The Underestimated Genius Behind The World's Fastest Car

Ron Ayers, the man behind the world's fastest car, the Thrust SSC, passed away at the age of 92. His vehicle was designed to hit supersonic speeds and break records, and it did just that in 1997. The Thrust set the record by hitting 763 mph, and an advanced iteration of the machine aims to go further by breaching 800 mph.

Despite being the mind behind the record-setting car, Ayers didn't have much of an interest in cars as you'd think. "A car won't really grab my attention unless it can reach Mach 1," he said in a 2018 interview with The Sunday Times. With that mindset, it should come as no surprise he set out to do what he did. The Thrust was powered by jet engines, so this isn't your typical car engine powering the vehicle. The Bloodhound, the Thrust's successor, is powered by jet engines and a rocket, so it hardly resembles an average car, and the dashboard of the Bloodhound looks more like a plane cockpit.

Ayers took an unconventional path to get to where he ended up. Instead of going to a university, he took an apprenticeship with Handley Page, an aircraft manufacturer. He eventually took a scholarship to the College of Aeronautics at Cranfield, Bedfordshire, and honed his skills as an aerodynamicist. This is the path that led to him developing the Thrust SSC. Despite being the vehicle's designer, Ayers never drove it, but instead that task was left to former British Royal Air Force pilot Andy Green.

The Thrust might be the legacy of Ayers, but it's not the only vehicle he designed that set records. The JCB Dieselmax, another Ayers-designed vehicle, holds the land speed record for a Diesel-powered vehicle — a speed that took it over 350 mph. It's clear Ayers had the eye and drive for more than just the family business of creating printing presses. It's ironic in a way that what he came to be best known for in his career came after he "retired" from his work.

At this point, it's tough to say for certain whether the Bloodhound will be able to break the record. Despite Ayers' involvement, the project stalled out as the years went by. As of 2023, a new driver was being looked for to set the world record. On top of that, the driver would also have to provide funding to the project.

You might wonder why Ayers never drove any of his inventions. The answer was quite simple, and it's that he was perfectly fine with his Volkswagen Golf. "It's been totally engrossing, and not a little exhausting, working on problems such as how to prevent the sonic shock wave destroying the desert surface and [handling] the tons of drag on the car. Not something you have to worry about with the Golf," he said in 2018.