La Marquise ([la maʁkiz], "The Marchioness") is the world's oldest running automobile, as of 2011 (but the passenger-carrying Grenville steam carriage of 1875 is older). It was made in 1884 or 1885 by the French company Trépardoux et Cie, (later De Dion-Bouton) financed and led by Count de Dion. The car was one of a series of prototype quadricycles and tricycles which de Dion built from 1883 - 1888. The name is not contemporary: there was nothing exceptional about the vehicle when built; de Dion's parents disapproved strongly of his fraternising with tradesmen and took legal action to stop him dissipating the family fortune. In 1887, the magazine le Vélo organised a race from Paris-to-Versailles and back (20 miles; 32 km). La Marquise was the only vehicle which took part. It made the round trip at an average speed of 25.5 km/h (15.8 mph; 7.1 m/s). The following year, he beat Bouton in a three-wheeler with an average speed of 29 km/h (18 mph; 8.1 m/s). Fueled by coal, wood and pieces of paper, the car takes 30–40 minutes to build up enough steam to drive. Her top speed is 61 km/h (38 mph; 17 m/s). As the oldest car, it wore the number "0" in the 1996 London to Brighton Veteran Car Run. The vehicle was sold at the 2007 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance for $3.52 million. It sold again in 2011 for $4.6 million, a record price for an early automobile.
See also History of the automobile De Dion-Bouton American De Dion (automobile) Delamare-Deboutteville List of automobile sales by model Most expensive cars sold in auction
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Video (04:42) - Oldest Running Automobile - "La Marquise" (1884, FR)