The Blue Streak

       "In 1960 Raleigh brought out the five or ten-speed Blue Streak to push sales in the teenage sports enthusiast sector. Complete with twin bar mounted bottles it certainly was popular!"

        "It took the name from the UK Government ballistic missile project that started development in 1954. Blue Streak was part of the British effort to become the third World power in the Cold War arms race. It was a vain attempt to construct a missile that could head East without resorting to buying Thor / Atlas missiles off-the-shelf. Interestingly 6 years and £60m later it was abandoned - the same year that Raleigh launched their own project "Blue Streak" (but at least it crossed continents.)"     Bob Reid