Man fulfills dream driving 27-litre V12 Spitfire-engined ‘The Beast’ on the streets, but the car has an infamous history
- The Beast is a pretty weird-looking car
- It contains a 27-liter V12 Merlin engine designed for a Spitfire
- It got its creator in trouble with Rolls-Royce, too
Published on Sep 05, 2024 at 10:35 AM (UTC+4)
by Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones
Last updated on Sep 05, 2024 at 8:45 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Tom Wood
The Beast is a unique car built around a Rolls-Royce 27-liter V12 Merlin engine, originally designed for a Spitfire aircraft.
It’s one of the most infamous cars in Britain. Why?
It was originally built to prank Rolls-Royce, originally registered as a Rolls-Royce and sporting the grille of a Silver Shadow, resulting in a trademark infringement case.
Now, this YouTuber gets to drive the piece of automotive history that held the Guinness World Record for the world’s most powerful car in 1977.
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The Beast
The creation of John Dodd, the car appears to have driven straight out of a sci-fi movie.
He bought the rolling chassis in the early 1970s and worked with Paul Jameson, a gearbox expert, to make the car drivable.
Its 27-liter Merlin engine is 10 times the size of the base 2.7-litre V6 in the Ford F-150, which is why it has such a long bonnet and was labeled, ‘The Beast’.
Check out the unbelievable story behind Shaquille O’Neal’s ‘Frankenstein Ferrari’ for more on weird customization.
This wannabe Rolls-Royce Frankencar is another strange homage.
But back to The Beast – Dodd boasted that the naturally aspirated engine churned out 950bhp, although current estimates put it closer to 750 bhp.
However, reaching speeds of 295km/h (183mph), it was awarded the Guinness Book of World Record for being the world’s most powerful car in 1977.
Despite this, it was functional and road-legal – it even ULEZ [ultra low emission zone] compliant in London, UK these days.
The history
Due to its registration and RR grille, Rolls-Royce took Dodd to court for trademark infringement.
As car enthusiast and content creator of The Late Brake Show, Jonny Smith explains, the case became a media circus.
Ever the eccentric, Dodd even drove to the hearing in the car in question.
As for driving it? Smith described the experience as a sensory overload.
“Oh my word – what a sensory overload!” Smith says.
“The Beast: wow that really was quite something, quite daunting.
“I almost felt the spirit of John Dodd watching over me because John used to drive this car hard.”
London-based Amelia cut her journalistic teeth covering all things lifestyle, wellness and luxury in the UK capital. Fast-forward a decade and the experienced content creator and editor has put pen to paper for glossy magazines, busy newsrooms and coveted brands. When her OOO is on you can find her spending quality time with her young family, in the gym or exploring the city she loves.
