Fiat S76 A Recollection
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Fiat S76 A Recollection
The S76 had been such a sensation that when a Middlesborough evening paper published a photograph of it in 1953 a tremendous response followed, of letters, telephone calls and more photographs. One person who had vivid recollections of the old Fiat was H P Blake. who later became the owner of the 1903 GB Napier now in the National Motor Museum. He was at Brooklands when Bordino demonstrated the monster and although not witnessing the starting-up prccedure, recalled “a noise like a gathering thunder storm”. He wrote to me that “The young driver did his best but went back to Italy a very disappointed man. The engine was devoid of any exhaust system, having just four holes in the bonnet side, and gave the impression of running on a very rich mixture high up in the throttle range. Also, the valve timing appeared faulty, for yards of bright yellow flame shot straight out from the side of the bonnet. As the monster thundered by, the very earth trembled with air concussion.” W B