Imagine the interior of the Albert Hall crammed with several thousand dark suited directors, guardians of Britain's capitalist culture; it is the annual bash for the Institute of Directors and they are startled to be told by their charismatic Director General, George Cox ' Well lads, this is it. It’s innovate or die!'

I doubt that many in the Hall that day really understood whatGeorge was on about, but as usual he was right on the button. We are entering an era

of extraordinary creativity and there is a great need to understand what is going on. Just think Innovation and remember that Repetition is not only nearly worthless but almost certainly amoral as well !

Symbolic of all this engineering creativity is the World Land Speed Record. The Land Speed Record and Grand Prix racing once shared the