The world's oldest running car up for sale

[Donnachaidh]

http://www.gizmag.com/worlds-oldest-running-car-for-sale/19924/?utm_source=Gizmag+Subscribers&utm_campaign=22d18f5170-UA-2235360-4&utm_medium=email



A very special car will cross the autcioneers block next month - it's the world's oldest running motor car, a historic 1884 de Dion Bouton et Trepardoux Dos-a-Dos Steam Runabout. The second prototype built by Count de Dion, the car participated in the world's first automobile race.

The world's first race is generally regarded as being the Paris-Rouen trial of 1895, but there was indeed an earlier race in 1887 - billed as "Europe's first motoring competition", run by the editor of France's top selling bicycle magazine, Le Velocipede - only one car turned up to race - this car. It completed the course, and although it's arguably not possible to have a race without two competitors, this is the car that "won" that race, achieving a claimed top speed of 37 mph on the straights.

Commissioned by French entrepreneur, Count de Dion, and built by Georges Bouton and Charles-Armand Trepardoux, the 1884 De Dion steamer was nicknamed "La Marquise" after the Count de Dion's mother. Measuring just nine feet in length, La Marquise features twin compound steam engines, "spade handle" steering and seats four people "dos-a-dos" (back-to-back). The seats are located on top of the steel tank, which holds 40 gallons of water, good for about 20 miles; its sophisticated boiler, fed by coal or coke, can be steamed in 45 minutes.

If there's a surprise, it's the functional nature of the prototype - it seats four dos-a-dos, takes more than half an hour to prepare before it can drive, and requires watering every 20 miles, but it is one of the most significant automobiles in history and it goes to auction on October 6. The de Dion is naturally expected to create quite a bit of interest with auctioneers RM Auctions expecting somewhere beyond US$2.0 million.

More at the link --

[MADem]

1. Wonder if Jay Leno will bid on it? nt

[sakabatou]

19. Leno himself has a few steam-powered cars

[Shagbark Hickory]

26. I was gonna say... I think he already has one. n/t

[Hell Hath No Fury]

2. Coooool!

It reminds me a bit of Jack Lemmon's car in "The Great Race".

[Brother Buzz]

4. "Push the Button, Max"

[hlthe2b]

3. Sporty....

;) Has that tank-like intimidation factor too...

[Hoosier Daddy]

25. That's why Dick Cheney has already put in a bid

Hell, that might've been his first car!

[PatSeg]

5. Has to be a bitch finding a "Coal Station"

every twenty miles!

This is so cool.

[KansDem]

8. Yeah, and what if Appalachia decided to impose a "coal embargo?"

We'd all be waiting in coal lines...

Only ten pounds today, folks!

[Motown_Johnny]

6. check the Carfax

[Parker CA]

15. Baahahahahahahaha!

[Canuckistanian]

21. LOL

I'll bet it smells of mint julep and Bay Rum.

[JohnnyRingo]

7. Though it seems remarkable it survived so long, I believe it's because it was eclipsed.

by Karl Benz's far superior gasoline powered automobile before it became worn out and scrapped. Such is the toll of fast paced technology in it's genesis.

Though it's impressive it wasn't dismantled for parts anyway, it's possible it was first owned by a very obstinate man who refused to admit he had an obsolete white elephant on his hands. He may have stored it away partly out of embarrassment until he realized it may be historically significant. Thank goodness for stubborn Frenchmen.

With that short wheelbase and such a high center of gravity I bet it was pretty squirly at 37mph, and really sweated up the driver's gloves. A better man than I.

[FredStembottom]

22. I have to wonder....

As a tractor show fan... I haven't come across one of those giant steam traction engines that wasn't re-built from piles of separate parts.

But this thing "won" a famous race so maybe it has survived intact the whole way?

(Just wondering out loud. Not disputing.)

[JohnnyRingo]

23. I considered that too.

The builder/owner probably felt a great deal of pride in his initial achievement and factored that into his decision to preserve it when it soon became obsolete. He may just as well have cannibalized it for his next project.

I keep up with the collector market, and have to wonder as well how much is original. I'm sure it's been restored to some degree as even putting it away for 100 years will cause deterioration. While many early cars have been found secreted away over the years, only those that have a value equal or greater than the restoration costs survive. There are many "cars" found in boxes that are probably worth more for their parts than the cost of sourcing 80% of it for a rebuild.

People assume all old cars (and tractors) are valuable, but examples like Stanley Steamers have little practical use today. As such, they find limited appeal in the general market and therefore less value than one may realize at auction. Museums can't afford huge collector prices on non significant examples. This car has the romantic appeal of winning an important race.

[FredStembottom]

28. You make me think one of my hobbies

(repairing old tube radios).

They still have collector value because the radio waves are still there. You can use a restored tube radio.

Tape decks on the other hand are just as repairable and interesting but have no value - because the tapes are going, going, gone.

I wonder if the radios will make it to the next generation? My 20-something kids are almost 100% radio-free. I am, too. More and more I expect broadcasting to just disappear and with it the radio frequency spectrum.

[JohnnyRingo]

29. I believe as long as hobbyists can build a transmitter in their basement...

radio will always be with us. Unlike impractical hobbies like collecting fire engines, radio is cheap, useful, and interesting enough to live forever.

I think that's pretty cool that you restore tube radios. I lament the passing of vacuum tubes. one of the best sounding stereos I've heard in my long life was an old Fisher amp a friend still used. The clarity was astounding, a sound I haven't heard since. Kids today will live to forget what true fidelty is.

[FredStembottom]

31. Tubes actually impart some "coloring" to the sound.

But it happens to be a coloring that the ear finds totally yummy.

There's almost an exact comparison to incandescent light bulbs. The color isn't daylight neutral at all - but our eyes adore it more than true color. Our brains say: Yes! That's it! True color.... but it's not. And all you need to do to see it is put in some of those daylight balanced CFL's (as opposed to the incandescent balanced CFL's) and bask in the harsh, blue-ish, sterile glow.

:scared:

[Demeter]

9. No It ISN'T! I NEED my Wheels!

[joeybee12]

10. KNR...that really is a neat looking car...nt

[sinkingfeeling]

11. I'd love to have it, but can't afford it.

[DainBramaged]

12. Jay Leno is a prime customer

he owns many steam powered vehicles, and is considered an expert. I am sure this would be wonderful as an addition to his marvelous collection.

http://www.jaylenosgarage.com/at-the-garage/steam-cars/

[dtexdem]

13. Nope. Price is too high, and not enough trunk space.

;-)

[handmade34]

14. not quite the oldest

but this one is for sale too (my Dad is selling it... his last one)

[Blue_Tires]

16. excellent quality...

what else does your dad restore/rebuild?

[handmade34]

17. this is his last

he had 6 Model-T's and had restored them all... beautiful but have no other pictures to share... once he couldn't crawl under to work on them he started to sell them off last year

My dad used to be a truck driver and small airplane pilot, so sad to see him give up his passions

[thelordofhell]

18. It belongs in a museum

Quick, get Indiana Jones!!

[alfredo]

20. So now I know where the square dance move Do se Do

comes from.

From the free dictionary site:

do-si-do (ds-d)
n. pl. do-si-dos
1. A movement in square dancing in which two dancers approach each other and circle back to back, then return to their original positions.
2. The call given to signal such a movement.

[xchrom]

24. That is so cool. Nt

[Shagbark Hickory]

27. Convertibles always demand top dollar.

[IDemo]

30. I saw a running car very nearly that old years ago

A guy had one of these, a Benz, on a trailer and started it for me after I asked about it:

[Little Star]

32. Cool! Anyone know why the front tires are so much bigger than the back ones?

[BiggJawn]

33. Wonder if it could be rigged to run on wood?

Just the thing for Peak Oil...