factors help promote this fantastic project.
Craig McCracken, group factor manager at Arnold Clark Autoparts, said:
“We’re delighted to provide support to The Vampire jet car project and have such an iconic example of raw speed able to be exhibited to crowds across the country again.
“Hundreds of hours have been put into restoring the car and thoroughly enjoyed seeing it again at shows such as the Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford, where it appeared alongside Red Arrows aircraft – something the Vampire has shared an engine with!”
Arnold Clark Autoparts is one of the largest distributors of car parts and accessories in the UK. Established in 1991 as Arnold Clark’s motor factor division, we specialise in supplying and distributing all major car parts and accessories of the highest possible quality at low prices. We stock tyres, engine oil, wiper blades, bulbs, batteries and more, and we offer exclusive brands such as Padtech and Disctec brakes, Ultratec oil and Airflo exhausts – all of which are available to order online today.
As well as our online store, we have 15 sites across the UK from Inverness to West Bromwich – including our distribution centre in Glasgow. We buy in bulk and pass the savings onto you, so you can be sure you’ll get a great deal.
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Image header credit: Bromyard Speed Festival Facebook page
