Driving The Beast! 27-litre V12 Spitfire engined car on the street

Hi Jonny, when I was a teenager I worked at a garage in Orpington, John Dodd had his garage just up the road on the A21. He used to road test it up & down the A21, and did he used to give it some beans..!!! The loudest and quickest car ever at the time. I spoke to John at the petrol station once, in my overalls so he said do you want to see the engine, well... half an hour later, and with a crowd now blocking the petrol forecourt, he was still happily explaining bits and pieces he'd made etc to me. I've never forgotten it 40 odd yrs later. Hope someone buys it to enjoy its individuality, what a build by a special British engineer, well done Mr John Dodd.. Alex.

Well how about that, I was the engineer that cut and made the gears for the first gear box. I was one of 5 apprentice tool makers that worked for J.L. Jamieson back in the late 1960's and Paul Jamieson used all of the apprentices to make the parts for the car that he built. That engine was in the yard for years before he fitted it. I've got lots of memories of working at was the the number one precision engineering company in the area, we built 4 axis machine tools which cut the spiller ring for the RB211 Rolls Royce engine. I wonder if anyone else out their worked at Jamieson Engineering company

Legend has it that the Beast is Greta Thunberg’s favourite car.

Well that was ear cancer. Good Lord.

I can correct you on a few aspects of the Beast and some more details. The doors were originally from a Ford Capri Seats are Lotus Europa. The exhaust manifolds were made by Alan Herridge ( known as Bootsie) he was a drag racer who died at Santa Pod ,sincere apologises for miss spelling of his surname if I have. How do I know? The car was refurbished in my bodyshop in Spain near where John lived. Despite my badgering him to change the colour he was having none of it. He wanted to preserve the car as close to original as possible in memory of the people who worked on the car . The left front headlight bezel got damaged and was repaired in another bodyshop, as by that time the company that I was part of no longer existed. For some reason they were unable to match the prosthetic limb colour ( which is exactly how I described the colour to John in an attempt to get him to consider a change) Hopefully the Beast goes to a good home. RIP Cpt John Dodd

Ah yes, the 27 liter WWII aircraft engine that complies with ULEZ. Just as intended.

what a racket that thing makes. Sounds like it's falling apart as you drive.

Whats the top speed on that monster

The fact that he got insurance to pay for a fire in his custom built Merlin engine powered car is truly amazing.

John Dodd was a genius and a humble man who was always willing to give advice. He once spotted me buying a socket set in a Bromley car parts and tool store in In the early ‘70s - told me to forget the chunky 1/2in drive and go for the 3/8in: “much easier access in confined spaces and tough enough for most jobs.” Good advice. 50 years and several rebuilds later the 3/8in socket set is still in service. RIP John.

Ulez compliant?

isnt that clark griswalds car

Has anyone told Jay Leno its up for sale? great to see its still on the road and not chopped up, I remember seeing it many years ago.

So the guy was hugely patriotic, loved his country, put a stonking great Rolls Royce Merlin engine in a car, puts a Rolls Royce grille on the front and the suits don't like it. Well bollocks to them! What an absolute legend. RIP Doddy.

Is it fast?

Timing nightmare?

Actually the Merlin engines were water cooled, with the radiators for the water and oil underneath the spitfires wings while on the Lancaster they were under the engines. Only really radial engines were air cooled because they could get air somewhat consistently to all the cylinders whereas with an inline engine you'd just cool the front and not the rear.

During my army days in the 70's I was stationed in Germany and there was no speed limits on the autobahns. There were reports about a new Rolls Royce being tested and the German police were not happy. So they wrote to RR and complained about the speed the car was doing and asked them to not road test any more new models on German roads. Turned out it was John Dodd and the beast. Of course, being British, we just laughed and about it when the Germans complained. Perhaps that why RR wanted the grill removed?

What is the mpg?

Sounds like you are driving on a starter