Mefistofele (Italian for Mephistopheles) Salone dell'Automobile di Torino [Turin Motor Show] was an auto show held annually in Turin, Italy. October 28th - November 8th 1970 Mefistofele (Italian for Mephistopheles) was designed by Ernest Eldridge using a Fiat racing car chassis and a 22 litre 6 cylinder Fiat aero engine. It is said that the engine was so heavy that the chassis of a London bus was incorporated into the vehicle. On 12th July 1924 in Arpajon (Northern France), Eldridge lined the FIAT up for one of its two record breaking street runs recording 234.98 km/h (146 mph). Originally painted black, the car with its un-muffled engine growled, screamed, roared and spat flames. Immediately, the crowd exclaimed “Mefistofele!”, after the demon in the story of Faust. And so the nickname was born. There was some controversy as to whether the car competed within the rules governing land speed records. Rene Thomas, driving a Delage DH, complained that it should have had a reverse gear. However, Eldridge was able to show that by adding additional links to the drive chains and by mounting them crossed, the car could move backwards. Legend has it that to celebrate, Eldridge drove the car to Paris and deliberately parked outside the Delage showroom. In 1969, “Mefistofele” was bought by Gianni Agnelli, the president of Fiat and was restored and painted red. It is seen here on display in Turin. This photograph is from my father’s collection of images. It was originally a black & white image that was coloured in by hand. I have since scanned the image and removed many blemishes and enhanced the colour. Fiat & “Mefistofele” and the description have been added by me. Image size A3 The print is supplied on a quality photographic paper (see section on paper selection and choices). Ref AUT-006