1918 LA BESTIONI BOATTAIL SPEEDSTER

Details

Le Bestioni is the product of the fertile imagination of retro auto designer and classic restorer Gary Wales of Woodland Hills, CA. With many successful creations to his credit and several world-record prices, this is by far his best effort and most exciting offering. Le Bestioni is a stunning creation harkening back to the heroic days when the giant two-man racing cars ruled the road-racing circuits around the world. With few surviving examples of these great juggernauts in existence, it became

a passion of Wales to reintroduce and once again to make available to the auto aficionado the opportunity to see these monsters in action. This larger-than-life racing car is an exciting experience to see on the road, but to drive it is an experience for all time. Le Bestioni incorporates original design elements along with modern safety features that blend and enhance the overall performance, allowing the driver and co-pilot to safely navigate with modern driving conditions. The aluminum body for Le Bestioni was designed and constructed by Wales using the traditional Edwards-type forming wheel. Body panels were shaped and fitted by hand. With the inner structure of welded steel for strength and reliability the entire body has been formed and welded together with hundreds of hand-bucked 3/16' rivets. All mechanical work was performed by master mechanic Andres Aranada with assistance by Wales. The massive power plant is of American LeFrance design along with the modified twin chain-drive chassis. The 14-liter 6-cylinder (each piston is the size of a two-pound coffee can) engine and 3-speed manual transmission run with the reliability of a Santa Fe locomotive, running on both coil and magneto ignition; the reliability is outstanding. Steering is assisted with the inclusion of Lee Racing off-road power steering and dual power brakes fitted to the front wheels from Hamilton Engineering. The rear brakes are the original massive drum mechanical type with emergency brake incorporated and both working together as one smooth operation. The horn is an original Klaxon horn from pre-1920, as are the solid-brass matched headlights. Spot taillamps are the solid brass diver helmets and an original pre-1920 Italian license plate carrier also incorporates the stop light. The very special mahogany-covered boattail was created and finished with over 20 coats of Epifanes high-gloss varnish by a master classics boat builder, while the premier biscuit leather interior was fitted by Hilborn of Rolls-Royce fame. The massive brass radiator shell was carefully constructed by metal artist Bill West. The project was completed in mid-July 2007 with a coming-out party on July 19, 2007. This is truly a wolf in wolf's clothing. It is the ultimate statement. **TITLE IN TRANSIT**