WIX Archives
Re: Merlin-engined RR
Posted by Jim on Fri Dec 14, 2001 08:42:24 PM
In reply top Merlin-engined RR posted by Ron Henry on Fri Dec 14, 2001 01:28:03 PM
I saw a photo that described three '20s or '30s era RR motorcars were built around Merlin engines (according to the photo.) These cars were complete with a wooden "boat tail" looking passenger area and in the only photo I've seen it was an un-supercharged Merlin. Two of the cars I've read about were destroyed and the remaining one is owned by Tonight Show host and comedian Jay Leno (who is also well known in collector car circles.) The photo I've seen in a custom-car magazine is of Jay Leno cruising in L.A. in the RR. The caption also remarked of reaching 70 m.p.h. in only 1st gear.
The most outrageous aero-engined car I'm aware of was built by hot-rodder Jim Lytle and was known as the "Quad Al". Is was built in the early 1960's as a salt flats racer or land speed record vehicle and was powered by 4 Allison engines. The car was briefly pictured (parked) in a mid 1960's sci-fi/cheesy teen movie "Out Of Sight." I don't know if the vehicle survives today, but I'd be interested if anybody knows.
: Going back some yrs - 70s, maybe - there was a guy called
: John xxxxxx (might have been Dodd) who had an automatic ge
: arbox overhaul business. He had a Rolls from that period a
: nd he allegedly fitted a Merlin into it. Tho I never saw t
: he car, I saw pics, and it had something that looked like
: a Merlin in it. However, I've often wondered if it was the
: unsupercharged tank engine derivative (Comet? or Meteor?)
: . Nevertheless, it was very quick, and became well known,
: and he got loads of publicity thro it. Eventually, I think
: it caught fire and burned out.