The Napier L48 Samson achieved a respectable position in the history of automobiles as one of the most successful racing cars of its time. It set numerous records during its prime. The most notable record was set on January 25, 1905, in Ormond-Daytona Beach, Florida. Arthur Macdonald, a 23-year-old British mechanic, broke the 100 mph barrier, reaching a speed of 104.651 mph and setting a new World Land Speed Record.
This car became the first to surpass 100 mph on American soil and the first British car to achieve this milestone. Additionally, it was the world’s first successful racing car with a six-cylinder engine. In the following year, Dorothy Levitt, known as “the fastest girl on earth,” set a Women’s World Speed Record while driving the same Napier car. This record remained unbroken until 1963. It is worth noting that this car reached a speed of 130 mph at Brooklands, a time when most speed limits were around 20 mph.
Furthermore, British driver Walter Thomas Clifford Earp emerged victorious at Daytona Beach later that year, defeating strong competitors such as Vincenzo Lancia in a Fiat and Louis Chevrolet in a Christie. Despite experiencing a blown tire at mile 32, Earp won the race with a 50-second lead.
Napier’s six-cylinder engine was not the first of its kind, but it was revolutionary. The engine was a 15-liter inline F-Head that produced an impressive 240 hp at 2,300 rpm. It was paired with a two-speed manual transmission due to the limitations of the chassis, which couldn’t accommodate a longer three-speed transmission.
The Napier continued its winning streak in the following years, particularly after replacing its original six-cylinder engine with a massive 20-liter powerhouse in 1907.
Although the car featured here is not the original 120-year-old Gordon Bennett Napier L48 “Samson,” it houses the same engine that powered the iconic racer. This car is a faithful reconstruction of the 1904 racer, utilizing the original L48 engine.
As is often the case with retired race cars, the original Napier was eventually sold for scrap after its illustrious career. The car’s groundbreaking first engine found its way to the Cornwell brothers in Australia, who incorporated it into their record-breaking speedboat, “Nautilus 2.” Subsequently, the engine was left abandoned in the brothers’ pottery factory. It was rediscovered decades later by Bob Chamberlain, the manufacturer of Australian-made Chamberlain Tractors. Chamberlain took on the challenge of reconstructing the iconic “Samson” race car around the successful six-cylinder racing engine.
Photo: Bonhams
After extensive research and the creation of many components using Napier’s original plans and period photographs, a precise duplicate was brought to life. In July 1982, the restored engine roared back to life. For approximately ten years, the car had a second lease on life as an exhibition and show car. Even more impressively, this flawless Napier replica competed in the Brooklands Reunion and the Shelsley Walsh Hill Climb in 1983.
In April 1993, it was purchased as part of Bob Chamberlain’s estate by Peter Briggs, who showcased it at his York Motor Museum in Western Australia. Just like the original, it generated significant interest and demonstrated its value at the Goodwood Festival of Speed hill climb in the UK and the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, where it received the Automobile Quarterly award for the Most Historically Significant Car at the event.
Photo: Bonhams
If you’re curious about what it’s like to drive the Napier, one of the fastest cars of its time, Evan Ide, a Senior Specialist for Bonhams|Cars, describes the experience as follows, “You are propelled to over 50 mph before you can even comprehend what has happened, and you’re still in first gear! You need a bit more speed to shift into the only other gear, and then it all starts again with the engine dropping to just a few hundred revs. When you open the throttle, it feels like it could keep going, well beyond 100 mph.”
The meticulous Napier L48 Samson replica, which set a new benchmark for recreating historic automobiles, will be up for auction at the Bonhams|Cars Amelia Island Auction at the Fernandina Beach Golf Club on Amelia Island on February 29. It is estimated to sell for an astonishing $900,000 to $1,100,000. Prior to the auction, the car made a return to the beaches of Ormond and Daytona for the Historic North Turn Beach Parade on February 10.
According to the Source autoevolution.com