Sunday 6th July 1924

Frenchman René Thomas and Englishman Ernest Eldridge fought a duel to raise the world land speed record on the long, straight but narrow Arpajon road near Paris in France. Driving a V12 Delage, the Frenchman achieved 143.31 mph, but Eldridge bettered this with 146.8 mph in his aero-engined Fiat. However, Eldridge’s record was disqualified after Thomas protested that the Fiat had no reverse gear, as required by the regulations. Eldridge returned to Arpajon 8 days later, having fitted a reverse gear, and finally set an official record of 146.01 mph – the last time that the record was set on a public road.