Key Takeaways
Fiat is celebrating its a hundred and twenty fifth anniversary this 12 months. To mark this milestone, the Italian marque will host festivities and particular exhibitions that look again on its wealthy historical past. The Fiat Mefistofele is a kind of showcases – a automobile you in all probability have not heard of however is definitely a record-breaking Fiat worthy of your consideration.
The Mefistofele, on show at Centro Storico Fiat this weekend, was in-built 1923 by Ernest Eldridge, a British motor racing fanatic, primarily based on a 1908 Fiat SB4 race automobile. Eldridge purchased the retired race automobile with the purpose of making a record-breaking automobile, which he efficiently did the next 12 months. Its final public look was in 2011 when it visited the Goodwood Competition of Pace.
100 Years Since Setting The Report
Also referred to as the Mephisto (nicknamed for its diabolical nature), the Mefistofele is powered by a 21.7-liter six-cylinder Fiat A12 plane engine with 4 carburetors – sure, it is one of many few choose automobiles with airplane engines. The automobile’s chassis needed to be prolonged utilizing elements from a London bus to accommodate this engine. Whereas not as huge because the 300-hp four-pot mill fitted contained in the Beast of Turin, the Mefistofele’s mill makes as much as 320 hp, making it probably the most highly effective Fiat ever created.
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Even probably the most highly effective Abarth hasn’t reached this determine, whereas probably the most highly effective Fiat 500e you should buy within the US as we speak solely makes 117 hp. Past the figures, the Mefistofele broke the world velocity document on July 12, 1924, in Arpajon, France, with Eldridge on the helm. He reached 234.98 km/h (146 mph) on a public street, marking the final time a land velocity document was set on a public street.
Celebration Of Pace
Fiat is hardly a automobile model you’d anticipate on velocity information, however the Mefistofele broke three extra on the Montlhery circuit in 1925. The automobile was so phenomenal, which prompted Giovanni Agnelli to buy it from the heirs of Eldridge in 1964. The Mefistofele has been saved on the Centro Storico Fiat since then. After going via in depth restoration, it’s nonetheless in excellent working situation as we speak.
Associated
Fiat’s special-edition 500e fashions have confirmed common.
It has been 100 years since this monstrous automobile set its identify in stone, however Fiat needs to have a good time its renown via a convention referred to as “The Mefistofele and record-breaking automobiles with aero engines” this weekend, freed from cost.
