World’s Oldest Car for Sale?
Last week, I posted my research on "Who invented the automobile?" I concluded that Karl Benz deserved credit for the 1885 Benz Patent Motorwagen. But, hold your horsepower.
Mark Dill has emailed me that a 1884 steam-powered car, billed as "the oldest car in the world that still runs", will be sold in a Pebble Beach, Calif., auction in August. "The four-wheeled De Dion-Bouton et Trepardoux, nicknamed "La Marquise," was originally built for the French Count De Dion, one of the founders of the company. The car has had only two other owners since, according to auction house Gooding & Company, which is handling the sale". Details on this car and the auction can be found on the CNNMoneywebsite.
Comments
I would tend to agree with you that the Benz was the first PRACTICAL automobile. The prior efforts using either steam or electric power were almost still-born and did not develop at the time, nor have they to this day really found a place except in special situations.
Bob:
I agree with you.. and so do most historians.
Howard