One of the most extraordinary and wild looking vehicles in the history of British motoring is once again crossing the auction block - the extremely unique 1972 ‘Beast' is an imposing, 5.7 metre-long shooting brake, powered by a colossal 27-litre Rolls-Royce Merlin V12 engine, is set to be auctioned by Historics Auctioneers at its "Brooklands Velocity" event to be held at the Mercedes-Benz World facility at the historic Brooklands circuit in Surrey, UK, on November 29, 2025.
The current estimate of £75,000 to £100,000 (NZ$174,000 to NZ$232,000) follows a previous sale a couple of years ago, where it fetched £72,500 (NZ$169,000). Which seems entirely reasonable for such an absolute monster of a car.
The Beast's origins trace back to the late 1960s when engineer Paul Jameson constructed a custom chassis designed to house a Rolls-Royce Meteor tank engine. Jameson was having trouble getting a transmission for the massive engine that could handle the power, so contacted John Dodd, a successful businessman and automatic transmission specialist, who solved the problem, while also becoming very interested in the project.
Following a fire that destroyed the original vehicle, Dodd was determined to rebuild the machine to an even greater specification, so purchased the chassis off Jameson in and fitted with the formidable 27-litre Rolls-Royce Merlin V12; the same engine that propelled the Supermarine Spitfire and Avro Lancaster to victory during the Second World War. Dodd also engineered his own heavy-duty automatic transmission to manage the immense torque produced by the engine.
The Beast's coachwork was fabricated by Fibre Glass Repairs of Bromley and took the form of a grand, extended two-door shooting brake. Reflecting Dodd’s intention that the car be "powerful yet refined", the cabin was appointed in fine leather and walnut veneer.
Performance figures for the enormous car have long been a subject of debate since formal testing was never conducted under controlled conditions. However, the engine is thought to pump out somewhere between 750 and 1000 horsepower (560 and 745kW), while contemporary accounts claim Dodd achieved speeds in excess of 180mph (290km/h) on a German Autobahn.
In 1973 the British RAC (Royal Automobile Club) recorded it at a top speed of 183mph (295km/h), while in 1977 the Guinness Book of World Records listed the Beast as “the world’s most powerful car”. In an era when most exotic Italian sportscars struggled to exceed 170mph (275km/h), these claims placed the ‘Beast’ among the fastest road-registered vehicles in existence at the time.
Dodd initially fitted the car with a Rolls-Royce grille and Spirit of Ecstasy mascot, but Rolls-Royce took a dim view of this use of its trademarked icons, resulting in a successful lawsuit against Dodd in the early 1980s. Consequently, Dodd replaced the grille with his initials.
Along with its dramatic specification and thunderous engine note, the Beast is notable for its mechanical sophistication, with independent suspension and disc brakes on all four corners, making it genuinely usable, though, by all accounts, still rather demanding of its driver.
Later in life, John Dodd would relocate to Spain, taking the Beast with him, where he regularly drove it on the roads around Malaga up until his death in 2022. In fact, although approaching his 90th birthday at the time, Dodd had a new rear axle fitted and was preparing to take the car back to the UK with the hope of hitting 200mph and recording a 10-second run at Santa Pod Raceway. Sadly, his health deteriorated and he passed away in December 2022.
The current owner purchased the car from Dodd’s family roughly two years ago and has since treated the Beast to a number of updates to its appearance.
The car, which was originally a very 1970s yellow, has been wrapped in a two-tone metallic grey and silver colour scheme.
The owner specifically chose a wrap instead of paint so that the original paintwork remains intact underneath, allowing a future owner to easily return it to its prior yellow glory, while the interior has benefitted from a much-needed re-trim, executed to a high standard.
The refreshed interior is described as businesslike black, and comes complete with “The Beast” embossed in the headrests, while the car now wears a Rolls-Royce grille and Spirit of Ecstasy mascot once again. Hopefully with no accompanying lawsuit this time.
Historic Auctioneers describe the Beast as "a singular testament to ingenuity, eccentricity, and the unbounded enthusiasm of the private engineer. Featured in numerous publications and television programs, earning international renown as one of the most remarkable one-off automobiles ever built."
And if you are wondering just what a 27-litre V12 Spitfire engine sounds like in a car, then check out the video below:
