La Marquise is the world's oldest running automobile, as of 2011.[1] It is an 1884 model made by Frenchmen De Dion, Bouton and Trépardoux. The car was a quadricycle prototype named for de Dion's mother.[2]
In 1887, the Count of Dion drove La Marquise in an exhibition that has been called the world's first car race, though no other car showed up.[2] It made the 32-odd-kilometre (20 mile) Paris-to-Versailles round trip at an average speed of 25.5 km/h (almost 16 mph). The following year, he beat Bouton in a three-wheeler with an average speed of 29 km/h (19 mph).[2]
Fueled by coal, wood and bits of paper, the car takes 30–40 minutes to build up enough steam to drive. Top speed is 61 km/h (38 mph).[3]
As the oldest car, it wore the number "0" in the 1996 London to Brighton Veteran Car Run.[2] The vehicle was sold at the 2007 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance for $3.52 million.[4] It sold again in 2011 for $4.6 million, a record price for an early automobile.[1]
- ^ a b Valdes-Dapena, Peter (2011-10-10). "World's oldest car sells for $4.6 billion". CNN. Retrieved 2011-12-17.
- ^ a b c d Duchene, Paul (2007-08-19). "For Sale: '84 Model. Runs Great". The New York Times. Retrieved 2007-11-15.
- ^ Valdes-Dapena, Peter (2007-06-28). "World's oldest car for sale: Steam-powered 1884 car will be auctioned at Pebble Beach in August". CNN. Retrieved 2007-11-15.
- ^ McDermon, Daniel (2007-08-21). "The Classics of Pebble Beach, '07 Edition". The New York Times (blog). Retrieved 2007-11-15.