V12 greats set for London Concours showcase

Also on display and vying for concours glory will be John Dodd’s record-breaking car known as ‘The Beast’.

In 1977, this eccentric creation appeared in the Guinness World Records as the world’s most powerful car.

No surprise, really. There’s a 27-litre Rolls-Royce Merlin engine under that enormous bonnet – a similar unit powered the Supermarine Spitfire aeroplanes.

The RAC confirmed its 183mph top speed, but 200mph is rumoured to be possible. Feeling brave?

Lamborghini has championed the V12 engine for more than 60 years

Beside these 12-cylinder one-offs, three modern-classic legends will join the celebration at London Concours: a Lamborghini Diablo and two Aston Martins.

The supercar from Sant’Agata went through a lot of changes between 1990 and 2001, but it remained faithful to the V12 engine throughout.

Similarly, the Aston Martin Vanquish and V12 Vantage were the British marque’s 21st-century stalwarts for big-capacity engines – and both will be on show in central London this summer.

The Aston Martin Vanquish S makes 520bhp (left); Aston Martin’s 6-litre engine was packed into the V12 Vantage

“We’re delighted to announce this class celebrating perhaps the most evocative automotive ingredient: the V12 engine,” said Andrew Evans, director of London Concours.

The event returns to the Honourable Artillery Company’s central London headquarters from 4-6 June 2024.

And don’t forget, Classic & Sports Car readers can enjoy our exclusive ticket offer by using the code 24CLASSIC at checkout.

Images: London Concours/Max Edleston/Will Williams/Luc Lacey

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