The Steamin' Demon That Broke Steam Records | Nascar News

A forgotten dream of steam-powered cars finally roared to life with the Steamin’ Demon—a wild, Frankensteinian racer built from scraps of a failed Lear jet-era steam bus project. After years of tinkering, engineer Robert Barber took the beast to Bonneville in 1985, smashing the 80-year-old steam speed record at 145.6 mph—even as it blew a door and caught fire. Though not officially recognized, the car’s gutsy run and battle-scarred legacy earned it a $56,000 auction price, proving that sometimes the most thrilling stories come from the road less traveled. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/3dced7be40e758f6