what was the speed limit on the m1 when it first opened
M1 motorway The first section of motorway was the Preston Bypass in Lancashire, which opened in 1958 (now part of the M6 motorway).[3] The M1 was Britain's first full-length motorway and opened in 1959.[5] The early M1 had no speed limits, no central reservation or crash barriers, and no lighting.[6]
Restrictor plate Rusty Wallace tested a car at Talladega Superspeedway without a restrictor plate in 2004, reaching a top speed of 228 mph (367 km/h) in the backstretch and a one-lap average of 221 mph (356 km/h).[5] While admitting excitement at the achievement, Wallace also conceded, "There's no way we could be out there racing at those speeds... it would be insane to think we could have a pack of cars out there doing that."[5]