When I first came across the story of the car known simply as The Beast, crafted by British engineer John Dodd, I was reminded of those wild, boundary-pushing machines you’d expect in vintage concept renderings. Except this one was real. Dodd, a gearbox specialist, wasn’t dreaming of design for design’s sake; he was building a functioning road-legal car that defied logic and convention. Built in 1972, The Beast is a one-off shooting-brake style creation, nearly 19 feet long (about 5.8 m), powered by a 27-liter (1,650 cu-in) Rolls‑Royce Merlin V12 aero engine, the same type that powered the Supermarine Spitfire and Lancaster bomber in WWII.
Dodd’s journey began when engineer Paul Jameson created a chassis to house a Rolls-Royce Meteor tank engine in the late 1960s. When that project stalled, Dodd took over, rebuilt it after a fire destroyed the first version, and stepped up the ante by installing the Merlin V12. To handle the immense torque from the engine, Dodd engineered a bespoke transmission, adapting a heavy-duty automatic gearbox. The bodywork, by Fiber Glass Repairs of Bromley, blends the length of a dragster nose with the profile of a grand touring estate. Inside, Dodd did not neglect refinement: leather upholstery, walnut veneer, and an interior that belies the car’s wild intent.
Designer: John Dodd
Performance figures are largely anecdotal (since formal dyno tests are lacking), but contemporaneous reports estimate output between 750-850 horsepower, with claims of over 183 mph achieved on the German Autobahn. What truly matters is the ambition: a road-going car using an aeroplane engine, built by a private engineer in Britain. Although it may not meet modern supercar standards, for its era, it smashed boundaries. The car incorporated independent suspension and disc brakes all around, making it more usable than you’d expect for such a dramatic build.
Legal drama is part of the story too. The original Beast carried a Rolls-Royce grille and the Spirit of Ecstasy mascot. The marque sued Dodd in the 1980s for trademark infringement and won, forcing him to replace the grille with one bearing his initials. Later, the car accompanied Dodd to Spain, where locals became accustomed to the thunderous note of the engine echoing around Malaga.
In recent times, the car has been refreshed. The original bright yellow paint is now hidden under a reversible two-tone metallic grey wrap (so the yellow could be restored in the future) and the interior retrimmed to a high standard. The Beast was consigned to auction by Historics Auctioneers with an estimate of £75,000–£100,000 (roughly USD $98,000–$131,000) in late 2025.
What stands out most is how The Beast blends ludicrous scale and genuine engineering into a drivable road car. It’s not just a showpiece; it was built to move, to roar, to defy expectation. For someone fascinated by the intersection of bespoke craftsmanship and automotive maverick thinking, this car is a landmark. If you’re someone considering bidding or simply telling the story, here is a piece of motoring folklore that truly warrants attention.
The post The Beast is John Dodd’s 27-Liter V12 creation that turned aviation power into road-going legend first appeared on Yanko Design.