land speed record

above> craig breedlove / spirit of america 1963

last june 2016 craig breedlove, the owner, builder and driver of the jet car sued and lost but the court’s verdict left him opening. he amended the suit a tried again…

“the car is an american icon,” breedlove said. “it about broke my heart to see the abuse. i didn’t really know the full extent until i got it home.”

courtesy> national archives

9 january 2017 – chicago (ap) — a judge has ruled that craig breedlove can move forward with his legal claim that chicago’s museum of science and industry damaged the jet car he used to set a land-speed record at the bonneville salt flats in utah in 1964.
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the chicago tribune reports the 79-year-old breedlove says the museum caused more than $395,000 in damage to his spirit of america car. it was displayed at the museum for 50 years and returned to breedlove in october 2015.

breedlove, filed an amended complaint in october, including supporting documents on the american association of museums’ standards and best practices. the judge ruled last week that he can sue.

steven young, a los angeles-based attorney representing breedlove, said monday the aam standards “made clearer to the court” that the museum was negligent in its handling of the vehicle. the museum and breedlove have a settlement meeting set before the judge on 23 january. young said he would like to see the case resolved without either the museum or breedlove having to “spend more money,” but said a settlement is unlikely.

“if it doesn’t (settle), we will go forward … and ultimately, we will see the museum in court,” young said.

courtesy> national archives

“spirit of america,” recorded a new land speed of 407.25 miles per hour on the salt flats of bonneville, utah.