@@Doug791 Of course not 😄. He was clearly a bit of a BS'er, not only claiming it would get to 200mph, but that was "cruising" 😂 Either way you've got to admire him for creating it regardless.
As an American , this is the most British thing iv'e ever seen. You bring a tear to a American gearhead's eye. Cheers ;) Just the thought of 200 MpH on Bias Ply tires , this man needs a bigger car to carry around his balls !
Look up the Michigan Mad man, EJ Potter, he was installing Alison V12's into cars in the early 60's. His first was his dads Mopar,with a marine gear box .....Before that he built Harleys with Chev V8's. America has a few eccentrics too.
@@Mercmad I knew him; he was a fascinating guy. Brilliant mind, very talented. He used to race his motorcycle a couple miles away from my home when I was little.
In my distant youth I was at a petrol station near Croydon putting a few pints of 4-star into my Fiat 850 when this thing pulled in, bringing proceedings to a standstill. Mr. Dodd got out and undid a bonnet clip and then went to do the other one. He eventually arrived and opened up the bonnet. My amazement turned to shock when he told me that the massive engine was a 27 litre V12. What a fantastic machine. What a great man for building it. This film appearing has made my day, thank you to whoever dug it out.
Fantastic? Yes, but only in the sense that almost every single thing he claimed about it, was the product of his imagination. This vehicle's capabilities weren't his only fantasies. That he thought _other_ people really would fall for his manifestly ridiculous claims, is as just as tragic. 😆
In the 70's in my teens, JD lived opposite my mates house in Links Road Epsom. The garage door couldn't close as the beast was too long to fit in. You just saw all the exhaust pipes sticking out. The garage was down an incline, and he always said it was terrifying getting it out. It did 70mph in reverse and to gingerly back out onto the road was nearly impossible without shooting across the road into the neighbours garden. I too saw it at Santa Pod. I remember the bodywork of the bonnet distorting as it accelerated down the strip. The noise it made was awesome...
@@44magnum73 The car passed down to his son. I believe it retired to Spain with the owner. I have seen a few tv items about it since the bonnet was lost in a fire. The remake has a different design which I don't feel is a stylish. Having been around the car, I felt that the interior was almost wholly Ford Capri, maybe the 3 litre GT which was a very popular performance car at the time. A few additional buttons, but definitely could not be mistaken for Rolls Royce. At the time, everyone marveled at his skills in marrying the automatic gearbox. It was after all his business (gearboxes), and this car was the greatest advert for that. Interestingly the houses were about 500yds from the home of James Hunt.
This was a big topic of conversation during my mechanical engineering apprenticeship days in the 70's, but I think this is the first time I've actually seen it in a video. Apparently, John Dodd was an automatic transmission specialist. It needed a lot of know-how to deliver all that power from the Merlin engine to the rear wheels.
@@sichere The outcome was as follows; "Ultimately, Dodd - who provocatively wore a sweater with the interlocking Rs emblem to court - lost the case and, as a result of his animated ‘interjections’ during the proceedings, was relieved of his house and numerous other possessions, including a twin-engined aeroplane, for Contempt of Court."
This was broadcast in 1974. I'm not surprised he was shocked, especially while still trying to process an airplane engine in a car. If my mate pulled up in his new car, opened the bonnet and showed me his nuclear powered car and announced it has 5,000 horsepower I would probably have the same reaction today.
@@gottliebdee263 He seemed genuinely surprised that it was an aircraft engine after all. If he really didn't know about anything other than car engines, 700bhp was off the charts back then. The 'normal' Rolls-Royces had about 260 I believe, and even Astons and suchlike were only in the 300s...
Yeah, when you consider that in Britain in the 70s, anything over 100 was considered decently powerful, 700 would have been pretty insane. The irony was that it was seemingly downrated from the original which would have been well into 4 figures, presumably to preserve whatever transmission he could get hold of...
A few of us were fortunate to run E types back in the day. A friend of mine had a series 1 and came across John Dodd going in the other direction. In his rear view mirror he saw Dodd do a U turn, catch up and promptly blow him away. Those were the days!
I've been looking for footage of John Dodds' Beast in its original incarnation for years! This must have been before the law suit with R-R in which he was accused of having a "cavalier attitude" after driving the car to court so he turned up the following day on a white horse! Pity this body was destroyed by fire, but great that the car is still in his (or his family's) ownership.
not many videos still exist of the first body i first saw the beast at belle view car show back in the 70s, and then at doncaster show 20 years later with the new body ,love it !!!!!!!
I met John Dodds on many occasions when I worked at a garage in Brockley S.E.London in the 60’s. We used to meet in the local cafe and he would always have stories of his car escapades to share with us .I was 21, and probably in awe of his stories regarding the cars he repaired. From memory he also flew from Biggin Hill often collecting parts from Europe to repair the auto gearboxes he specialised in. Thanks BBC for memories from my past !
Saw JD running this at Santa Pod in the early 70s. It used to squat down on its haunches at launch with the RR grille high in the air. There was loads of wheelspin, clouds of black smoke and that unmistakable 'merlin' warble. Memorable fun. I think he was aiming for a 10 second run but didn't quite make it. It certainly was fast though and just looked unique with that huge bonnet, tiny cabin and multiple exhausts (not fake ones). After it was lost in a fire, the replacement was named 'Beast' which visually didn't look anywhere near as good to my eyes.
I also saw it at Santa Pod. I assume it was at the same meeting. Windscreen out of a jensen and rear window out of a 3 wheel Reliant if I remember correctly.
so glad to have found this. It really was in the Guinness Book of Records back in the day. Wish Id now it was in Malaga last time I was there. RIP John, a true British eccentric
I remember reading about this car in the early '70s, in Motor Trend magazine, I believe. I haven't seen or heard anything about it until this video. Great job. Thanks for the memories.
John Dodd is a legend. A man who drove this right up to his recent sad demise at 89yrs old. An all British car made a patriot who went and stayed in Spain after Rolls Royce made the ludicrously short sighted decision to take him to court and make him take the RR grill off the car... But John certainly wasn't shy of flying down the road in this Beast. It did plenty of miles, particularly on the autobahn. On modern tyres, power steering, modern front shocks to go with new rear axle/shocks its just had, a Holey electrical wizard pack wired in to simplify and tune the whole fuel intake (like we see constantly on the old V8's and old engines of yesteryear which appear on drag strips, car shows and just doing the miles using Holey carbs) and maybe a reworked exhaust and this a modern monster that WILL drive on road and do some, albeit insane, miles!!
They took him to court accusing him of having a "cavalier attitude" so at the next hearing he rode there on a horse. He rebuilt it without the RR grille, it still runs to this day and both car and maker last time I checked, live in Spain. This is well publicised.
I believe the German police got upset because of the speed it was doing on the autobahn and sent Rolls-Royce a letter asking them please not to test the new cars on the autobahn
The Rolls-Royce car company was sold to Volkswagen Audi but now makes only Bentleys because the aero engine company still owned the name, which they sold to BMW. So it seems having a RR aero engine was not enough to allow him to use the RR grille and badge.
John Dodd, (R.I.P), was such a legend. Did what he wanted, when he wanted, and didn't care what any thought. I remember the first time I saw this car on t.v, when I was a kid back in the early eighties and thought it was the maddest, most magnificent car I'd ever seen. It was just typical of a pompous company like Rolls Royce to kick up such a stink over what was essentially just a purely British engineered bit of fun. Even though it was a hand built one off, with a bonafide RR engine under the hood, (and what an engine it was), Rolls Royce had to sulk! I mean who really cared? It wasn't as if any potential RR customer would think it was an actual model available to the public, unless they were really out of touch with reality! Although I still love "The Beast" in it's current configuration, I can't help but wish it had managed to remain in its original guise. Before the lawyers and a devastating fire changed it forever. I always thought it looked like a Capri that had spent far too long in the gym taking steroids.
I remember reading all about this in various custom car/hot rod magazines when I was a kid in the 70s. Amazing vehicle, but I still don't believe it ever reached 200mph....
@@MrRodBraga I don't know so much, it's a h*ll of a lot lighter than the tank the engine originally came out of, and with the right gearing it would barely be ticking over at 30-40 mph. Could be surprisingly efficient.
@@Jimbo8012 exactly what I was thinking. V12s drink fuel, old ones doing barely into double figures. This engine is older and 4+times the size! I think the guy was a bit of a BS artist as several of the things he said in this interview sounded far fetched to say the least. Insane car though, I don't understand why he feels he needs to BS as just the truth is plenty incredible.
I remember when they first started reporting on this car back in the early 70s . If I remember rightly to stop the engine over revving it was controlled by a centurion tank governor ! There was a report about it on the radio and the reporter got in the car with him and he said okay well let’s go , So they started off as the reporter starts calling out the speed in very rapid style 10 ,20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70 we’re doing 70 miles an hour what gear are we in . The reply “ reverse”
Centurions used a Meteor (essentially the same engine as that) so it's not too surprising on that end The speed is insane, surprised he didn't have multiple reverse gears for that
I'm trying to recognise the bits taken from other cars, so far, all I've got are Cortina MkIII front indicators, Capri B-pillar, rear wings & windows. The rear lights remind me of the old Z Datsuns, but can't be if he went with all British parts. Oh, and the Lucas fog lamps, but then, who _didn't_ have Lucas fog lamps in the 1970s? lol
It's a meteor engine out of a tank. A downrated development of the Merlin probably good for 600-800 hp. Hate to think of the mpg, but his quoted figure would be good for a V-12jag, let alone this beast. In a tank, lugging around all that armour it would be more a case of gallons per mile than mpg ! I think I read of this car being destroyed in a fire, and also RR going to court to stop their brand name being used. Still full credit to the mad lad for building it.
This registration is still showing as a Rolls Royce, its last MOT was 6/03/18 at 9,689 miles. Says its MOT is expired but it’d be exempt now as was registered over 50 years ago on 10/03/72. Not showing as insured though.
@@Hamtheman88 . It would be nice to see it out on the road. It would be worth a pretty penny now. Those motors are rare. What site do you go on to get the information on her. Thank you
“Cruise at 200mph” It looks like it would fall apart at 100mph I think the “Rolls” bit is the amount of body roll. As for true British grit, he’s a legend 🇬🇧🇬🇧
Can't attest to the actual speed of John Dodd's 'The beast' but back in the late 70's (when the M1 was a relatively quiet motorway) myself and several buddies were en-route heading northbound from London early on a saturday or sunday morning heading to Santa Pod to watch one of the major drag racing events. The old Ford Galaxie we were travelling had broken down on the hard shoulder with fueling issues.I had my head in the engine fiddling with the carb when I heard the loud roaring sound of his car obviously running at very high speed. I stood-up to see the John Dodd's Beast hammering past in the outside lane travelling extremely fast. Don't know what the speed was but there was a mix of about 7 or 8 cars (also presumably on the way to Santa Pod), including Corvettes, Camaros, E Types and other American muscle cars obviously 'up' for a chase all trailing the 'beast' a significant way behind.......none of the cars seemed capable of keeping up !
I replied to a comment saying that John does still have the car in Spain and still drives it occasionally but thought to put it out in an open comment. He had it out for a run yesterday or the day before. It is soon to be offered for sale. John is now 90 and finding it quite difficult to drive it now.
John Dodds had the speedo calibrated to show 200mph when it was doing 150mph, he was a gearbox specialist (he rebuilt my fathers old jenson interceptor back in the early 1980's And the fibreglass body work was done by FGR a company owned by Bob Phelps who also happened to own Santa pod at the time.
I used to see this driving around fairly often as a kid near Cheam. It wasn’t great looking then either, although I think I prefer the capri version to the later cream 8 headlight version! Either way, more interesting and fun than a Tesla!
According to wikipedia this is a "Rolls-Royce Meteor (often mistakenly described as a Merlin) engine", so a tank engine rather than one for a Spitfire. But apparently the Meteor was developed as an offshoot of the Merlin so I guess it's close enough. This also explains the lack of supercharger and the ability to use lower grade fuel.
Also many parts were used from Merlins once their flying hours had been used up !! Tis better to have a crankshaft failure 2 feet above the ground rather than 12000 ft !!!!
I did wonder about using lower-grade fuel. I'm not an expert, but it wasn't my understanding that most airplane engines were happy with it (except for Russian planes).
What a clever bloke. I actually saw this car in the flesh, driving over the north Cheam traffic lights (near Epsom) in 1982 ish. Pretty sure it was beige though. I’ve also got street machine magazine with it on the front cover, May 1981.
I used to see it around in South London.It was painted yellow then and he has to remove the flying lady mascot.Rolls didn't like it.The engine was actually sourced from a tank not an airplane.
I was compere at the National Hot Rod and car club show at Doncaster racecourse in the 90s. This car was there. The RR company DID take a view and it became only branded as The Beast. But it was pure showmanship and the braggadocio was just slightly insulting. This could so easily have been tested and filmed...but 200mph? Yep.. I'm skinny...
As for the 200 MPH claim, I don't know if it was ever recorded but it would absolutely be possible. It is not about the 700 BHP, it's about the enormous torque an engine of this size automatically produces. As long as you keep feeding it gears it will go faster and faster and its maximum would be way in excess of 200MPH. My racing sedan has 610 BHP and can exceed 300KPH which is close to 200MPH. Given a longer straight I'm confident it would easily exceed 200MPH. Obviously my car is very much lighter, but weight plays no part in maximum speed - only acceleration. Aero ( drag ) is the limiting factor in speed and rises exponentially from around 300 KPH. Again of course it's torque that pushes through it. So, as I say don't know if the car has been clocked at 200 MPH, but it certainly has that potential and more.
@@SalveMonesvol You, my friend are talking nonsense. Most people don't " understand power and torque " and you are clearly among them. MY description of drag is a simplified fundamental statement and the approximate 300KPH where it rises exponentially is completely correct. Show me how it is " partially wrong " Are you just a kid perhaps ?
@@chasermalloy7406 Event though I see how what I stated wasn't pleasing to hear, notice I didn't make it personal. POWER required to overcome Drag increases with the cube of speed, no matter if it's at 100km/h or 300 km/h. This only changes when approaching transsonic speeds. You only notice it more at high speeds because rolling ressistance and other losses that increase mostly linearly with speed become negligible with respect to air ressistance. Regarding torque, it's irrelevant. The important factors here are power and transmission loss. For the sake of argument, let's assume no transmission losses. You could have an engine with infinite torque and 10HP, as long as it's also turning infinitely slow. You could also take a motor with almost no torque and get an output of as much torque as the mechanism can take using harmonic drives, screws or a series of gears. Torque. Is. Irrelevant. But if you want to take into account, this would be why we talk about it: Do you know why truck engines have a lot of torque? Just because of efficiency. Large diesel engines can achieve higher thermal efficiencies, and they need less gearing than a small high rpm engine, which is more efficient. For high speed applications, you would have the inverse problem. A car with an engine with 2000NM at 1.000 rpm would need lots of gearing to reach high speeds. The closer you are to direct drive, the better (efficiency wise). Probably you already knew many things I said here, but this way it will be more usefull for anybody who finds it. I hope you just got mixed up. Maybe you have hands on knowledge and just never did calculations on aerodynamic ressistance... which result in a force (that needs to be equal to wheel torque) at a certain speed... and speed is distance over time... so force times distance is work... and work over time is... exactly, power.
@@SalveMonesvol " Not pleasing to hear " ? I'm not displeased, I'm just amused. And I didn't make it personal at all. I merely asked if you were a kid. I notice you chose not to answer that so I'll draw the obvious conclusion. So, all of your straight from textbook comments do not contradict my post. Your suggestion that torque is irrelevant isn't even worth responding to particularly as applied to this car. You can be assured that for road vehicle speed purposes the aerodynamics always hit a critical wall at around 300kph for most conventionally styles sedans. So copying stuff out of a book doesn't prove you understand it or know how it applies to every situation.
@@chasermalloy7406 Firstly, I don't provide personal information to randoms on the internet. Now, did I have to read textbooks? Plenty. You are not following a logical path to defend anything you have stated. There's no magical 300 km/h wall. to go from 200km/h to 250km/h you will need roughly 2X the power. to go from 400 to 500 you will also need 2X the power. Of course you would also have to add rolling resistance and gearing losses, but that shouldn't make a big difference. Now, regarding your bs about torque: " It is not about the 700 BHP, it's about the enormous torque an engine of this size automatically produces. As long as you keep feeding it gears it will go faster and faster and its maximum would be way in excess of 200MPH" It IS about the power. The only important metric to reach high speeds is POWER to the wheels. It's irrelevant if the engine is making 100NM or 1.000.000 NM as long as it's making the same power to the wheels. You imagine torque the same way most kids do before they get proper physics education. Like a mystical force that keeps pushing as long as you keep the engine at peak torque. Maybe no ammount of explanation will be enough for you. You don't think in an orderly manner. In which case, I guess you will attempt to put me down in your next comment while also skipping any attempt to make your previous BS seel logical. If that is so, just save it and keep thinking the same way you did up to now. Make sure to be outspoken about it, make a fool of yourself. Yes, I made it personal there. You are a lost case.
I wish when he re did the body years later he kept this original body style The original body of this car is quite sexy & sporty compared to the later body style Hats off to this splendid chap indeed!
Wow, this is simply incredible. It's all quite awesome, except as an American I must point out that you've put the steering wheel on the wong side, lol. Kudos on a great build!
I have seen other videos and articles about this unique custom made car with a 27 liter Rolls-Royce Airplane engine. I also read that John Dodd was taken to court by Rolls-Royce car company for calling this a Rolls-Royce and using the Rolls-Royce grill and Spirit of Ecstasy. On one of the latest videos about this car, this car was up for auction, painted a different color and no Rolls-Royce grill and no Spirit of Ecstasy.
@@DjNikGnashers Countach has the aerodynamics of a brick they used string to and a drive round the block make changes to the body shape (it has the same drag coefficient as a plymouth duster!!!), yes slightly better than this but not by much despite the looks and I think double the power would more than make up for the extra weight and worse aero.
@@fingmoron If you think that the Countach had the aerodynamics of a brick, you really need to have a word with yourself son, This beast Rolls has a flat front, and an upright windscreen, the Countach is going to be a LOT more aerodynamic. Oh, I work in the motor industry btw, and until I see the beast doing 200mph I call BS, because it has never gone that fast, and that speed is only estimated. 160mph max and that is giving it the benefit of the doubt.
My mates truck has about 1800bhp but it doesn't go 200mph, pmsl, you dig son ? The Countach had a 0.42 drag coefficient, which was pretty good for it's time, I'd love to see what the beast drag coefficient is lol probably 0.70 hahah ....
John Dodd's Beast was far more beautiful before RR made him rebody it. This original iteration of it is certainly the greatest form it has ever appeared in.
FYI, this car is still out there. It’s on the database as a beige 27000cc (yes twenty-seven.) Rolls Royce with no model. It had an MOT in 2017 and had 9,689 miles on the clock then…
What an absolutely hideous monstrosity!, by today’s standards (or even the standards of that era!)…. But an awesome testament to good old fashioned British engineering, ‘garden shed’ innovations and brilliantly nostalgic sense of just tinkering for the sake of what you love doing! 🙏🏼🏆🎰🎯
'What an absolutely hideous monstrosity' is literally the exact words your mother uttered when she realized that your rolled right out of her wobbly hole
In my youth I worked as a cashier in yorkshireesizer sauce lane - One time this car drive by and I was just able to touch the air from the rear tires with my buttocks. I have been blessed form that day onward.
Can you upload HangaRRR 17 the complete series.With grandmothers.With the grandmothers corolla forfeits.Uncut.30 minutes.ALL 32 episodes.PLease Paul Leyshon?.
![[Gegagedigedagedago] NEW Help Gegagedigedagedago Nugget escape from Nikocado Avocado Challenge](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/hJWnwRC2Fz8/mqdefault.jpg)
200mph with early 70's tyres and brakes. True British nutter , makes you proud.
Yes,it does
I'm going to say "claimed" 200mph, is there any proof it actually did it?
@@eyesodd Not as far as I'm aware , but let's not let that get in the way of a good story !😂😂
@@Doug791 Of course not 😄.
He was clearly a bit of a BS'er, not only claiming it would get to 200mph, but that was "cruising" 😂
Either way you've got to admire him for creating it regardless.
@@eyesodd If you couldn’t make a 700hp car go 200mph…
As an American , this is the most British thing iv'e ever seen.
You bring a tear to a American gearhead's eye. Cheers ;)
Just the thought of 200 MpH on Bias Ply tires , this man needs a bigger car to carry around his balls !
Look up the Michigan Mad man, EJ Potter, he was installing Alison V12's into cars in the early 60's. His first was his dads Mopar,with a marine gear box .....Before that he built Harleys with Chev V8's. America has a few eccentrics too.
Have you never seen a black cab or a double-decker bus
@@Mercmad I knew him; he was a fascinating guy. Brilliant mind, very talented. He used to race his motorcycle a couple miles away from my home when I was little.
You should of seen Jimmy Savile
He had the Royals secrets and had sex with kids and got away with it
That’s the most British thing
In my distant youth I was at a petrol station near Croydon putting a few pints of 4-star into my Fiat 850 when this thing pulled in, bringing proceedings to a standstill. Mr. Dodd got out and undid a bonnet clip and then went to do the other one. He eventually arrived and opened up the bonnet. My amazement turned to shock when he told me that the massive engine was a 27 litre V12. What a fantastic machine. What a great man for building it.
This film appearing has made my day, thank you to whoever dug it out.
B.S
Fantastic? Yes, but only in the sense that almost every single thing he claimed about it, was the product of his imagination.
This vehicle's capabilities weren't his only fantasies. That he thought _other_ people really would fall for his manifestly ridiculous claims, is as just as tragic. 😆
I really admire guys like this who can create things like this.
In the 70's in my teens, JD lived opposite my mates house in Links Road Epsom. The garage door couldn't close as the beast was too long to fit in. You just saw all the exhaust pipes sticking out. The garage was down an incline, and he always said it was terrifying getting it out. It did 70mph in reverse and to gingerly back out onto the road was nearly impossible without shooting across the road into the neighbours garden.
I too saw it at Santa Pod. I remember the bodywork of the bonnet distorting as it accelerated down the strip. The noise it made was awesome...
Wow so fascinating! Do you know anything about the owner and the car now?
A beast
@@44magnum73 The car passed down to his son. I believe it retired to Spain with the owner. I have seen a few tv items about it since the bonnet was lost in a fire. The remake has a different design which I don't feel is a stylish.
Having been around the car, I felt that the interior was almost wholly Ford Capri, maybe the 3 litre GT which was a very popular performance car at the time. A few additional buttons, but definitely could not be mistaken for Rolls Royce.
At the time, everyone marveled at his skills in marrying the automatic gearbox. It was after all his business (gearboxes), and this car was the greatest advert for that.
Interestingly the houses were about 500yds from the home of James Hunt.
@@gkkes I saw a video of it recently and it has a horrible front design and the engine sounds sickly.
'70s **
This was a big topic of conversation during my mechanical engineering apprenticeship days in the 70's, but I think this is the first time I've actually seen it in a video. Apparently, John Dodd was an automatic transmission specialist. It needed a lot of know-how to deliver all that power from the Merlin engine to the rear wheels.
Isn't he the guy that would travel the world fixing problems with GM autos? Turbo 400, and T/H 350s.
@@moyadapne968 He's also the guy that RR took to the cleaners
@@sichere The outcome was as follows; "Ultimately, Dodd - who provocatively wore a sweater with the interlocking Rs emblem to court - lost the case and, as a result of his animated ‘interjections’ during the proceedings, was relieved of his house and numerous other possessions, including a twin-engined aeroplane, for Contempt of Court."
@@jocramkrispy305 yep, I misread the comment. Immediate 🤦♂️
@@sichere apologies I misread your comment you were perfectly correct. I’ll try and be more circumspect in future and learn to read properly.
His shock when he was told it had 700 horsepower was priceless.
He seemed shook, like he'd just been told a world war had broken out or something. 😂
No it wasn't. You really think he had no idea leading up to that?
This was broadcast in 1974. I'm not surprised he was shocked, especially while still trying to process an airplane engine in a car. If my mate pulled up in his new car, opened the bonnet and showed me his nuclear powered car and announced it has 5,000 horsepower I would probably have the same reaction today.
@@gottliebdee263 He seemed genuinely surprised that it was an aircraft engine after all. If he really didn't know about anything other than car engines, 700bhp was off the charts back then. The 'normal' Rolls-Royces had about 260 I believe, and even Astons and suchlike were only in the 300s...
Yeah, when you consider that in Britain in the 70s, anything over 100 was considered decently powerful, 700 would have been pretty insane.
The irony was that it was seemingly downrated from the original which would have been well into 4 figures, presumably to preserve whatever transmission he could get hold of...
A few of us were fortunate to run E types back in the day. A friend of mine had a series 1 and came across John Dodd going in the other direction. In his rear view mirror he saw Dodd do a U turn, catch up and promptly blow him away. Those were the days!
Looks like a Roller had intimate relations with a Ford Capri... naughty Roller Bad Roller.
😁
Almost exactly what I thought 😂
Who did who? 🤣🤣
Cross breeding can create some beastly things ! 😎
A Capri certainly made a donation here for sure! It`s now a convertable Capri !
I've been looking for footage of John Dodds' Beast in its original incarnation for years! This must have been before the law suit with R-R in which he was accused of having a "cavalier attitude" after driving the car to court so he turned up the following day on a white horse! Pity this body was destroyed by fire, but great that the car is still in his (or his family's) ownership.
wasnt he forced to rename it the john dodd special after rr sued him?
not many videos still exist of the first body i first saw the beast at belle view car show back in the 70s, and then at doncaster show 20 years later with the new body ,love it !!!!!!!
Yes, it's still in his ownership in Spain. He had it out for a run two days ago.
@@chasermalloy7406 what a joy to know that he still lives and enjoys driving the beast.
I met John Dodds on many occasions when I worked at a garage in Brockley S.E.London in the 60’s. We used to meet in the local cafe and he would always have stories of his car escapades to share with us .I was 21, and probably in awe of his stories regarding the cars he repaired.
From memory he also flew from Biggin Hill often collecting parts from Europe to repair the auto gearboxes he specialised in.
Thanks BBC for memories from my past !
suzanne soosie dod, is i think his daughters channel she films him in his eighties driving the beast, its a station wagon this time.
Saw JD running this at Santa Pod in the early 70s. It used to squat down on its haunches at launch with the RR grille high in the air. There was loads of wheelspin, clouds of black smoke and that unmistakable 'merlin' warble. Memorable fun. I think he was aiming for a 10 second run but didn't quite make it. It certainly was fast though and just looked unique with that huge bonnet, tiny cabin and multiple exhausts (not fake ones). After it was lost in a fire, the replacement was named 'Beast' which visually didn't look anywhere near as good to my eyes.
even if he was running 11's back in those days, thats extremely fast!!.
I also saw it at Santa Pod. I assume it was at the same meeting. Windscreen out of a jensen and rear window out of a 3 wheel Reliant if I remember correctly.
Wasn’t running anywhere near 10’s in later years, was at the pod a few times early 2000’s.
What a cool great man john was. RIP beautiful soul. You were a great eccentric british genius who is a true legend.
so glad to have found this. It really was in the Guinness Book of Records back in the day. Wish Id now it was in Malaga last time I was there. RIP John, a true British eccentric
Americans : "WE HAVE MUSCLE CARS WITH V8 AND MUCH DISPLACEMENT"
John Dodd : "Hold my pint, will you dear"
£12,000 in 1974 is equivalent to £133,258.02 today. Lot of money for a self built car.
He was offered £54k for it which is nearly £600k today.
Interesting fact.
I mean, you could've left the 2 pence off the end and it would've still been as impressive. 🤣
He was offered that by an American, but its souly British and he intends to keep it that way 😃
@@alexg1778 🤣🤣👍
I lived round the corner from the owners house in the 70's. My Dad bought the family home in 71 for £12k. They are about a million today.
I remember reading about this car in the early '70s, in Motor Trend magazine, I believe. I haven't seen or heard anything about it until this video. Great job.
Thanks for the memories.
John Dodd is a legend. A man who drove this right up to his recent sad demise at 89yrs old. An all British car made a patriot who went and stayed in Spain after Rolls Royce made the ludicrously short sighted decision to take him to court and make him take the RR grill off the car...
But John certainly wasn't shy of flying down the road in this Beast. It did plenty of miles, particularly on the autobahn.
On modern tyres, power steering, modern front shocks to go with new rear axle/shocks its just had, a Holey electrical wizard pack wired in to simplify and tune the whole fuel intake (like we see constantly on the old V8's and old engines of yesteryear which appear on drag strips, car shows and just doing the miles using Holey carbs) and maybe a reworked exhaust and this a modern monster that WILL drive on road and do some, albeit insane, miles!!
Just seeing a young john.. proud of the car he built... made the whole vid worthwhile..
Wow I’ve never seen footage of The Beast with it’s original body before, only blurry photos. Thank you BBC!
Thanks for bringing these little snippets of history to our attention!
Fantastic bit of kit, what a brilliant project it was, would love to see someone build a modern one.
1:34 I wonder if Rolls ever did comment on it?
They took him to court accusing him of having a "cavalier attitude" so at the next hearing he rode there on a horse.
He rebuilt it without the RR grille, it still runs to this day and both car and maker last time I checked, live in Spain.
This is well publicised.
@@BaddaBigBoom Legend 🤣
I believe the German police got upset because of the speed it was doing on the autobahn and sent Rolls-Royce a letter asking them please not to test the new cars on the autobahn
@@steveosborne2297 ahh right 😃
The Rolls-Royce car company was sold to Volkswagen Audi but now makes only Bentleys because the aero engine company still owned the name, which they sold to BMW. So it seems having a RR aero engine was not enough to allow him to use the RR grille and badge.
I once travelled with this guy. We stopped to fill up, and he had to turn off the idling engine to keep pace with the fuel pump.
That take-off was sublime
She has a little understeer, he almost t-boned that little Mustang 2.
@@rancon265 Yeah! Though the other car was a mk1 Capri
Towards the end of his life this dude kept this car in the Costa del Sol where I lived. There used to be vids of it driving on my local highway
" Towards the end of his life " ? He had the car out for a run there yesterday.
John Dodd, proud eccentric Englishman. Never - not once - a "dude".
Are we clear?
Great engineer, great vehicle, inspirational, well ahead of his time.
A quick check and this car still exists and is taxed and on the road today! Amazing.
John Dodd, (R.I.P), was such a legend. Did what he wanted, when he wanted, and didn't care what any thought. I remember the first time I saw this car on t.v, when I was a kid back in the early eighties and thought it was the maddest, most magnificent car I'd ever seen. It was just typical of a pompous company like Rolls Royce to kick up such a stink over what was essentially just a purely British engineered bit of fun. Even though it was a hand built one off, with a bonafide RR engine under the hood, (and what an engine it was), Rolls Royce had to sulk! I mean who really cared? It wasn't as if any potential RR customer would think it was an actual model available to the public, unless they were really out of touch with reality! Although I still love "The Beast" in it's current configuration, I can't help but wish it had managed to remain in its original guise. Before the lawyers and a devastating fire changed it forever. I always thought it looked like a Capri that had spent far too long in the gym taking steroids.
Thanks for posting. I read about this in 'Speed and Power' magazine in the 1970s.
What a fantastic guy and car.
I remember reading all about this in various custom car/hot rod magazines when I was a kid in the 70s. Amazing vehicle, but I still don't believe it ever reached 200mph....
neither do I, tyres not rated to that for a start
Worse than that is the consumption figures… 27 liter, v12, Merlin engine, 12/13 mpg???? No way
@@MrRodBraga I don't know so much, it's a h*ll of a lot lighter than the tank the engine originally came out of, and with the right gearing it would barely be ticking over at 30-40 mph. Could be surprisingly efficient.
@@MrRodBraga - Yeah, I'd be surprised if it did more than 5 mpg tbh.
@@Jimbo8012 exactly what I was thinking. V12s drink fuel, old ones doing barely into double figures. This engine is older and 4+times the size! I think the guy was a bit of a BS artist as several of the things he said in this interview sounded far fetched to say the least. Insane car though, I don't understand why he feels he needs to BS as just the truth is plenty incredible.
Even Alan Milyard would be proud to own that monstrosity.
It still looks amazing to me.
I remember when they first started reporting on this car back in the early 70s . If I remember rightly to stop the engine over revving it was controlled by a centurion tank governor !
There was a report about it on the radio and the reporter got in the car with him and he said okay well let’s go , So they started off as the reporter starts calling out the speed in very rapid style 10 ,20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70 we’re doing 70 miles an hour what gear are we in .
The reply “ reverse”
Centurions used a Meteor (essentially the same engine as that) so it's not too surprising on that end
The speed is insane, surprised he didn't have multiple reverse gears for that
...it was controlled by a centurion tank governor !?
Thanks, squire!
I'm trying to recognise the bits taken from other cars, so far, all I've got are Cortina MkIII front indicators, Capri B-pillar, rear wings & windows. The rear lights remind me of the old Z Datsuns, but can't be if he went with all British parts. Oh, and the Lucas fog lamps, but then, who _didn't_ have Lucas fog lamps in the 1970s? lol
I think the body was built by a company called FGR, (fibre glass repairs)
It's a meteor engine out of a tank.
A downrated development of the Merlin probably good for 600-800 hp.
Hate to think of the mpg, but his quoted figure would be good for a V-12jag, let alone this beast.
In a tank, lugging around all that armour it would be more a case of gallons per mile than mpg !
I think I read of this car being destroyed in a fire, and also RR going to court to stop their brand name being used.
Still full credit to the mad lad for building it.
This registration is still showing as a Rolls Royce, its last MOT was 6/03/18 at 9,689 miles. Says its MOT is expired but it’d be exempt now as was registered over 50 years ago on 10/03/72. Not showing as insured though.
Hopefully it's in someone's barn
The same guy still owns it, pretty remarkable really.
@@Hamtheman88 . It would be nice to see it out on the road. It would be worth a pretty penny now. Those motors are rare. What site do you go on to get the information on her. Thank you
Jay Leno would love to buy it today!
@@fidelcatsro6948 me to. A real eye turner. Rolling in the roller.
“Cruise at 200mph”
It looks like it would fall apart at 100mph
I think the “Rolls” bit is the amount of body roll.
As for true British grit, he’s a legend 🇬🇧🇬🇧
🤣🤣 nice one
Not much sense in what you say. Seen the chassis construction ?
Can't attest to the actual speed of John Dodd's 'The beast' but back in the late 70's (when the M1 was a relatively quiet motorway) myself and several buddies were en-route heading northbound from London early on a saturday or sunday morning heading to Santa Pod to watch one of the major drag racing events. The old Ford Galaxie we were travelling had broken down on the hard shoulder with fueling issues.I had my head in the engine fiddling with the carb when I heard the loud roaring sound of his car obviously running at very high speed. I stood-up to see the John Dodd's Beast hammering past in the outside lane travelling extremely fast. Don't know what the speed was but there was a mix of about 7 or 8 cars (also presumably on the way to Santa Pod), including Corvettes, Camaros, E Types and other American muscle cars obviously 'up' for a chase all trailing the 'beast' a significant way behind.......none of the cars seemed capable of keeping up !
I love this gentleman. "There's plenty of fast cars out there, but none of them are British so I'll my own." Absolutely unique individual.
Simply wonderful!
Absolutely mad design, i love it.
I replied to a comment saying that John does still have the car in Spain and still drives it occasionally but thought to put it out in an open comment. He had it out for a run yesterday or the day before. It is soon to be offered for sale. John is now 90 and finding it quite difficult to drive it now.
I remember reading about that as a kid in the 70’s.
A uniquely English muscle car, beautiful.
John Dodds had the speedo calibrated to show 200mph when it was doing 150mph, he was a gearbox specialist (he rebuilt my fathers old jenson interceptor back in the early 1980's
And the fibreglass body work was done by FGR a company owned by Bob Phelps who also happened to own Santa pod at the time.
"John Dodds had the speedo calibrated to show 200mph when it was doing 150mph" - was he really such a shallow cheat?
@@LaurieWilliams-lk8fc No, it really was faster than a Veyron. Hey, I've got a London Bridge for sale.
@@moyadapne968 "Hey, I've got a London Bridge for sale."
How about a quantity discount?
Would you sell me 2 for the price of 3?
I used to see this driving around fairly often as a kid near Cheam. It wasn’t great looking then either, although I think I prefer the capri version to the later cream 8 headlight version! Either way, more interesting and fun than a Tesla!
I saw it in Krispy Kreme drive thru in New Malden. This version is definitely better looking....... But the noise is unreal
@@StoffelDilligas ah, New Malden, I remember it fondly. I went to Malden Manor junior school.
Beautiful styling!!
According to wikipedia this is a "Rolls-Royce Meteor (often mistakenly described as a Merlin) engine", so a tank engine rather than one for a Spitfire. But apparently the Meteor was developed as an offshoot of the Merlin so I guess it's close enough. This also explains the lack of supercharger and the ability to use lower grade fuel.
Yes, Merlin is supercharged and runs avgas (100 octane). Meteor is NA and can run on then pool petrol (74 octane).
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolls-Royce_Merlin_alternative_uses#The_Beast
Also many parts were used from Merlins once their flying hours had been used up !! Tis better to have a crankshaft failure 2 feet above the ground rather than 12000 ft !!!!
I did wonder about using lower-grade fuel. I'm not an expert, but it wasn't my understanding that most airplane engines were happy with it (except for Russian planes).
He did say the charger had been removed.
Love the way the reporter looks at him when he tell him the Horse power.
Wow! What a build
Well done that man
"Oh it's an aircraft engine"
*sensible chuckle*
The way it pulled away! Haha
I remember this car when I was a kid in the 70s....If Iam right it was in the Guinness book of records too
What a clever bloke.
I actually saw this car in the flesh, driving over the north Cheam traffic lights (near Epsom) in 1982 ish. Pretty sure it was beige though. I’ve also got street machine magazine with it on the front cover, May 1981.
After a fire, it was rebuilt with new bodywork in beige.
That Rolls Royce grill cost him a fortune in lawsuits. I don't know why RR was so stuffy about it. After all, that Merlin engine IS by Rolls Royce!
Love the 'Can do' attitude all those years ago.
With that size car and 70’s tech/tires it would be a cold day in hell I’d try to top 120 mph.
Typical weekend driver at the end in an Anglia Estate lol 😂 😂 I went to school in Epsom back in the 70's and used to see her lol 😂😂
13 to 14 mpg. Thats amazing for a 12 cylinder. There were 6 cylinders here that had poorer gas mileage
I think UK gallon is about 20% more than a US one
Got to love these eccentrics
Wouldn't want to be in the car at 200mph though
Absolute monster machine
The cops in Germany said it was too fast for their radar detectors. Those in the 70s. Top speed if I remember was something like 426 kph.
I used to see it around in South London.It was painted yellow then and he has to remove the flying lady mascot.Rolls didn't like it.The engine was actually sourced from a tank not an airplane.
Centurion tank isn't it and made like 650 hp not 700. Also a meteor engine not a Merlin engine if I'm not mistaken
"What kind of horsepower does it have?"
"Adequate."
Seeing the reporters face when he mentioned 700 hp at the flywheel & a cruising speed of 200 mph… I think it sounds & looks the NUTS!
Amazing build even till today
Reminds me of the Stutz Blackhawk model n America. Beautiful!
"Oh it's an Aircraft Engine, ahaha"
Wow 1st thing I've watched by the BBC since covid..
congratulations!
This was the pre-woke era when you could trust the BBC and they didn't lie through their teeth about everything.
I was compere at the National Hot Rod and car club show at Doncaster racecourse in the 90s. This car was there. The RR company DID take a view and it became only branded as The Beast. But it was pure showmanship and the braggadocio was just slightly insulting. This could so easily have been tested and filmed...but 200mph? Yep.. I'm skinny...
Is this at still around somewhere?
Yes its up for sale now 11 /03 /2023 Silverstone car auctions
As for the 200 MPH claim, I don't know if it was ever recorded but it would absolutely be possible. It is not about the 700 BHP, it's about the enormous torque an engine of this size automatically produces. As long as you keep feeding it gears it will go faster and faster and its maximum would be way in excess of 200MPH. My racing sedan has 610 BHP and can exceed 300KPH which is close to 200MPH. Given a longer straight I'm confident it would easily exceed 200MPH. Obviously my car is very much lighter, but weight plays no part in maximum speed - only acceleration. Aero ( drag ) is the limiting factor in speed and rises exponentially from around 300 KPH. Again of course it's torque that pushes through it. So, as I say don't know if the car has been clocked at 200 MPH, but it certainly has that potential and more.
You don't understand power and torque. Your understanding of drag is partially wrong.
@@SalveMonesvol You, my friend are talking nonsense. Most people don't " understand power and torque " and you are clearly among them. MY description of drag is a simplified fundamental statement and the approximate 300KPH where it rises exponentially is completely correct. Show me how it is " partially wrong " Are you just a kid perhaps ?
@@chasermalloy7406 Event though I see how what I stated wasn't pleasing to hear, notice I didn't make it personal.
POWER required to overcome Drag increases with the cube of speed, no matter if it's at 100km/h or 300 km/h. This only changes when approaching transsonic speeds. You only notice it more at high speeds because rolling ressistance and other losses that increase mostly linearly with speed become negligible with respect to air ressistance.
Regarding torque, it's irrelevant. The important factors here are power and transmission loss.
For the sake of argument, let's assume no transmission losses. You could have an engine with infinite torque and 10HP, as long as it's also turning infinitely slow. You could also take a motor with almost no torque and get an output of as much torque as the mechanism can take using harmonic drives, screws or a series of gears.
Torque. Is. Irrelevant. But if you want to take into account, this would be why we talk about it:
Do you know why truck engines have a lot of torque? Just because of efficiency. Large diesel engines can achieve higher thermal efficiencies, and they need less gearing than a small high rpm engine, which is more efficient. For high speed applications, you would have the inverse problem. A car with an engine with 2000NM at 1.000 rpm would need lots of gearing to reach high speeds. The closer you are to direct drive, the better (efficiency wise).
Probably you already knew many things I said here, but this way it will be more usefull for anybody who finds it.
I hope you just got mixed up. Maybe you have hands on knowledge and just never did calculations on aerodynamic ressistance... which result in a force (that needs to be equal to wheel torque) at a certain speed... and speed is distance over time... so force times distance is work... and work over time is... exactly, power.
@@SalveMonesvol " Not pleasing to hear " ? I'm not displeased, I'm just amused. And I didn't make it personal at all. I merely asked if you were a kid. I notice you chose not to answer that so I'll draw the obvious conclusion. So, all of your straight from textbook comments do not contradict my post. Your suggestion that torque is irrelevant isn't even worth responding to particularly as applied to this car. You can be assured that for road vehicle speed purposes the aerodynamics always hit a critical wall at around 300kph for most conventionally styles sedans. So copying stuff out of a book doesn't prove you understand it or know how it applies to every situation.
@@chasermalloy7406 Firstly, I don't provide personal information to randoms on the internet.
Now, did I have to read textbooks? Plenty.
You are not following a logical path to defend anything you have stated.
There's no magical 300 km/h wall. to go from 200km/h to 250km/h you will need roughly 2X the power. to go from 400 to 500 you will also need 2X the power. Of course you would also have to add rolling resistance and gearing losses, but that shouldn't make a big difference.
Now, regarding your bs about torque:
" It is not about the 700 BHP, it's about the enormous torque an engine of this size automatically produces. As long as you keep feeding it gears it will go faster and faster and its maximum would be way in excess of 200MPH"
It IS about the power. The only important metric to reach high speeds is POWER to the wheels. It's irrelevant if the engine is making 100NM or 1.000.000 NM as long as it's making the same power to the wheels.
You imagine torque the same way most kids do before they get proper physics education. Like a mystical force that keeps pushing as long as you keep the engine at peak torque.
Maybe no ammount of explanation will be enough for you. You don't think in an orderly manner. In which case, I guess you will attempt to put me down in your next comment while also skipping any attempt to make your previous BS seel logical. If that is so, just save it and keep thinking the same way you did up to now. Make sure to be outspoken about it, make a fool of yourself. Yes, I made it personal there. You are a lost case.
I wish when he re did the body years later he kept this original body style The original body of this car is quite sexy & sporty compared to the later body style Hats off to this splendid chap indeed!
Wow, this is simply incredible. It's all quite awesome, except as an American I must point out that you've put the steering wheel on the wong side, lol. Kudos on a great build!
It's on the 'right' side, ha ha.
At least you could use your tools on it.
12mpg! My friend's jeep grand Cherokee gets the same! This thing looks like a lagonda in the front
Love it!, man in a shed/workshop.... Sadly not see the likes again!. Bril, I want one!. 🙂
I have seen other videos and articles about this unique custom made car with a 27 liter Rolls-Royce Airplane engine. I also read that John Dodd was taken to court by Rolls-Royce car company for calling this a Rolls-Royce and using the Rolls-Royce grill and Spirit of Ecstasy. On one of the latest videos about this car, this car was up for auction, painted a different color and no Rolls-Royce grill and no Spirit of Ecstasy.
1:43 i legit thought he picked the car up for a moment XD
I remember sering this as a kid at car shows neany years ago, last time I saw ut was at Doncaster custom car show and it was a light yellow
Brilliant piece of British engineering.
I doubt it would go over 160mph with those aerodynamics, but that is still bloody fast.
if a countach can go 180 I'm sure this could manage.
@@fingmoron Countach has much better aerodynamics, it's not really about power when you get to those speeds.
@@DjNikGnashers Countach has the aerodynamics of a brick they used string to and a drive round the block make changes to the body shape (it has the same drag coefficient as a plymouth duster!!!), yes slightly better than this but not by much despite the looks and I think double the power would more than make up for the extra weight and worse aero.
@@fingmoron If you think that the Countach had the aerodynamics of a brick, you really need to have a word with yourself son, This beast Rolls has a flat front, and an upright windscreen, the Countach is going to be a LOT more aerodynamic.
Oh, I work in the motor industry btw, and until I see the beast doing 200mph I call BS, because it has never gone that fast, and that speed is only estimated.
160mph max and that is giving it the benefit of the doubt.
My mates truck has about 1800bhp but it doesn't go 200mph, pmsl, you dig son ?
The Countach had a 0.42 drag coefficient, which was pretty good for it's time, I'd love to see what the beast drag coefficient is lol probably 0.70 hahah ....
Isn't that the car Homer Simpson designed?
Actually homer had a Pontiac GTO
it was designed by Appu actually..
Yes, you would need rack and peanut steering to cope with a heavy engine like that .
Lol
I’m a yank from across the pond but that’s wicked 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
13,14 MPG is pretty amazing though for something so massive.
Looks like an AMC Javelin with Rolls grill slapped on
I remember seeing this parked at Tattenham Corner shops during the 70s.
Amazing! 😍😍😍😍
John Dodd's Beast was far more beautiful before RR made him rebody it. This original iteration of it is certainly the greatest form it has ever appeared in.
A Rolls Royce on 5-Slots...🧐 Brilliant!
FYI, this car is still out there. It’s on the database as a beige 27000cc (yes twenty-seven.) Rolls Royce with no model. It had an MOT in 2017 and had 9,689 miles on the clock then…
Super Cool!
What an absolutely hideous monstrosity!, by today’s standards (or even the standards of that era!)…. But an awesome testament to good old fashioned British engineering, ‘garden shed’ innovations and brilliantly nostalgic sense of just tinkering for the sake of what you love doing! 🙏🏼🏆🎰🎯
'What an absolutely hideous monstrosity' is literally the exact words your mother uttered when she realized that your rolled right out of her wobbly hole
In my youth I worked as a cashier in yorkshireesizer sauce lane - One time this car drive by and I was just able to touch the air from the rear tires with my buttocks. I have been blessed form that day onward.
Wow. This is the ultimate car to have. 700 hp in 1974 and 60mph in less than 3 seconds...its fast by today's standards...🤣
and now in 2022 it has 70 bhp remaining and does 0 to 60 in 3 minutes.
@@Nine-Signs Prob more like 0 to 60 in 3 gallons.
@@mw8653 😂
That horsepower rating is probably before those log style exhaust manifolds were installed! Those things absolutely obliterate power! Torque is king!
I love the original body of the Beast.
Can you upload HangaRRR 17 the complete series.With grandmothers.With the grandmothers corolla forfeits.Uncut.30 minutes.ALL 32 episodes.PLease Paul Leyshon?.
What a machine !!
-Jeremy Clarkson
I love this car❤
R.I.P John Dodd
Engine is bigger than my new motor 🤣
This was on the road until from march '72 until '18, 46 years!