The First Car to Travel Over 200mph was a British Reliant - Apparently.
In 1997, a modified Reliant Scimitar SS1, driven by Richard Noble, achieved a speed of 317.60mph (511.13km/h) at the Black Rock Desert in Nevada, USA. This was a remarkable feat for a production car, and the record still stands today. The car was nicknamed "Thrust 2" and was powered by a 3.7-liter Rover V8 engine. The record was set on October 4, 1997, and was verified by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA).