The Beast of Turin

[Robin UK]

Another LSR pioneer back from the dead. That alongside the V8 Darracq and a Blitzen Benz would be rather good don't you think?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfYbH7926gk&feature=youtu.be

Robin

[Stainless1]

Looks like they need to add a little more advance after it starts... 

[octane]

Link to video ( and a bit more ) of the Beast.
At the end of the video you can watch .. and HEAR .. that first start-up,
in much better picture/sound  quality :

http://theoldmotor.com/?p=133946

It's glorious.

[Dynoroom]

Stunning...........

I'm always amazed at what man will do in the quest for speed.

This movie trailer stirred deep emotion, can't wait for it to be released...... Just as in the turn of the LAST century, although a different type of release.    Imagine this Beast at speed and it's driver fighting to control it. All in the quest of..... a piece of paper.

[TrickyDicky]

The Fiat S76 (aka "The Beast of Turin") is an amazing vehicle.

But we need to be careful not to get too carried away.

• Duncan Pittaway's replica / re-creation / restoration is not the original car driven by Pietro Bordino and Arthur Duray (although it may contain some original parts ).
• The S76 never set a record .

[Richard 2]

NOW THAT'S A FOUR BANGER

[Jack Gifford]

427 c.i. in each of its four cylinders... gets my attention!
It appears from the video that very little cranking speed was needed. It looked like the crank wasn't even moving when it first fired?

[Dynoroom]

427 c.i. in each of its four cylinders... gets my attention!
It appears from the video that very little cranking speed was needed. It looked like the crank wasn't even moving when it first fired?

Correct Jack. There is a video of the Blitzen Benz being started at Pebble Beach a couple years ago. The process involved bringing the engine up to TDC, prime with fuel, then initiate a spark and the engine starts.   

[Robin UK]

The Fiat S76 (aka "The Beast of Turin") is an amazing vehicle.

But we need to be careful not to get too carried away.

• Duncan Pittaway's replica / re-creation / restoration is not the original car driven by Pietro Bordino and Arthur Duray (although it may contain some original parts ).
• The S76 never set a record .

Duncan has his enthusiasm for people calling it a replica pretty much under control. Two S76s were built (the Beast of Turin sobriquet can be applied to either imo) and as far as I recall from what he said when I visited him he has the chassis from one and the engine from the other. The story of how they and other parts were tracked down and the things he had to do to acquire them is worthy of a book. Lets hope they get covered in Stefan Marjoram's film. The S76s may not have set a record but its an exciting part of the LSR story in the same way that other failures such as the Djelmo and Sunbeam Silver Bullet add to it. I wouldn't mind seeing either of those rise from the ashes using whatever remains could be found. Mercedes and others did exactly that with the Blitzen Benzs.

yours (trying not to get carried away)

Robin

[fordboy628]

WOW!!

Truly a Beast . . . .

 
Fordboy

[TrickyDicky]

The Fiat S76 (aka "The Beast of Turin") is an amazing vehicle.

But we need to be careful not to get too carried away.

• Duncan Pittaway's replica / re-creation / restoration is not the original car driven by Pietro Bordino and Arthur Duray (although it may contain some original parts ).
• The S76 never set a record .

Duncan has his enthusiasm for people calling it a replica pretty much under control. Two S76s were built (the Beast of Turin sobriquet can be applied to either imo) and as far as I recall from what he said when I visited him he has the chassis from one and the engine from the other. The story of how they and other parts were tracked down and the things he had to do to acquire them is worthy of a book. Lets hope they get covered in Stefan Marjoram's film. The S76s may not have set a record but its an exciting part of the LSR story in the same way that other failures such as the Djelmo and Sunbeam Silver Bullet add to it. I wouldn't mind seeing either of those rise from the ashes using whatever remains could be found. Mercedes and others did exactly that with the Blitzen Benzs.

yours (trying not to get carried away)

Robin

I met Duncan very briefly at Goodwood this year.  His enthusiasm cannot be faulted.

The history of the S76 is (apparently) very poorly documented.  That and the passage of time (including two World Wars) makes it difficult to verify any claims made today.  From memory (so apologies if any of this is totally off-track) some of the issues are:

• There is doubt that two cars were built.  Maybe one runner and enough spares to construct another?  There is no picture of the two cars together.
• There is doubt that the car found in Australia was an S76.  The story of how the car is supposed to have reached Australia is incomplete.
• There is a perception that Duncan has been evasive when challenged about the history of the current car.
• There is a perception that the current car is being promoted as more than it is.

A book by a respected motoring historian would be a wonderful medium in which to separate fact from fiction.

[Robin UK]

Lets wait for the film and someday hopefully the book. Anything like this is bound to flush out self appointed experts (and no that's not a pop at you) questioning every element of the story. I've had people like that categorically telling me completely different versions of events that I was personally involved with and witnessed first hand. Sometimes things I've done myself. No amount of evidence will convince them otherwise so they just continue to churn out the scuttlebutt. At which point the only response is to disengage with them and get on with doing stuff that doesn't involve sitting in an armchair. I'm not making any claims for the vehicle one way or another but why don't we just enjoy the fact that an S76 is running again.

Robin

[55chevr]

This sounds like the USS Constitution, "Old Ironsides".  10% of the original ship structure remains or 90% of the ship structure has been replaced.  At what point does it become a replica?

[Seldom Seen Slim]

"This is my absolute FAVORITE hammer.  I got it from my grandpa.  I like it so much that, to make it last, I've replaced the handle three times and the head at least twice!"

[Milwaukee Midget]

Cool - That article in "The Old Motor" is Stefan Marjoram's work.  He's the photojournalist and artist for the Bloodhound SSC team, and he posts here from time to time.