Equipment
Aged. Two double expanison cylinders with rod drive to closely spaced rear wheels. Dos a dos seating with the boiler and controls at the front. Exact age is unknown but is placed on circumstantial evidence at between 1887 and 1892, any of which is sufficient to make it one of the oldest self propelled passenger vehicles in the world. Bouton and Trepardoux were brothers in law and in business together before the Comte deDion showed up. Displayed in the Musee de la Sarthe at Le Mans since the mid 80s.
Market commentary
The opening bid was Euros 120,000 and announced that the vehicle was selling. That served notice of what was to come. There were a half dozen or more bidders on this vehicle, which might be more accurately described as a real early London Brighton start time. The bids kept going and going and everyone sat up and took notice. Eventually hammered sold at this price, the two underbidders stood in line for it if there were any problems. This is most emphatically what its worth and it doesnt even qualify as over the top or expensive. Now, what were people saying about old cars buyers dying off