Mephistopheles
Overview
ManufacturerFiat
Production1923
Body and chassis
ClassRacing car
RelatedFiat SB4
Powertrain
Engine21.7L Fiat A.12
Transmission4-speed manual
Dimensions
Kerb weight2 tons

The Fiat Mephistopheles (known in Italian as Mefistofele) is a one-off racing car created by Ernest A.D. Eldridge in 1923 by combining a Fiat racing car chassis and Fiat aeroplane engine. The name is from the demon of the same name. The name alluded to the infernal noise emitted from the unmuffled engine, and it was "baptised" by the Frenchmen.

Eldridge broke the World Land Speed Record on 12 July 1924 with the Mephistopheles,[1] by driving at 234.98 km/h (146.0 mph) in Arpajon, France. The last car to set a land speed record on a public road.[2]

The Mephistopheles was created by combining the chassis of the 1908 Fiat SB4 with a 6-cylinder, 21.7 litre (21706 cc) Fiat A.12 aeroplane engine producing 320 PS (235 kW; 316 bhp).[3]

Mephistopheles was restored over 5 years, with another example of the same engine, and returned in 2011 with a display at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.[4]

References

  1. ↑ Crooke, Jon. "the CAR FIAT MEFISTOFELE 1923". Bigscalemodels.com. Archived from the original on 19 July 2008. Retrieved 20 September 2009.
  2. ↑ Jay Leno (25 April 2012). 1917 Fiat Botafogo Special - Jay Leno's Garage (YouTube). Event occurs at 1:00. Retrieved 10 April 2019.
  3. ↑ "FIAT MEFISTOFELE". Fiat. Retrieved 13 August 2013.
  4. ↑ Andrew English (10 June 2011). "Goodwood 2011: the mighty Mephistopheles returns". Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 18 June 2011.
  • Fiat.com - Story of the Fiat Mefistofele
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