Record-Breaking SSC Ultimate Aero Destroyed in Public Stunt, Founder Calls It Shameful
A supercar once celebrated as America's fastest vehicle met an explosive and controversial end over the weekend—by design.
The 2007 SSC Ultimate Aero, which set a Guinness-verified production car speed record in 2007 by reaching 256.14 mph, was destroyed during the 'Thunder at the Mountain' monster truck rally in West Richland, Washington. The act was reportedly carried out at the behest of its owner, who instructed organizers that the car must not survive the event intact.
The car was crushed by multiple monster trucks, then torn apart by a mechanical 'dragon' wrecker and finally torched by a flamethrower, leaving little more than carbon-fiber shards and charred remains.
The move stunned members of the automotive community, including SSC North America founder Jerod Shelby, who called the destruction 'a shameful loss of automotive history.'
'There are only 24 of these cars in existence, and this one set a world record that dethroned Bugatti,' Shelby said in a statement to media. 'It was a symbol of American engineering.'
Launched in 2007, the SSC Ultimate Aero was powered by a twin-turbocharged 6.3-liter V8 that produced 1,180 horsepower. In September of that year, the car overtook the Bugatti Veyron's top speed record on a closed stretch of road in Washington State. Chuck Bigelow, then 72, piloted the run without a helmet, backed by a small team of engineers.
Though the engine had been removed before the rally stunt, the car's body and provenance remained intact. The destruction appears to stem from a personal dispute between the car's anonymous owner and the manufacturer, although specific details have not been disclosed.
With the car now gone, only 23 Ultimate Aeros remain. Automotive historians say the loss erases a tangible piece of modern American racing heritage.
'It's the equivalent of lighting the Wright brothers' plane on fire,' one enthusiast remarked.
Images Via Facebook/Supercars México - Autos Exóticos de México
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