The ultimate used car? A 123-year-old Peugeot, a 'survivor from the dawn of motoring'
A 123-year-old Peugeot, believed to be one of the oldest cars on British roads, has been put on the market for around £500,000.
The 1894 Peugeot Type 5 is regarded as "an amazing survivor from the dawn of motoring".
It also has a motorsport history, having been an entrant in the 1894 Paris to Rouen race - an event recognised as the world's first motor race.
Louis Rigoulot got behind the wheel of the Peugeot for the 80 mile race, which was unprecedented at the time, driving the car to 11th place.
It is now on the market with central London-based classic car specialist Fiskens, which has given it an asking price of around £500,000.
Rory Henderson, from Fiskens, said:
The car's top speed at the time was around 16mph, and it was last driven in September 2014, covering more than 50 miles in one day at an event in Holland.> The Peugeot, known as '164, has also appeared at the Goodwood Festival of Speed on four occasions and led the prestigious 20 car strong 20-year celebration parade.
Fiskens has described the Peugeot as an "original and fascinating" car which will provide a buyer with a "rare opportunity to acquire a wonderful piece of early motoring history".>And despite its age, the car has no modifications or improvements. Power comes from a rear mounted 1,026cc Daimler v-twin engine with hot-tube ignition.
The engine was made by Panhard-Levassor under license from the German Daimler company and then sold directly to Peugeot.>Records show the engine was commissioned on 25th June 1893 and delivered to Peugeot's Valentigney facility on 20th December 1893.>It only became a legal requirement to register a car in the UK in 1903 and the Peugeot didn't arrive on British shores until 1998.>It means the DVLA does not have on record where the Peugeot ranks in terms of the UK's oldest running car.>However, it is thought the Peugeot could be the earliest car to come onto the open market in over a decade.
In 2001, Christie's sold a Santler Dog Cart, which was originally built in 1889 but then rebuilt in 1894. At the time it was 112 years old, which isn't as old as the Peugeot currently it.>The Peugeot, which has been restored by veteran car specialist Tim Moore, is eligible for many prestigious motoring events including the annual London to Brighton Veteran Car Run, the world's longest running motoring event.
Last year's oldest vehicle in the Veteran Car Run was an 1895 model - a car which is two years newer than the Peugeot for sale with Fiskens.
You can find more information about the sale on the Fiskens website.