On This Day

Wednesday 13th March 1929

91 years ago

White Triplex – weighing 4 tons, with a total of 36 cylinders, powered by 3 Liberty V12 aircraft engines with a total capacity of 81.18 litres, developing 1500 bhp (at 2,000 rpm) crashed during an attempt at the world land speed record, killing its driver Lee Bible, at Ormond Beach, Florida. His first run was clocked at less than 186 mph– well short of the record. In the return run he reached 202 mph, but just past the time trap the car suddenly swerved. Most believe it was caused by Bible releasing the gas pedal too quickly–the rapid deceleration causing the loss of control. The machine crashed into the dunes about one hundred feet past the timing trap and rolled– coming to a rest two-hundred feet down the sandy track. Bible’s body was thrown from the car. The out of control Triplex had also run into an unfortunate cameraman Charles Traub, who had panicked and while attempting to avoid the out-of-control car ran directly into its path. Had he stayed at his camera’s set-up location, he would not have been harmed. Both men were killed instantly. The White Triplex was completely and utterly destroyed in the crash. Interestingly Ray Keech had established a new world land speed record of 207.55 mph in this monster at Daytona the previous year. It is said that he took a high fee, survived scalding water from a burst hose, exhaust fumes and a fire in the front engine, but he was successful, and said that no money would induce him to drive the car ever again.

White Triplex