As far as bizarre land speed record stories go, a UK-based businessman might have extended the benchmark a bit further with a rather peculiar choice of weapon. Matt Everard, a freight firm boss clocked a top speed 119.5kph in... an auto rickshaw. The heavily modified 1971 Bangkok tuk-tuk managed to set a record at the Elvington Airfield in York.
The rickshaw that has now found a place in the Guinness Book of World Records has an astonishing story. Everard describes buying it back in 2017 after a good couple of drinks when he purchased the tuk-tuk from eBay for about Rs 2.74 lakh. After a difficult time justifying the purchase to his wife, Everard then decided to use it to set a world record.
The modifications? Plenty. At the outset, Everard ditched the 350-cc two-stroke engine for a 1.3-litre fuel-injected Daihatsu motor. This called for a wider track, wheel arch extensions, broader tyres, new wheels and subsequently and overhauled suspension alongside a new dashboard and seats. All this, of course, weighed heavily on Everard’s wallet cutting a hole worth Rs 18.25 lakh.
The Guinness World Records had set a target of 110kph that Everard cleared with ease while his cousin was seated at the back. After the record run, Everard said, “I thought it was going to be more wobbly. At a certain speed, there was a slight wheel-wobble, but once you went through that speed it kind of evened out again and it was fine. I wasn't scared.”
The actual plan was to breach the 145kph mark, but Everard was more than happy with what he had achieved. The 46-year-old, however, intends to return for a crack at clocking 160kph sometime in the near future.
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