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Did you know?

The first car to top 300 mph did it on salt

By The Salt AlmanacPublished November 8, 2026

Sunrise over the flat white crust of the Bonneville Salt Flats with mountains on the horizon
Sunrise over the Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah.Photo: Mx. Granger. CC0 (public domain dedication), via Wikimedia Commons · Image source

On 3 September 1935, Sir Malcolm Campbell drove his Bluebird to 301.129 mph on Utah's Bonneville Salt Flats. Racers have used the flats since 1914, and “Speed Week” is held every August, though it was cancelled in 2015 and 2022 because the salt was in poor condition.

Read the full story: Salt pan

More salt facts

The world's largest salt flat is used to calibrate satellitesEnglish towns ending in “-wich” were often salt townsOne of the world's biggest salt mines lies under Lake HuronPolish miners carved a chapel, chandeliers and all, out of salt

Cite this page

For school projects and reports. Teachers often prefer the original sources too: see the list below.

The Salt Almanac. (2026, November 8). The first car to top 300 mph did it on salt. https://saltalmanac.com/did-you-know/bonneville-300-mph

Original sources

  1. Motor Sport. Sir Malcolm Campbell sets land speed record of 301.13 mph (October 1935). https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/october-1935/14/30113-mph-for-one-mile-15930-mph-for-one-hour/
  2. Wikipedia. Bonneville Salt Flats. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonneville_Salt_Flats