The British Steam Car arrived this week in Los Angeles in preparation for its world land-speed record attempt.

The team has since been granted its entry license to Edward’s Air Force Base for the attempt to officially take place and the FIA confirmed.

The team will commence further testing and subsequent attempts from July 10-24.

The primary aim of the British Steam Car project is to establish an FIA-sanctioned land-speed record and break the 103-year-old FIA record of 127mph achieved by American Fred Marriott, driving a Stanley steam car in 1906.

The FIA is the sanctioning body and now recognises a land-speed record as the average speed of two passes made across the same measured distance in opposing directions within 60 minutes of each other.

The time of the two runs is then averaged to obtain the official recorded speed.

While the mile in which the attempt is being made cannot move during the attempt, there is no limit to the run-up or braking distance for the vehicle, or any stipulation over where the event must take place.

The team acknowledges the achievements of the Barber-Nichols Team, whose “Steamin’ Demon” is currently the fastest steam car in the world.

In 1985 The Barber-Nichols Team carried out three successful passes and achieved an American National Record of 145.607mph.

There was no attempt to establish an FIA record. However, the British Steam Car Challenge recognises this speed as the record to exceed.

From its inception, the British Steam Car was designed to achieve an FIA record. This is reflected in many of the design decisions and also greatly affects the choice of venue.

The car has fixed gearing between the turbine and the wheels. When the car starts it is in top gear and only manages to pull away because of the incredible torque available from a steam turbine.

Weighing three tons and starting in top gear means that the car accelerates very slowly toward its top speed.

The team need a minimum of six miles to make the record attempt: two-and-a-half miles to accelerate, then the measured mile, then another two-and-a-half miles to decelerate and to allow room to accelerate on the return run.

So, for the record attempt, six miles of smooth, flat (less than one per cent gradient) ground is needed – which immediately precludes a record attempt in the UK.

The team’s Matt Candy says: “There are no runways or man-made flat surfaces six miles long – it has to be a natural feature. Beaches, lake beds or salt flats are often chosen for speed record attempts, including the well-known Bonneville Salt Flats.

“We have chosen Rogers Dry Lake Bed in southern California as our venue for the record attempt, as it is a suitable surface with sufficient length.

“Rogers Dry Lake Bed is within the huge 308,000-acre Edward’s Airforce Base site and is where the Space Shuttle lands if conditions in Florida are unsuitable.

“It is steeped in aviation history, and there has never been an official FIA land-speed record achieved on site.

“It has another advantage for us – low altitude. Being only 2,300 feet above sea level, the air at Rogers Dry Lake Bed is denser than at higher altitudes, providing more oxygen for the car’s burners.”