Meet Norman Dewis, 94, the living link to Jaguar's speed-record era

At 94, Norman Dewis is perhaps the last living link to the golden era of the British motor industry — those post-World War II years where Jaguar, Aston Martin and a dozen others began to rebuild themselves into champion sports-car makers. And even now, well into the 21st century, Dewis holds a unique claim as the only driver to ever set an overall world land speed record in a Jaguar — one that he engineered himself.

Last month, we met Dewis with the 1952 Jaguar XK120 modified to hit 172 mph, which was restored with his input after many years disassembled in storage. Dewis, who was also the main test driver for Jaguar under founder Sir William Lyons, had made many changes toward the goal of besting a Spanish-built Pegaso for the top speed in a flying mile in 1953 — from replacing the headlamps with air intakes for the engine to the plexiglass bubble that made the car more aerodynamic but also harder to drive. (Dewis took the seat out to fit inside.)

The Pegaso had hit 155 mph in the months before Dewis' run, and Dewis himself though the car might just get that or a bit more. The XK had no speedo, so Dewis had no clue just how fast he was going; it wasn't until he got out of the car after his second run that the timekeeper approached him with a serious look, making Dewis think for a second he'd failed — before revealing the truth. That was the last time Norman Dewis ever thought he couldn't drive fast enough.