Custom-built car John Dodd beast features long hood
Meet the John Dodd ‘Beast’, a custom-built car with an oversized hood that extends more than half of the vehicle’s total length. Made in the UK in the early 1970s, the automobile is known for using an engine typically used for aircraft. The body, made from fiberglass, has a large and long hood with two doors and an extended section that makes it look like a station wagon. The hood, aside from its length, has air vents and a raised center section to make space for the large engine underneath, which is the 27-liter Rolls-Royce Merlin V12 engine originally used in World War II aircraft. The bonnet also has several openings and scoops, likely for cooling such an engine.
The sides of the car feature wide, smooth panels with three mesh-covered air vents behind the front wheel arch that help with air circulation, and the door handles are chrome and positioned horizontally, similar to those used on cars from the 1970s. The roof has a large rectangular sunroof, and the windows are flat and wide, with thin pillars that give a clear view from inside. The rear of the car extends into a long cargo area, the rear window is large and angled to meet the roofline; and the rear bumper is simple, with two chrome exhaust tips visible underneath. The rims appear to be polished aluminum, giving them a reflective finish, and the car sits low to the ground, emphasizing its heavy proportions. The color of this custom-built car, the John Dodd Beast, is two-tone metallic grey, with lighter and darker shades dividing the body horizontally to give contrast between the upper and lower parts of the vehicle.
all images courtesy of Historics Auctioneers
19-foot-long vehicle body made with fiberglass
Going through the custom-built car’s history, set for a new owner through the auctioneer Historics, the John Dodd Beast was made in Britain in the early 1970s. Its story begins in the late 1960s with engineer Paul Jameson, who first built a special chassis to hold a Rolls-Royce Meteor tank engine (the Meteor engine was a smaller version of the Rolls-Royce Merlin engine used in World War II airplanes). John Dodd, a transmission specialist, later joined the project upon seeing the potential in Jameson’s work, and decided to take it further by rebuilding the car after a fire destroyed the original version. The new version, completed in 1972, became known as The Beast, used a full-size Rolls-Royce Merlin V12 engine, the same engine used in the Supermarine Spitfire and Avro Lancaster aircraft.
The engine had a capacity of 27 liters, which made it much larger than any standard car engine, and to make the engine work for road use, the designer made his own automatic transmission system to handle the very high torque of the Merlin engine, which normal gearboxes could not manage. The body of the car was made by a company called Fiber Glass Repairs in Bromley, England, using fiberglass, and the car was about 19 feet long, originally bearing a Rolls-Royce grille and the Spirit of Ecstasy ornament on the front. Inside, the John Dodd Beast custom-built car featured leather and walnut wood veneer.
meet the John Dodd ‘Beast’, a custom-built car with an oversized hood
Personalized model displays frame wrapped in metallic gray
After some legal disputes with Rolls-Royce over the use of their name and logo, John Dodd removed the Rolls-Royce grill from the custom-built car Beast and replaced it with a custom front design. Later, he moved to Spain and took the Beast with him, and the car became well-known in the Malaga area because of its loud Merlin V12 engine. Despite the size and power of the car, it used independent suspension and disc brakes on all four wheels. These features made it easier to handle and stop, which was important for safety given the engine’s strength.
Over the years, the Beast has remained operational. The car’s engineering shows careful balancing between mechanical complexity and drivability. Although it was demanding to drive, it could still be used on public roads. In recent years, the car received updates under a new owner. Its body has been wrapped in metallic grey film, a removable layer that protects the original yellow paint underneath. The wrap was chosen instead of repainting so the new color can be changed back easily. The interior has also been restored, including new upholstery to replace the worn leather. The restoration work aimed to keep the car functional and clean without changing its original structure. On November 29th, 2025, through Historics Auctioneer, a new owner could possess the custom-built car Beast.
the hood extends more than half of the vehicle’s total length
the extended section makes the vehicle look like a station wagon
the roof has a large rectangular sunroof
the automobile is known for using an engine typically used for aircraft
view of the interiors
the cabin features leather and walnut wood veneer
view of the steering wheel
the model is set to have a new owner through auctioneer Historics
project info:
name: 1972 John Dodd ‘Beast’
company: Historics | @historicsauctions
listing: here
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