Perhaps Sherlock Holmes could solve the case of the extremely rare, indeed unique, historic Italian car restored in England.

The Fiat S76 R is a car of which only two examples were built in 1911, one of which was destroyed. It won the land speed record in 1911 and 1912. It was christened "La Belva diTorino" because of its massive appearance, almost like a prehistoric animal, and the aggressiveness of its 290 hp engine capable of reaching 200 km/h.

Retracing the history of this model, which was born at a time of great 'competition' between car manufacturers, we know that it raced in various races around the world, ending up as a wreck in the early 1920s while a challenge was being run in Australia. In the 1980s an Australian collector decided to buy the chassis and after years of trying to restore it, he abandoned the project and sold the chassis without the mechanical parts.

The new English owner, Duncan Pittaway, has managed to complete the restoration of the vehicle, which in recent years we have seen run on the famous Goodwood circuit.

The only existing example, a relic of the prototypes of the time, was part of the Capetti collection and was kept at the Polytechnic of Turin, where it should still be.