Rolls-Royce Merlin alternative uses

Michael Wilcock of Sussex, England, built the Swandean Spitfire Special,[1] using a Merlin XXV engine acquired from a scrap yard for £140.

[citation needed] In both incarnations the car used Rolls-Royce grilles, badges, and hood ornaments, none of which were authorised by the company.

The Beast was brought to the attention of Rolls-Royce, who took Dodd to court after he refused to remove their radiator grille, badges, and Spirit of Ecstasy mascot.

[8][9] It was around this time that Dodd moved to live in southern Spain, continuing to use the car and regularly driving it long distances to automotive shows, until his death in December 2022.

[16] In the mid-1940s early 1950s, aviation engines gained in popularity as powerplants of choice for unlimited hydroplane racing given their relatively high power-to-weight ratio, reliability, and availability.

Starting with the Miss Windsor raceboat at Detroit in 1946, several ever-more-powerful variants of the Merlin were so used, over the next decades, in a heated battle against the equally popular Allison V-1710.

In unlimited hydroplane racing, both were eventually supplanted by gas turbine engines, which exhibit even more favourable power-to-size and power-to-weight ratios.

[17] Some of the most significant Merlin-powered hydroplanes include:[citation needed] The Meteor was a tank engine developed from the Merlin in World War II.