JCB GT
World’s fastest Backhoe Loader
What started as a high-speed stunt digger designed to thrill crowds at race events took on world record status when it smashed the Guiness Record for the world’s fastest Backhoe Loader.
While most of JCB’ world records have focused on diesel power, the JCB GT Backhoe was originally designed as a promotional vehicle to showcase JCB’s engineering through high speed stunts. On 20th November 2014, the JCB GT V8 Backhoe took the crown for fastest digger during a successful Australia-wide stunt tour. It reached a speed of 72mph at the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 in New South Wales, Australia – driven by JCB demonstration driver, Matt Lucas.
Engineering and innovation
Based on the best-selling 3CX Sitemaster, the JCB GT dragster first made its debut in August 1988 at Donington Park racetrack. After making little progress on the unique project, Lord Bamford decided to bring the project in-house under the supervision of long-serving Demonstration Driver, Malcolm Grindey.
Malcolm said that “being given the project was quite daunting and for the next six months I worked day and night – and didn’t have many weekends off – to make the deadline of launching it at the bike grand prix at Donington.”
Malcolm and then Chief Engineer Dave Brown developed the unique JCB dragster, built with a lightweight steel chassis and powered by a 1,000hp engine. To achieve the JCB GT top speed, the Loader and excavating arm were made entirely of aluminium rather than heavy steel, with the exterior shell constructed from lightweight fibreglass.
The lasting legacy
The launch of the JCB drag Backhoe shone a spotlight on the engineering and innovation of the JCB team – it made primetime News at Ten, achieved coverage in virtually every major newspaper and even became a favourite joke in Irish comedian Frank Carson’s repertoire.
Over the following years, Malcolm took the machine on global tours that constantly thrilled the crowds and even clocked up an unofficial 90mph at Maastricht Airport. Decades later, the record for fastest excavator in the world was achieved with a newly modified JCB GT that used much of Malcolm’s original lightweight technology, with that addition of a JCB Fastrac rear axle and V8 Chevy engine.
Today, the JCB GT continues to thrill crowds across the world with wheelies and huge feats of speed.