Further images to follow It is the engine that first captures the imagination.

At 9.8-litres, the Sturtevant Model 5A V8 fills the Auburn’s long bonnet and gives this special a presence quite unlike that of a conventional vintage sports car.

Dating from circa 1915, the water-cooled, side-valve aero engine was acquired from Auburn, Cord and Duesenberg specialist, Glenn Pray, in Oklahoma - the engine was unused new old stock when sourced for the project.

It is quoted as producing 140bhp at just 1,400rpm, a figure that hints at the considerable torque available. The car was constructed by an engineer and enthusiast over approximately three years.

Its starting point was a 1931 Auburn 8-98 chassis found in Ypres, Belgium, where it had reportedly been put to use as a farm trailer.

The chassis was inverted and underslung to give the finished car its low stance, while the Auburn front axle was retained.

Simon Parker made the brushed aluminium bodywork, with removable panels providing acc...