Air, land, sea – no matter where you need pistons pumping upwards of 2,000 horsepower, this Rolls Royce Griffon 74 can do the job with incredible performance. Well, not in its current state, as it’s on a rolling display stand. Still, this 37-liter V12 is a notable piece of aeronautic and nautical history. Now, it can be yours so long as you’re willing to spend more on it than a brand-new and tricked-out Mazda Miata.
Rolls Royce originally designed the engine for aircraft in World War II, and the Griffon powered such machines as the Supermarine Spitfire Mk 24, Bristol Beaufighter, and Avro Shackleton . If you’ve heard of the famous Rolls Royce Merlin engine, consider the Griffon to be an even larger version of that. This particular example also has factory-installed fuel injection and a two-stage (you read that right) supercharger. Production ran from the early 1940s through 1955.
Some examples, like this one, were evidently built as spares. What does one do with a 37-liter V12 that no longer needs to defend the skies against the Axis powers? We’ve come up with some ideas, but before we get to that, you should know why this one says “Miss Budweiser” on the valve covers.
That nomenclature dates back to the 1980s when someone prepped this engine for use in a hydroplane. Although it evidently never saw action, it’s clearly painted for the job. According to the seller over on Bring A Trailer, the Miss Budweiser hydroplane won 22 races between 1980 and 1984 with a nearly identical engine:
The Griffon is reputed to have 1000 more horsepower than the Rolls-Royce Merlin, which was the standard engine at the time in the Unlimited Class. Miss Budweiser ‘Juggernaut’ took first place in its first twenty heats of competition, erasing the former standard of fifteen consecutive heat wins.
Here’s a quick example of what it looked and sounded like back in 1985:
In short, the Griffon now up for sale was initially meant to go to war but ended up in line to be a dominant force in hydroplane racing. By 1985, the racing team moved on and this 37-liter V12 remains unused. The current owner bought it in 2022 and hasn’t done much with it since. The real question for whoever buys it is what to do with it now.
Our staff took turns deciding what might be best and there are some fabulous answers here. That said, nobody was as bold as Griffin Riley, who proposed that this become the basis for the most extreme racing lawnmower possible. Frankly, I think it might stretch the wheelbase a bit too much but that doesn’t mean that I don’t wanna see it.
SWG who is very much alive and well had maybe one of the most altruistic and beautiful takes possible. “Those Budweiser valve cover gaskets are killer. I’d use it to pull a team of Clydesdales as they relax on a pulled trailer with some delicious hay.” Those horses are working hard pretty much every time we see them so why not give them a break and let Miss Budweiser do the work for a change?
Finally, our (mostly) behind-the-scenes graphics and production guy Peter Vieira might have the best fantasy application overall, as he would take this aircraft engine turned boat motor and return it somewhat closer to air duty by strapping it into a belly-tank-bodied salt-flats racer. As an example, Pete posted the gorgeous speed seeker below, a creation of the watch company Bell & Ross.
Why not? If Jay Leno can drive a tank-car why can’t we have a Rolls Royce airplane boat car? Perhaps one could even add bespoke titanium marshmallow skewers, as startup can apparently be a bit roasty:
Here’s another great example of a Griffon firing up, complete with a few throttle blips. Note just how much air is flooding back toward the operator here, from contra-rotating props no less:
What would you do with something this large, this powerful, and this important to the history of speed both in the air and on the water? Let us know in the comments below and if you happen to have Mazda Miata money lying around, you might want to have a crack at the auction over on Bring A Trailer.
Holy Molly, do those sound angry! I mean, I rather enjoy the deadly silent EV acceleration, but, there’s something visceral about 12 massive cylinders belching flames.
I was going to suggest that a Budweiser scion build a beer truck for their private parties around it, but SWG’s horse-puller is a way better idea
Btw, I know it’s only one ‘l’ : that’s a Kreosan shoutout 😉
Obviously, I’d LS swap it.
Honestly, I’d find a way to get it to the Hyrdoplane & Raceboat Museum <https://thunderboats.ning.com/page/mission-1>. They have a 1980 Griffin Bud, and could probably use an engine like this.
If you’ve never been, check the museum out. Lots of cool raceboat history, and hydroplane restorations happening all the time. I believe they are close to finishing up the 1979 Squire Shop.
That Aztec has a whole lot of space behind the driver…
Open engine hot rod for me. Some kind of stretch thing with tires taller than the hood.
The Autopian should buy it, stick it in a Sea Doo and let Mercedes take it for a spin.
Pretty sure it would take Mercedes for a spin.
“What would you do with something this large, this powerful, and this important to the history of speed both in the air and on the water? ”
Shove it in DT’s flat rendered Jeep for the ultimate Allied victory.
(If that one don’t fit there’s a flathead Zephyr V12 near me that might):
https://sfbay.craigslist.org/pen/cto/d/hayward-zephyr-v12-flathead-engine/7786762267.html
Either a matching vintage boat or an open engine hot rod of some sort
Would a 2.5T 6×6 military truck with a camper box be too small for this motor?
Camper box would be shrunk to fit the fuel tanks. I’m still with you on this project, though. Maybe a big flat tank that sits under the camper box?
It’s mostly an engine you would get for display, but I think it should be hooked up to something and ready to run so you can hear it. A static display seems like a waste. How many gear reductions do you think it would take to use it to power a paper shredder?
I’d like to see it hooked to a paper shredder with no gear reductions.
The question then is how many shredders can it power simultaneously? It could shred a whole towns classified documents in seconds.
Tractor pull
Remember the YouTube series ‘Will it blend?” With my blender powered by this monster, the answer is ALWAYS yes.
2×4? Pfft.
Large tree? No problemo.
A light armored vehicle? Let’s give it a whirl!!
This is by far the best idea here. (So far…)
Winner!
I’m kinda surprised there’s not vintage class hydroplane racing at this point…or maybe not, as the whole sport is pretty niche, if tremendously cool. I’d do that, tear around in a restored ’80s racing boat.
Growing up watching these, I’d be surprised if there were many of the vintage boats left (or substantial structure in those that are left). Smarter guys (and gals) moved onto “safer” boats, and the not smarter ones, well, they don’t do much of anything anymore.
Makes sense to me, esp given that it’s not like these things are sold to consumers for just tear-assing around the lake on the weekend. Thank goodness for that.
No true “vintage class” because it’s just so expensive to keep these boats running. Seattle hosts one of the H1 Unlimited hydro racing stops, and there will usually be a few vintage boats that will turn a couple laps. This year, we have the 1957 U-77 Miss Wahoo, 1969 U-7 Notre Dame, and 1973 U-73 Pay ‘N’ Pak. Typically 3 laps, but still SO nice to hear those engines fire up.
That sounds amazingly cool. I never even knew this was a thing until recently (grew up in the midwest), but I do one day hope to make to a race just to experience the thunder.
Cybertruck conversion. Leave no one unoffended.
I’m not offended.
*sniff* Elderberries?
Now, that would be a great troll!
I’d find an old van (i’m talking 1976-ish GMC), slap it in the middle and make the ultimate drag sleeper.
Stuff it back into a Spitfire, of course. A Triumph Spitfire.
Would you like some car with that motor?
Beat me to it, because an engine that weighs more than its host vehicle is a rational idea!
I’d love to see it decimating tires in an Australian burnout car.
Put it in an RV. It should now be able to make it up a hill.
Give it to David to replace the 3 cyl range-extender in his i3.
You’ll go far, David. You’ll go very far.
I don’t think the 2.4 gallon tank will take him very far at all with this beasty.
What are we thinking, half a mile per tank?
Eh, remember, it just has to charge the battery. Five seconds of run time should manage that. A 2.7 gal tank should be good for at least 10 secs of run time.
Series hybrid C3 Corvette.
Step 1: Find a Viper with a blown engine
Step 2: Replace V10 with this glorious monster
Step 3: Paint Viper in appropriate livery
Step 4: Drive it and hope not to die
Step 5: Probably a fiery death.
There is no probably about it.
But, what a way to go out!
Yes, the Miata is always the answer… even though the question is “How did you die?”
At least you died happy.
Heavily customized Diamond T with a beavertail deck to haul my mini to track days.
The answer was in the article twice, and as is always the answer, Mazda Miata. Absurd and pointless? Of course! But I think we all want to see a Miata with one of these in it. Nevermind the details of “stretching the chassis” and “it won’t fit”. You *can* make it fit if you really want to.
Thanks for the link: perfect for my rainy day on a roof
Put it in a vintage wooden speedboat
this is the correct answer!
Vintage! Like a 1970s jet boat with red white and blue metal flake paint so shiny and deep.