the world's oldest drivable car - and it's worth a lot

The world’s oldest running car, an 1884 De Dion Bouton Et Trapardoux Dos-A-Dos Steam Runabout has sold at auction in Pennsylvania for a whopping US $4.62 million. With a starting bid of a mere $500,000, the 127-year-old machine proved much more desirable that initial expectations and bidding was frenetic. Once it was all over the gavel fell at US$ 4.2 million. The final price included a ten-percent buyer’s premium.

The new owner joins an elite list of just five collectors to have claimed ownership of the vehicle over its well-documented history. In addition to being the world’s oldest running motor car, it also participated in the first automobile race in 1887, where it reached a top speed of 37 mph (60 km/h) on the straights, along with a double award at the 1997 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. In addition, it has also successfully completed four London to Brighton runs in the UK.