WITNEY: Shock absorbers in a jet-powered car which could smash the world land speed record were hand-made in west Oxfordshire.

The Bloodhound SuperSonic Car is hoping to reach 1,000mph – shattering the current 763mph record – in 2014. It is under test at Newquay in Cornwall.

Nitron Racing Systems, in Station Lane, built the shock absorbers, which are critical to stabilising the vehicle at high speed.