The speed Record Story 3 - Petrol, Steam or electric? The long race to 200

At the beginning of the 1900s, from the curiosity that stemmed from a rapidly-changing world, the automobile began to turn into an interesting business for those entering the new market of mobility. Manufacturers were still unsure as to which engine solution was more suitable for this task: the electric motor was simple, economical and avoided those tedious start-up issues but it was also heavy and its very limited range counted against it; steam engines were efficient but complex to manage while the internal combustion engines had yet to make the most of the energy potential of gasoline and, moreover, you had to crank start them.

<font size="3">Baker’s very precise pursuit of aerodynamic efficiency contributed to its spectacular speed capabilities. However, it was the very thin tires that caused the accident that interrupted the record attempt. A slight obstacle on the ground made the driver lose control of the car</font>

For all these reasons, manufacturers who relied on internal combustion engines felt the need to send out a strong message by setting speed records. The 100 mile per hour record was very hard for them to achieve since in America, in 1902, [the electric-powered Baker Torpedo](https://tcct.com/news/2020/02/the-1902-baker-torpedo/) had shown that it could easily exceed 100 miles per hour before a tragic accident that stopped its attempt.