The world’s oldest working car

The world’s oldest working car is due to be 


sold at auction next month and expected to 


fetch £1.6 million when it goes under the 


hammer.

The 127-year-old antique vehicle is run on 


steam, using paper, coal and wood as fuel to 


produce the steam which powers the engine. 


Forward planning is required if you want to 


take the vintage car for ride as the vehicle takes 45 minutes to build up enough steam to 


motor the vehicle.

The formal name of the classic car, De Dion Buton Et Treparadoux, was shorted to the 


easier title of La Marquise, named after the first owner’s mother. La Marquise was built 


especially for the Count De Dion in 1884 and remained within the family until 1906 when it 


was sold to a French army officer Henri Doriol.

After 81 years with the Doriol household, the unique car was sold to motor enthusiast, Tim 


Moore in 1987, who succeeded in getting the car working again after it lost its copper and 


brass components during the First World War.

Weighing in at 150 stone, approximately the same weight as a small modern car such as 


the Renault Clio, and measuring just 9 feet in length, La Marquise boasts a top speed of 


38mph, and is officially the oldest working car in the world. Expectations are high for the 


forthcoming auction, with an expected selling price in the region of £1.6 million for this 


one-of-a-kind car.