100 Years Ago – Blitzen Benz at Brooklands

Shortly before Christmas Eve 1913, British racing driver L. G. Hornsted set two new world speed records for the half-mile and the kilometre. Held southwest of London at Brooklands near Weybridge in Surrey, England, Hornsted was driving a Benz 200 hp, a modified variant of the “Blitzen Benz”, or “Lightning Benz”, which had already become a legend in its own time. In January 1914, the Briton, born in 1884, added seven more records to his tally of victories.

What a great Christmas present to himself: three days before Christmas Eve 1913, British racing driver Lydston Granville Hornsted, better known by his initials L. G. or his nickname “Cupid”, headed onto the track at Brooklands to set new records in his Benz 200 hp. The average speeds achieved by Hornsted were 113.8 km/h over the half-mile (804,67 metres) and 118.8 km/h for the kilometre, both from a standing start.