John Dodd’s ‘The Beast’ - Merlin V12 is For Sale

Let's be honest; many of us have fantasised about ludicrous engine swaps, haven't we? Taking a reasonably run-of-the-mill car and taking out the stock engine to replace it with something daft. Carroll Shelby made a career out of it.

Well, a creative man named John Dodd also let curiosity get the better of him in the 1970s, but rather than a more 'typical' engine swap, he instead decided to take a Merlin engine (as found in the WW2 Spitfire). Yes, really and place it into a custom coach-built chassis.

Aptly named; The Beast, it was created using a 27,000cc - yep, that's 27 litres - V12 merlin engine, which reportedly delivers around 750bhp at the flywheel. In 1973 the RAC recorded the car at a top speed of 183 mph. The Guinness Book of Records listed it as the most powerful road car in the world in 1977.

The controversies of the car don't end there, though. Since its build in the 1970s, The Beast has been a talking point for motoring and aero enthusiasts alike, and the stories even feature one about The Beasts creator, John Dodd fleeing the UK for Spain to avoid a lawsuit from Rolls-Royce after fitting a Rolls-Royce grille to the front end.

BBC Top Gear featured the car when 1990s presenter Steve Berry drove it in 1998.

Four decades since its creation, The Beast is still in fantastic condition and will soon be going up for sale by auction with Car & Classic. C&C have put together a fantastic video, especially for the sale featuring the late John Dodd’s son and none other than Top Gear’s Steve Bury who is back with the car after 25 years.

Tempted?? Details of the auction can be found here: John Dodd’s The Beast