Key Takeaways
- The Fiat Mefistofele, powered by a 21.7-liter 6-cylinder Fiat A12 aircraft engine, broke world speed records in 1924.
- With 320 hp, this car is the most powerful Fiat ever, surpassing even Abarth models.
- Fiat’s 125th anniversary celebrations include an exhibition dedicated to the Mefistofele.
Fiat is celebrating its 125th anniversary this year. To mark this milestone, the Italian marque will host festivities and special exhibitions that look back on its rich history. The Fiat Mefistofele is one of those showcases – a car you probably haven’t heard of but is actually a record-breaking Fiat worthy of your attention.
The Mefistofele, on display at Centro Storico Fiat this weekend, was built in 1923 by Ernest Eldridge, a British motor racing enthusiast, based on a 1908 Fiat SB4 race car. Eldridge bought the retired race car with the goal of creating a record-breaking car, which he successfully did the following year. Its last public appearance was in 2011 when it visited the Goodwood Festival of Speed.
100 Years Since Setting The Record
Also known as the Mephisto (nicknamed for its diabolical nature), the Mefistofele is powered by a 21.7-liter six-cylinder Fiat A12 aircraft engine with four carburetors – yes, it’s one of the few select cars with airplane engines. The car’s chassis had to be extended using parts from a London bus to accommodate this engine. While not as big as the 300-hp four-pot mill fitted inside the Beast of Turin, the Mefistofele’s mill makes up to 320 hp, making it the most powerful Fiat ever created.
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Even the most powerful Abarth hasn’t reached this figure, while the most powerful Fiat 500e you can buy in the US today only makes 117 hp. Beyond the figures, the Mefistofele broke the world speed record on July 12, 1924, in Arpajon, France, with Eldridge at the helm. He reached 234.98 km/h (146 mph) on a public road, marking the last time a land speed record was set on a public road.
Celebration Of Speed
Fiat is hardly a car brand you’d expect on speed records, but the Mefistofele broke three more at the Montlhery circuit in 1925. The car was so phenomenal, which prompted Giovanni Agnelli to purchase it from the heirs of Eldridge in 1964. The Mefistofele has been kept at the Centro Storico Fiat since then. After going through extensive restoration, it is still in perfect working condition today.
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It has been a hundred years since this monstrous car set its name in stone, but Fiat wants to celebrate its renown through a conference called “The Mefistofele and record-breaking cars with aero engines” this weekend, free of charge.
