Back in March, the National Motor Museum announced that it was embarking on the restoration of the first car to ever exceed 200 mph (322 km/h), the Sunbeam 1000hp. Now in progress, the project has discovered another record-holder: what is likely the first screwdriver to hit 200 mph.
The wood-handled tool was hidden away for the better part of a century, because it had fallen out of a mechanic’s hand or pocket into an unexpected location. The team didn’t find the screwdriver under a seat or behind body work; they actually found it in the oil tank.
The crew behind the restoration presumes that the tool dropped into the tank via the filler neck while a mechanic checked the oil levels. If they noticed the tool falling into the oil tank, there isn’t much they could have done about it.
More: UK’s National Motor Museum To Restore “The Slug”, The First Car To Exceed 200 MPH In 1927
“It’s the first 200mph screwdriver, which couldn’t have been taken out of the oil tank because it was buried under the engine,” said Ian Stanfield, the National Motor Museum’s senior engineer. “We cleaned out the tank where the oil had solidified, using hot water and detergent, and after shaking the tank the vintage screwdriver eventually tipped out.”
Fortunately, the screwdriver didn’t mess with either of the Sunbeam 1000hp’s two 22.5-liter engines’. That’s likely because, despite being 435 hp (324 kW/441 PS) feats of engineering, they didn’t have to run for very long.
“It has only ever been driven for 50 miles to break the world record, and these are the style of tools which would have been used by the mechanics when they built it,” said Stanfield. “It is like a time capsule which is all part of the incredible history of Sunbeam 1000hp,”
In addition to the screwdriver, the team also found an adjustable wrench and a stamp from 1921, both glued to the chassis under solidified oil. Both were exposed by the restoration team after the body panels were removed.
The Sunbeam 1000hp, also known as “The Slug,” earned its 200 mph (322 km/h) land speed record in 1927, and the restoration team is looking to have it back in working order (hopefully with no errant tools in it) by 2027, to celebrate its record’s 100th anniversary. To donate to the effort, you can visit the National Motor Museum’s website.
