Since the arrival of the first cars at the end of the 19th century, the automotive industry has come a long way. Today’s hypercars can reach and even exceed 500 km/h, but at the beginning of the 20th century, even speeds around 120 km/h were considered almost extraordinary.
Precisely in the area of ??speed, the model featured in this article was the protagonist. This is the Napier L48 Samson, a true automotive gem manufactured in 1904 and which was the first car in history to reach 160 km/h in the United States (that is, 100 miles per hour, according to the country’s units). American).
The vehicle was powered by an impressive 15-liter inline six-cylinder gasoline engine. The Napier L48 Samson earned a prominent place in the history books as it became one of the most successful racing cars of its time, setting multiple records during its golden years.
One of the most significant milestones took place on January 25, 1905, in Ormond-Daytona Beach (Florida), when a 23-year-old British mechanic named Arthur Macdonald reached a speed of 104.651 miles per hour (168.4 km/h). to give rise to a new world land speed record. In addition, it thus became the first car to overcome the aforementioned 100 miles per hour barrier on American soil and the first British car to reach those figures.
Just one year later, driver Dorothy Levitt set a women’s world speed record (at that time they were separated by gender) driving the same Napier model. This milestone was so extraordinary that it was maintained until 1963.
The engine capable of such a feat, called F-Head, produced 240 HP of power at 2,300 rpm, surprising figures for the time. It was mated to a two-speed manual transmission, since the chassis did not have space to integrate a longer three-speed transmission.
Keep in mind that the car you see in the photos is not exactly a 100% original Samson L48, but it does have its magnificent 120-year-old engine under the hood. Mechanical aside, the car is an excellent reconstruction of the 1904 racing car.
But it is not just any reconstruction, it is so faithful that it even competed in official races during the 80s of the last century. Subsequently, it has received numerous awards in different competitions and exhibitions in which it has been exhibited.
The vehicle will go on sale in just a few days through the Bonhams auction house and is expected to reach one million euros. If you are interested in enjoying this spectacular and historic car in more detail, just take a look at the video that accompanies this article.
