Tag Archives: 1898

Peugeot Type 15

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1898 Peugeot Type 15 Double Phaeton

Offered by Bonhams | London, U.K. | November 4, 2022

Photo – Bonhams

Amazingly, the Type 15 was the 15th model introduced by Peugeot when it went on sale in 1897. It remained available through 1901, as it was fairly popular. Up to that point, it was the most mass-produced Peugeot model with 276 constructed.

It was also the company’s first car powered by a proprietary engine, as previous Peugeot engine’s were based on Daimler designs. It’s a 2.2-liter flat-twin that made about eight-horsepower and drove the rear wheels via a four-speed (plus reverse) gearbox.

This one was sold new in France and has known history back to the 1950s. Museum duty called from that point and for the next 30 years, and it’s current owner bought it some time after a restoration was completed in 1996. It’s a London-to-Brighton veteran and should bring between $310,000-$367,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $612,240.

Riker Electric

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1898 Riker Electric Stanhope

Offered by Worldwide Auctioneers | Pacific Grove, California | August 15, 2019

Photo – Worldwide Auctioneers

Andrew Riker built his first vehicle – an electric tricycle – in 1887. He incorporated – first in Brooklyn, later in Elizabethport, New Jersey – and became one of the first manufacturers of electric vehicles. The company was never huge, but it did produce passenger vehicles and heavy trucks. Riker tired of electric cars and, after selling his electric car business to Columbia, eventually moved to Connecticut, where he designed the first gasoline-powered Locomobile and later became the first president of the Society of Automotive Engineers.

This car was built by Riker in 1898 and is powered by a 1.5-kilowatt-hour electric motor that drives the rear wheels through a three-speed gearbox. Tiller steering and a convertible top are equipped.

Riker won a race in this car in Boston and later showed it in Paris. Competition seemed to usually be at the forefront of Riker’s mind, and the car was entered in the first race held by the New York Automobile Racing Association. And it won. Later, it remained with the Riker family until Andrew’s passing in 1930, whereupon it was donated to the Henry Ford Museum.

When the Henry Ford thinned their collection in 1985, the car was acquired by the widow of Andrew Riker Jr. The current owners acquired it from her after maintaining the car for her during her ownership. It’s 121-years-old and is all-original. This is the type of car you usually only see at the Henry Ford or the Harrah Collection. It still runs and drives, reportedly capable of 40 mph, which is frightening. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

1898 Delahaye

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1898 Delahaye Type 0

Offered by Osenat | Fontainebleau, France | March 23, 2019

Photo – Osenat

Emile Delahaye founded his car company in 1894 in Tours, France. The car we have here is one of the earliest Delahayes in existence and is believed to be one of the earliest Type 0 examples produced in 1898.

The Type 0 was available from 1898 through 1901, and 250 examples were produced. It is powered by a 1.4-liter single-cylinder engine making somewhere between five and seven horsepower. It was capable of 22 mph.

Only four examples of the Type 0 are known to exist, and this is the only one with this style of bodywork. Remarkably, the original owner is known, as is its history since, which included a long museum stay. That’s exactly what most cars of this era have become: museum pieces. It would be great if the next owner would get it out for vintage road rallies. It should cost between $115,000-$170,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $175,157.

1898 Germain

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1898 Germain 6HP Twin-Cylinder Open Drive Limousine

Offered by Bonhams | London, U.K. | November 3, 2017

Photo – Bonhams

We’ve featured an impressive amount of pre-1900 automobiles on this site and this car looks many years newer than some of them. Ateliers Germain was founded in 1897 in the Belgian town on Monceau-sur-Sambre. They specialized in building other cars under license, such as those from Renault and Panhard et Levassor.

This car is similar to a Panhard of the day, which isn’t surprising as Germain was one of a few Belgian companies who bought some early cars (among them, a Panhard) to study them in order to launch Belgium’s own automobile industry. This car was the company’s prototype and it’s powered by a six horsepower, two-cylinder engine.

They stopped building cars after WWI and turned to railcars. They merged into another company in the 1960s and ceased to exist thereafter. But until they became defunct, they managed to hang on to this car, their first. It’s first owner acquired it in 1964 and the current owner bought it about 20 years ago. Restored as needed over time, this car is a miraculous survivor. It should bring between $200,000-$290,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $295,610.

Daley Quadricycle

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1898 Daley Quadricycle

Offered by Bonhams | London, U.K. | November 3, 2017

Photo – Bonhams

M.H. Daley, who owned a company that manufactured farm equipment, was responsible for one of America’s earliest automobile manufacturers. Founded in Charles City, Iowa, in 1895, the little company lasted only through 1898. His first car used an engine he designed himself.

It’s unknown how many cars Daley built (there were at least three and he did plan to market them for $500 a pop, though it’s unlikely this ever occurred), but this is the only one left. It’s powered by a 700cc twin-cylinder engine that gets a supposed 100 mpg. Good luck spending 100 miles in this thing trying to achieve that figure.

This car used to compete in the London-to-Brighton run back in the 80s before it was put on museum duty. The current owner acquired it back in 2011 and has had the engine rebuilt. That means it’s about ready to run in upcoming events. As a very rare pioneer American automobile, this car should bring between $46,000-$59,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $39,196.

1898 Daimler

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1898 Daimler Twin-Cylinder 6HP Wagonette

Offered by Bonhams | London, U.K. | October 31, 2014

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

Daimler has an interesting history. Gottlieb Daimler set up his company in Germany in 1890. But a second Daimler popped up in Coventry in 1896. The British concern bought the rights to the Daimler name and their early cars used Panhard chassis and German Daimler engines. The German Daimler survives as the company that owns Mercedes-Benz. The British Daimler is owned by Jaguar and has been dormant for a few years.

Not much is known about this car’s early days but it was rescued in 1931. A subsequent restoration found that this car was actually hot rodded around 1902 and fitted with a more powerful engine and “modern” parts. It was restored in the 1970s and has been in a Japanese collection for 20 years. Everything has since been converted back to original specification (with the exception of the ignition).

After two decades in a museum, this car has been recommissioned and it does run. I’m not sure how fast this car’s six horsepower twin will propel this large vehicle, but it is a very early car and not the type that comes up for sale often. It should sell for between $320,000-$400,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Not sold.