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World's Oldest Working Car Sold for $4.6M

French auto was built in 1884

By Matt Cantor,  Newser Staff

Posted Oct 11, 2011 4:09 PM CDT

(Newser) – The oldest car on the planet that still runs was sold at auction Friday for $4.6 million, double auctioneers' expectations. It's the most ever paid for an early automobile, CNNMoney reports. The De Dion-Bouton et Trepardoux, a French vehicle built in 1884, arrived more than a decade before Henry Ford built the first of his cars in a garage.

Nicknamed "La Marquise," the car, sold in Hershey, Pa., was built for its company's founder and took part in the reputed first-ever automobile race. It runs on coal, wood, and paper and can reach a maximum of 38 mph. The vehicle was last sold in 2007 for $3.5 million.

The Marquise.
The Marquise.   (RM Auctions)
The Marquise.
The Marquise.   (RM Auctions)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 8 comments
bewilderbeast
Oct 12, 2011 8:09 AM CDT
Always wanted a De Dion-Bouton et Trepardoux. But then I heard they run on coal, wood and paper . . .
George-Jetson
Oct 11, 2011 10:11 PM CDT
Sales like this one are usually carried out privately. These are older folks who do not like to draw attention to themselves.This horseless carriage will go into a marble tiled room besides a dozen other multi-million dollar cars, never to see the light of day.
proud_prude
Oct 11, 2011 9:42 PM CDT
Some of the earliest cars were electric -- they were faster and more reliable than the others. http://inventors.about.com/od/estartinventions/a/History-Of-Electric-Vehicles.htm
 

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