Fiat Car Blog

Fiat puts the spotlight on the famous 21.7L Mefistofele at the Goodwood Speed of Festival which kicks off today. The automobile regarded as a classic and a record breaker in its prime was based on the SB4 Corso of Fiat in 1908. The Mefistofele will be displayed at the Cathedral Paddock and marks its return to Goodwood after ten years.

The Mefistofele was the product of the hard work of Sir Eldridge and his team to make a record breaking vehicle. Eldridge used parts of a bus to stretch the chassis of the SB4 Corsa that was purchased for the product.. He also made use of a modified six cylinder 21.7L engine from a Fiat A12 airplane that has four carburetors and can output 320 horsepower at around 1,800 RPM.

The Mefistofele actually got its name from the smoke and bangs that came during the testing of the vehicle. On July 12 in 1924, the Mefistofele became the fastest car in the world that time pegging its top speed at 234.980 kilometers per hour. The car was bought by Gianni Agnielli, owner of Fiat, in 1964. The car was restored thru the years and it is now in tip top shape and is part of the wonderful car collection of the car manufacturer.

Fiat will also display the Fiat 500 by Gucci which is a version with interiors and body works customized by Frida Giannini, creative director of Gucci, and the Style Center team of Fiat.