The First Car To Reach 100 MPH In America Could Sell For Over $1 Million

The first car to hit the 100-mph barrier in the US is auctioned by Bonhams, coming with an estimated fetch price of around a million bucks.

The car in question is the 1904 Napier L48 "Samson," nicknamed after the resemblance of the engine's copper cooling tubes to the flowing locks of the biblical strongman. The record-setting four-wheeler has a massive 15-liter engine touted as the world's first successful six-cylinder power unit.

The idea to create a six-cylinder engine stemmed from the desire to provide a balanced and smoother power delivery, which still holds today with six-pot bangers like the Toyota GR Supra.

The L48 first raced at the 1904 Portmarnock Sands Speed Trials in Ireland. But its most significant feat was achieved a year later when driver Arthur MacDonald broke the Flying One Mile World Record by clocking 104.65mph on a stretch of sand between Florida's Ormond and Daytona Beaches, making it the first car to record 100 mph in America and first British car to reach such a speed.

Among the notable records was achieved in 1906 when the Women's World Speed Record over the Flying Kilometer with a speed of 90.88 mph was secured by Dorothy Levitt, the first British female racing driver.

Napier even installed an even larger 20-liter engine along the way. After its racing career, Alan 'Bob' Hawker Chamberlain, manufacturer of the Australian-made Chamberlain Tractors, decided to rebuild the Napier, which wasn't an easy process as he had to dig up the original schematics. The engine was rediscovered at the Cornwell pottery factory.

Chamberlain successfully rebuilt the engine, which was started for the first time in 67 years in 1982. The car was shipped to the UK for high-speed runs, with Australian F1 driver Tony Gaze having the pleasure of recording a standing start kilometer in 30.67 seconds with a terminal speed of 111.73 mph at the Colerne Sprints in 1983.

The ownership was transferred from the Chamberlain family to Peter Briggs. The car then campaigned in renowned events like Goodwood in 1994 and 2000, a fitting place for the Napier L48 as it is home to speedsters. In 1999, the L48 also attended the prestigious Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, where beautiful classics grace Pebble Beach in California.

This over-a-century-old car will find a new home at the Amelia Island auction later this month, with the prospective owner expected to dish out $900,000 to $1,100,000. The 1929 Bentley Speed Six Le Mans Replica Tourer, 2005 Ford GT, and 1966 Jaguar E-Type will join the same auction house.