THIS is not just a car, it is a supreme piece of bean-powered machinery that has now broken a speed record.

Martin Bacon’s coffee-powered Ford P100 pick-up truck can go more than 65mph, a new Guinness World Record for this type of vehicle.

The specially-modified truck is the brainchild of the conservationist, who lives in Barnard Castle in Teesdale, County Durham.

With his two children and wife Jill looking on, Mr Bacon yesterday completed a run at Woodford Airfield in Stockport, Greater Manchester with the truck running up to 65.5mph.

The vehicle uses coffee chaff pellets – the waste product from coffee production – which are heated in a charcoal fire where they break down into carbon monoxide and hydrogen. The gas is cooled and filtered before hydrogen is combusted to drive the engine.

Mr Bacon, 42, has been sponsored by The Co-operative as it marks the 10th anniversary of it converting all its coffee to Fairtrade.

He said: “We’re thrilled to have taken the speed record for the fastest car of this kind. This coffee car has been years in the making.

“Coffee chaff pellets, which are produced from the waste in coffee production, are heated in a charcoal fire, where they break down into carbon monoxide and hydrogen.

“The gas is then cooled and filtered before hydrogen is combusted to drive the engine.

“Any car can run on gasification. In fact, during the Second World War, there were over 100,000 vehicles in the UK that ran on gasification, including cars, buses and delivery vehicles.

“At the beginning of the 20th century, there were over 900,000 vehicles running on gasifiers across the world.”

The Co-operative Food chief executive, Steve Murrells, said: “The Bean Machine’s record and UK tour are a great way to get people talking about Fairtrade and how buying Fairtrade products can make a real difference to the lives of producers, their families and local communities in developing countries.

“We are the UK’s leading seller of Fairtrade products, selling three times the amount expected for a business of our size.

“We sell Fairtrade products in every one of our 2,800 stores nationwide, making these ethical products accessible and affordable for all.”