Thunder and frightening

‘Press this button for the full 700bhp,’ he says. I smile and nod, as though that seems like a good idea. These roads are narrow, bumpy and lined with boulders. I once wrecked a Mercedes-AMG GT’s nearside rear wheel on one of these rocks, and waited until nightfall to be recovered. The roads are streaming wet today too, so I think the standard 450bhp ought to be plenty.

But then I remember all of you, and how shortchanged you would feel if your reporter was too much of a wimp to even try it. So, with every one of you in my heart, I thumb that throbbing red button at the top of the stack, creep out onto the road, short-shift into third, and try to summon the courage to let all 700 of Detroit’s fastest stallions charge across this mountain.

The Nichols N1A is an inherently intimidating car. There’s all that power, of course, and in a machine that weighs just 900kg full of fuel and fluids, ready to go. The two banks of four trumpets that poke up from the rear deck look gorgeous, but they are a perennial reminder that you have a 7-litre Chevy V8 sitting inches from your left shoulder blade, and you must marshal it with care and consideration if you’re to reach the far end of the road in good shape – and good health.