World’s first fastest car broke records in 1905 when it shattered the record by speeding to 104mph

THE world’s first fastest car broke records in 1905 when the iconic motor reached an incredible 104mph.

The 1904 Napier Samson L48 will make a return to Florida, the place where the powerful motor historically shattered 100mph over a century ago.

SWNSThe 1904 Napier Samson L48 is an iconic car which shattered the 100mph mark[/caption]

SWNSArthur Macdonald made history on January 25, 1905 when he set a world record[/caption]

SWNSThe British race car is returning to Florida for auction[/caption]

In 1905, Napier shipped their revolutionary six-cylinder race engine to the annual auto races at Ormond and Daytona Beaches.

The events attracted the era’s finest and bravest drivers, and these pioneers pushed the boundaries of speed and engineering.

Arthur Macdonald, a British mechanician, made history on January 25, 1905, by using the L48 to set a world record of 104.651 mph.

The stunning record was achieved during the annual Speed Week at Daytona Beach.  

It was both first time a car was recorded at over 100 mph in the United States and it was the first British car to exceed 100 mph.

Over the course of the week, he drove the Napier to set world’s records over 5, 10 and 20 miles, and a new American record for a flying kilometre at 97.258 mph.

Now, the famed British motor that was first to exceed 100 mph is set to go under the hammer in The Sunshine State.

Bonhams Cars say the L48 has been with its current owner for four decades, and has been “fastidiously recreated around that ground breaking engine” and “seeks its fifth custodian in 120 years”.

The car is estimated to fetch between £713,000 to £871,000 in the Bonhams Cars Amelia Island Auction on 29 February.

D. Napier & Son Limited was a British engineering company best known for its luxury motor cars in the Edwardian era and for its aero engines throughout the early to mid-20th century.

Napier was not the first to build a six cylinder engine but it can be argued that Napier was the first to build a successful race engine of six cylinders.

And the British firm was certainly the world’s first series manufacturer of six cylinder motor cars.

The “Samson” L48 was first shown in June 1904 and it was the company’s first six cylinder racing car.

It was built for the 1904 Gordon Bennett race and contested many competition events in the UK, including the 1905 British “Gordon Bennett” eliminating trials.

L48 had an unusual cooling system, consisting of copper tubes running the length of the engine.

But this was apparently not for streamlining or for efficient cooling, but because designers thought the pipes would make the motor stand out.

Fitted originally with a 155x152mm engine it continued to compete in events up to 1908, including Brooklands culminating in its challenge race with the great Fiat, “Mephistopheles” in 1908.

It was later fitted with an even larger engine of over 20 litres – when it was named “Samson”

And with this engine the iconic motor took the British half-mile record at 119.34 mph.

SWNSThe 1904 Napier Samson L48 will make a return to Florida for auction[/caption]

SWNSIt is over 100 years old[/caption]