La Marquise: a true diamond?

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In 1886, at a time when Benz and Daimler were still struggling with primitive three-wheelers, Comte De Dion already produced sales brochures with illustrations of a steam phaeton, dog-cart, truck, carriage and even an 18-seat bus. And he wasn’t far-out with his visions as in 1884 Bouton and Trepardoux had made him a working prototype of steam vehicle. Fueled by coal, wood and bits of paper, the car takes half an hour to forty minutes to build up enough steam to drive. In 1887 Comte De Dion made a round trip from Paris to Versailles with La Marquise, as he named the steamer after his mother. Later this was to be called the first auto-race, although de Dion was the only one to show up. The car’s original brass plate is still attached to the boiler, showing the boiler inspections of 1889, 1894 and 1899, after which La Marquise was probably retired. De Dion sold the prototype in 1906 to a French army officer whose family kept it for 81 years. During the Great War its brass and copper fittings were used for the war effort so they never had it running. In 1987 Tim Moore bought the incomplete car, restored it and competed in four London-to-Brighton runs. The 1884 De Dion Bouton Et Trepardoux Dos-A-Dos Steam Runabout is now back on the market, to be sold by RM at their Hershey Auction on Friday, 7 October. RM have set an estimate between 2,000,000 and 2,500,000 US dollars, but we wouldn’t be surprised when in these uncertain economic times investors looking for collectible opportunities can double or perhaps even treble this figure.
Have a look at this YouTube video that shows La Marquise in full steam.

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