A Hanley Swan man's car, which broke the land speed record 100 years ago, has been restored by Ledbury engineers.

The Darracq 200 still roars with its original eight cylinder engine, the first in the world. It will have its first showing since 1911 at Goodwood Festival of Speed this weekend.

By late summer it may be restored enough to travel at more than 100mph again.

It is owned by Gerald Firkins, who bought it from Sir Algernon Guinness in 1956.

It is being restored by Stuart Moore and Ken Hirschfield, of Ledbury's Helping Hand Company.

They were persuaded into the task by colleague Fiona Bradford, the granddaughter of Mr Firkin.

The man likely to take the wheel later this year is Vintage Sports Car Club expert, Edward Cottam.

He will be in charge of a 1,000kg steel-frame car that, just as in its heyday, will have no flooring or side panels, to save weight. Its 22.5 litre engine is capable of reaching speeds of over 120mph.

Mr Moore said: "We haven't decided whether to take it over the ton. The engine is unique and totally irreplaceable."

It is believed to be the same engine that inspired Chevrolet to use V8s, launching the US's love affair with big, powerful cars.

The car won the world speed record on the Arles Salon Road in France in 1905 and broke the land speed record in the same year, then again in 1906 and once more in 1907, when it reached 126mph.

On that occasion, many experts believed it would have reached 140mph, if the driver had held his nerve.

The car was the first car to travel above two miles a minute and the first to do a 100mph lap at Brooklands.