Beta Darracq V8 200 HP 1.4

Darracq V8 200 HP, France 1905
A car without doors, a two-seater roadster, front engine and rear wheel drive.


Photo: Auta5P.eu archive

Petrol, liquid-cooled, V8, OHV, displacement 22519 cm³, bore 160.0 mm, stroke 140.0 mm, two valves/cylinder, Darracq carburetor, no turbocharging, power 147 kW (200 hp) at 1200 rpm, mechanical two-speed gearbox, wheelbase 2590 mm, curb weight 990 kg, maximum speed 195 km/h. Front rigid axle and longitudinal leaf springs, rear rigid axle and longitudinal leaf springs, the car has no front brakes, rear breaks are drums.

A racing special without a body, built as a single example. On December 30, 1905, Victor Hemery set a world speed record of 176.4 km/h with this car. In January 1906, the car reached a speed of over 193 km/h in Daytona.