The earliest racing machines enjoy a huge presence, rarity and price tag to match, the alternative? A US Speedster that offered ‘muscle’ long before the phrase became popular. It matters not your personal taste in motor vehicles, some machines just rock you down to your boots. This is true of the American La France Type 12 Speedster. If the sheer size (17ft long) doesn’t affect you, the details will certainly make you think. A straight six, 125bhp 14.5 litre engine with 18 spark plugs, 3 per cylinder with 2 coils feeding 12 plugs and the other 6 running to a magneto. The pistons are 5 1/2 inches in diameter thus you are doing well at 8mpg. The La France had no front breaks and the rears are contracting bands, offering a real challenge when bringing a 3.5 ton vehicle to a halt. The handbrake is often used when needed but prone to lock the wheels if over applied, something to consider at 90mph which is perfectly achievable once overdosed on ‘brave pills’; all this from 1914.