How This 19-Foot-Long Station Wagon Hit 180 MPH

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A fascinating feat of automotive engineering is

set to be auctioned later this month.

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The Beast is a 19 ft long, two-door station

wagon made in 1972 by British

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engineer John Dodd, and it combines an

aircraft-derived engine and a custom chassis.

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Station wagons are typically 15 ft.

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To 16 ft long, or at least that's what ours was

back in the nineties.

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According to historics Auctioneers, which will

set the beast free to the highest bidder on

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November 29, 2025, the unique car traces back

to engineer Paul Jamieson.

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In the late 1960s, Jamieson made a custom

chassis big enough to hold a Rolls-Royce Meteor.

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An engine initially developed to power tanks in

the Second World War.

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Dodd, a transmission specialist, was lured to

the unique project and worked with Jamieson to

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make it happen.

Unfortunately, their efforts went up in smoke,

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literally, and a fire destroyed their prototype.

A few years later,

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Dodd set out to rebuild a more powerful version

of the concept car,

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and in 1972, He unleashed the Beast.

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the boss.

The Beast swapped the meteor for a 27 L

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Rolls-Royce Merlin V12, which was better known

for powering the legendary British fighter

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aircraft, the Supermarine Spitfire, and the

Avro Lancaster,

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also known as the Lancaster Bomber in World War

II.

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Dodd had to develop a heavy duty automatic

transmission.

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To withstand the Merlin V12's immense torque.

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The beast's body was made by an outfit called

Fiberglass Repairs and included the Rolls-Royce

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radiator grille and Spirit of Ecstasy mascot or

hood ornament.

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While formal testing was never conducted under

controlled conditions,

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reports suggest the beast offered 750

horsepower to 850 horsepower.

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According to legend, Dodd hit more than 180 MPH

when he opened up the beast on the German

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Autobahn.

According to the auction house, this was a time

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when most supercars failed to hit 170 MPH.

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While it has been more than 50 years since its

debut, historics,

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Says the Beast remains a singular testament to

ingenuity, eccentricity,

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and the unbound enthusiasm of the private

engineer.

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The 1972 Beast with only some 11,000 miles on

the odometer could fetch a price north of

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$130,000.

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I'm David Manty.

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This is manufacturing now.

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Bosh bosh.