Britain’s speed record hall of fame is ready to add another name to its list.

After numerous technical problems the British Steam Car team has carried out four successful runs ahead of its bid to break the century-old world land speed record for steam-powered vehicles.

The 25ft-long British Steam Car dubbed “the fastest kettle in the world”  and driven by test driver Don Wales has reached speeds of over 131mph at Edward’s Air Force Base, California.

This is faster than the current world record. However as the FIA (Federation Internationale de l’Automobile) was not present, it runs were not officially recognized.

The FIA will set up the course on August 17 and official record attempts will be made from August 18 to August 22.

The current official FIA record is 127mph previously set by American, Fred Marriott, driving a Stanley steam car in 1906.