One moved the Land Speed Record up to 152.33mph in 1926; the other took it supersonic to 763.035mph in 1997. One hundred years to the day since Sir Henry Segrave set his first of three new marks aboard his Sunbeam Tiger, Wing Commander Andy Green, the current LSR holder, was united with the 4-litre, supercharged V12 bolide on the very spot where it happened: Ainsdale Beach in Southport.

“Lancastrian seaside weather is not renowned for being kind in March”

Green’s drive, on Monday, March 16, was the culmination of a weekend of events to celebrate the centenary of Segrave’s achievement, all of which was organised by the Aintree Circuit Club.

Lancastrian seaside weather is not renowned for being particularly kind in March, but an estimated 2000 enthusiasts arrived for the re-enactment. First aboard the Tiger for a run down the beach was its owner, former Force India Formula 1 team chief and amateur racer Dr Vijay Mallya, clad in suitable period flying helmet and goggles. Green then climbed aboard, trumping Mallya in the sartorial stakes by sporting white cotton overalls, blue silk polka-dot scarf and period crash helmet.

“It must have been a massive handful to drive,” said Green from the cockpit of the Tiger to local news site Stand Up For Southport. “I’m driving at 30mph on the beach, and the back wheels are spinning and sliding around. What it must have been like to drive at 130, 140, 150mph, I can’t begin to imagine.

“But just to have a tiny glimpse into the world of Henry Segrave and the Land Speed Record, and to see a piece of that heritage which, today, Britain still holds – we still have the world’s best motor sport engineers, and we owe that heritage back to the days of Henry Segrave and the expertise they developed then. To share a piece of that has been very, very special.”