(first posted 13/3/2014) Stefan Marjoram is creating a documentary of the restoration of the legendary 1911 Fiat S76, which has the distinction of arguably having the largest automobile engine in history: 1,729 cubic inches, or 28.4 liters, from four cylinders, with an OHC four valve per cylinder hemi head, no less. It makes a mighty 2,000 lb.ft of torque and 300 hp @1800 rpm. Good enough for 137 mph.
Built in 1911 to take the world’s fastest car title from the 21 liter “Blitzen Benz”, the Fiat S76 had a four cylinder engine with a bore of 7 1/2″ and stroke of 9 27/32″, for a total displacement of 1,729 cubic inches. Thanks to an advanced cylinder head with overhead cam and four valves per cylinder, output was 300 hp at a thunderous 1800 rpm, enough to do the trick: 187 kmh (116 mph), a certified run at Saltburn, UK. A later run on the sandy flats of Ostende yielded 137 mph, but did not make the record books for lack of a return run. Contrary to popular myth, it was not an “airship engine”, although a later Fiat airship engine did use the same bore and stroke.
Here is is making some spectacular rounds at the Goodwood Festival of Speed 2019.
Wow, just wow that is freakin awesome! Love the rotating engine stand they had it on too. Is it February yet??? And that Barracuda in the background is pretty sharp also.
Simply incredible.
You could get a good case of “Ford elbow” cranking that beast! Note how the thing wants to shake itself apart at a mere idle. Raw power, indeed!
Now that’s just plain cool!
Awesome in the classic sense of the word! They must have known their lives were at the mercy of their tires, too. Without headers it looks like a couple of blast furnaces in there. And to think a Stanley steamer went almost as fast with so much less drama. Glad the internal combustion engine won out!
That is simply amazing. The sound that thing makes, just at idle…beast indeed! Such a massive engine. And 2000 lb ft torque? Two. Thousand. Wow.
It’s simply a huge machine, in all aspects. Seems almost comical for all that power to be transmitted by a chain drive! But 116 mph documented, and 137 reputed, for a car over 100 years old? Again, amazing.
Wow, this thing is in aircraft engine territory, and large aircraft! Simply astounding, but probably the only way to get enough power to go fast enough. Octane ratings couldn’t have been much more than 60, so displacement was the way to go.
Even more interesting would be assembling, and paying for, a team to do this kind of restoration of a great car.
So many people have no idea of the CID of the early monsters both on the tracks and on the streets, instead thinking they only started to roam the earth in the late 60s and 70s.
Thats quite a mechanical weapon I’d love to see it at full speed.
Perhaps my favorite racing car.
Mighty concept but the Italians think differently.
My father showed me a picture of it when i was a boy and it was a car that i dreamt of.
There is a picture of Felice Nazzaro in the cockpit starting off he looks terrified!
I will post it up soon.
Thanks.
It is said that 4s of over 2 liters are rough due to an inherent vertical shaking force. That shake must really be something at 28 liters. You can see the engine shaking the car. Floating engine mounts? Balance shafts? Who needs em?
Nope, just need a huge pair. I can’t imagine driving this beast; if there was ever a vehicle that had enough power to completely overwhelm the brakes, this is it.
Forget the brakes, this thing looks like it could completely overwhelm its own frame!
Holy Potatoes
Wow. I have seen articles about race cars from that era that had 4 cylinder engines in the 10+ liter range, but this is head and shoulders over those.
Two decades later, the 4.5 liter, 6.5 liter and 8 liter four cylinder Bentleys that Ettore Bugatti dismissed as being like trucks would have seemed dainty in comparison with this 28.5 liter Fiat.
It would take some serious guts, or something, to get in that seat and drive it down the street, let alone drive it at 137 mph. Cool video.
I could listen and look the fire from exhaust pipes for the whole day 🙂
Kinda like a fireplace for freaks…..
Just……. _wow_ .
9″ stroke ?! .
I’d love to hear this at it’s full 1,800 RPM chat .
THANK YOU for posting this , it’s been shared .
-Nate
God Bless the Italians
Saved this one for the earphones. Wow!!!!!!!!!!!! Spitting THUNDER!!!!!!!
Beautifully shot as well.
That may be the coolest car video I have ever seen. Incredible piece of machinery.
I don’t understand the delay between letting go of the crank and the engine eventually firing. Can somebody please splain?
Probably the ignition is turned off until the little human can get clear. We are talking 400-450 cu in per cylinder. So roll the crank just past top dead center, get clear, then fire the spark plug…and kabam! 400 plus cubic inches ignites all at once
Oh! Yeah, that makes sense. Thanks.
I’d like to see it match race Mephistopheles.
An absolute weapon it has diesel type hp and torque and pulls right from basement RPM Cummins eat your heart out Ive driven engines with those sorts of figures and the torque is fun to play with but not in something so small and light, love to have a turn but not at 135mph on those tyres.