World’s oldest car to be auctioned off

Said to be the world’s oldest car, a steam-powered car will be sold in a Pebble Beach, California auction in August. The car, which is in working condition, was built in France in 1884. Even Henry Ford (who would be really sad to see where Ford is headed), the man who is mistaken as the first inventer of the automobile, built his first car 12 years after this one.

The car, which is nicknamed “La Marquis,” was originally built for the French Count De Dion, one of the founders of the company. According to Gooding & Company, who is handling the auction says the car has only had two others owners.

If you consider buying this puppy make sure you’re ready to set aside a half-hour to start up the engine, which is enough time to work up a sufficient amount of steam to drive. Also make sure you have a lot of coal, wood and bits of paper to fuel the car.

While we don’t know the 0-60 time on this baby, top speed is at a whopping 38mph. In a 1887 demonstration drive, the car covered a 19 miles at an average speed of 26 miles per hour. Following that year, it won the world’s first car race beating three-wheeled steam-powered De Dion-Bouton.

Gooding & Company estimate the car’s value at between $1. 5 million and $2 million.

Source: CNN

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