Exquisite 120-year-old car with wooden steering wheel, horn and leather seats for sale – it could be yours for £240k
A VINTAGE car that features a stunning wooden steering wheel, horn, and leather seats could be yours for £240,000.
An exquisite Twin-Cylinder Four-Seat Side-Entrance Tonneau from 1904 is heading to auction in remarkably good condition despite its 120 years.
The vehicle crimson, manufactured by French carmaker Darracq, boasts a car horn and leather upholstered seats.
In 1905, the Darracq won the both the Circuit des Ardennes and Vanderbilt Cup races, repeating the latter victory in 1906, thereby demonstrating that Darracqs were durable as well as fast.
The listing of this car is held by Bonhams who said: “Our vendor purchased this Darracq in 2006 from classic car dealer, Martin Daly.
“[He] was selling the car on behalf of the then owner, Mr Hugh Crawford Balfour, who had acquired it in 2003.”
“Seeking to uncover its history, the vendor sought the advice of VCC stalwart, the late Malcolm Jeal, for many years Chairman of the Club’s Dating Committee.
“This Darracq was formerly part of the famous Sword Collection and there is a picture on file dating from pre-1962 of it in the collection.
“It is probable that ‘A 4489’ was sold in one of the Sword Collection sales during the 1960s.
“The car is known to have been owned subsequently by Royal Automobile Club (RAC) Chairman Air Chief Marshal Sir John Rogers and Historic Sports Car Club CEO Mr Graham White.”
Some works have been undertaken and the snazzy car has featured in multiple publications.
The listing read: “While in the current ownership ‘A 4489’ competed in the London to Brighton Run from 2006 onwards until and including 2019, with only one year of non-attendance and two failures associated with the gearbox (now rebuilt) and tyre blowouts.
“Eleven Runs have been successfully completed (just one since the engine rebuild).
“The Darracq has also appeared on the front page of The Times newspaper on Monday 4th November 2013 edition, copy on file, and was used by Goose Productions for their advertising campaign in 2014.
“It has also featured in various magazines. Hanging in the RAC Club there is an oil painting of ‘A 4489’ travelling over Westminster Bridge in the company of Prince Michael of Kent at the wheel of another vehicle, driven by its then owner who was Chairman of the RAC at the time.
“The Darracq has not been used since the Covid outbreak and has been carefully stored in the owner’s fully heated motor house with the other cars in his collection.
“’A 4489′ has provided the owner and his family with great fun and adventures over the years, with many happy memories; however, the time has now come for another custodian to take over the reins and enjoy ownership as much as they have.”
Creator Alexandre Darracq, who was born in Bordeaux in 1855, made his fortune in the bicycle industry’s boom years of the late 19th Century before turning his attention to powered transport.
All about Darracq cars
FRENCHMAN Alexandre Darracq founded the self-named carmaker back in 1896.
Darracq launched his first successful internal combustion-engined automobile in 1900.
Darracq was a businessman rather than an engineer and had recruited designer Paul Ribeyrolles to be responsible for its production.
He made his fortune in the bicycle industry’s boom years of the late 19th Century before turning his attention to cars.
The new venture was financed by the sale of his Gladiator bicycle business to Dunlop, though he continued to make bicycle components in his new factory at Suresnes, Seine.