Record-Setting Speed Car and Motorcycle Head to Auction After Breaking Historic Land-Speed Marks

Two extraordinary land-speed machines that once rewrote the record books are heading to the auction block. The vehicles will be offered at a sale hosted by Mecum Auctions in Glendale, California later this March.

Among the highlights is the 2013 Vesco Racing Turbinator II Streamliner, a purpose-built land-speed car created by the Vesco racing team. The machine remains the first and only wheel-driven vehicle to break the 500-mph barrier, reaching a top recorded speed of about 503 mph at the famous Bonneville Salt Flats in late 2018.

The Turbinator II is powered by an aircraft-derived Lycoming turbine engine and stretches roughly 36 feet long, giving it the sleek shape required for extreme-speed runs. According to auction details, the engine in the record-setting car is currently not operational.

Also heading to the auction is a historic motorcycle built by legendary racer Don Vesco. The bike made history in 1975 as the first motorcycle to surpass 300 mph.

Originally named Silver Bird, the machine was later renamed Lightning Bolt. Its early record run reached about 303 mph using a pair of racing engines from the Yamaha TZ750 program. Those engines were later replaced by two 1,000-cc powerplants from Kawasaki, which eventually pushed the motorcycle to an even higher top speed of roughly 318 mph.

The current mechanical condition of the motorcycle has not been specified. However, the auction lot includes several historical items connected to the machine, including a racing suit, helmet, boots, and two jackets used during its record-setting era.

Together, the two vehicles represent a rare opportunity for collectors to own machines that once pushed the boundaries of speed on land.