This is the oldest motor vehicle car in the world that still runs. It was built one year before Karl Benz and Gottlieb Daimler invented the internal combustion engine.
The world's oldest running motor vehicle has been sold at auction for an astonishing $4.62 million (R36.5-million), more than double the pre-sale estimate, as two bidders chased the price up in a three-minute bidding war.
The 1884 De Dion Bouton et Trepardoux Dos-a-Dos Steam Runabout drew a standing ovation as it was driven up onto the stage at Friday's RM Auction in Hershey, Pennsylvania - to prove that this 127-year-old car really does run! - and attracted a starting bid of $500 000, which was immediately
doubled to $1 million.
Encouraged by the applauding crowd, the bidding went swiftly up to $4.2 million - 4.62 million including the 10 percent commission - before the car was knocked down to a unnamed buyer.
The Dos-a-Dos (Back-to-Back) Steam Runabout was built in 1884 by George Bouton and Charles-Armand Trepardoux for French entrepreneur Count de Dion, who named it 'La Marquise' after his mother.
In 1887, with De Dion at the tiller, it won the world's first ever motor race (it was the only entrant to make the start line!) covering the 32km from the Pont de Neuilly in Paris to Versailles and back in one hour and 14 minutes (an average of 25.9km/h) and, according to contemporary
reports, hitting a breathtaking 60km/h on the straights!
La Marquise has only had four owners, remaining in one family for 81 years, and has been restored twice, once by the Doriol family and again by British collector Tom Moore in the early 1990's. Since then, it has taken part in four London-to-Brighton runs and collected a double gold at the1997 Pebble Beach d'Elegance in California.

 

MORE PICTURES HERE

Oh, MAN! It's looking good! Lots of cars entered and the snow has been flying!

Link to the entry list on the WCRA website.

For anyone interested in reminding themselves what we are getting into here is a link to our 2011 Thunderbird Rally video on Youtube.

I can't wait!

Q: In which battle did Napoleon die?
A: His last battle
 
Q: Where was the Declaration of Independence signed?
A: At the bottom of the page
 
Q: River Ravi flows in which state?
A: Liquid
 
Q: What is the main reason for divorce?
A: Marriage
 
Q: What is the main reason for failure?
A: Exams
 
Q: What can you never eat for breakfast?
A: Lunch & dinner
 
Q: What looks like half an apple?
A: The other half
 
Q: If you throw a red stone into the blue sea what it will become?
A: Wet
 
Q: How can a man go eight days without sleeping ?
A: He sleeps at night.
 
Q: How can you lift an elephant with one hand?
A: You will never find an elephant that has only one hand..
 
Q: If you had three apples and four oranges in one hand and four apples and three oranges in other hand, what would you have?
A: Very large hands
 
Q: If it took eight men ten hours to build a wall, how long would it take four men to build it?
A: No time at all, the wall is already built.
 
Q: How can u drop a raw egg onto a concrete floor without cracking it?

A: Any way you want, concrete floors are very hard to crack.

 

Only Irish coffee provides, in a single glass, all four essential food groups:

alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat.

Check Out Our Photo Gallery. We have posted some photos of the newest X-Kote Center in China.

7H is the name of this elite membership shop in the center of Xi'an city. They cater to the affluent, specializing in high end, luxury and exotic cars. 7H chose X-kote as it's flagship service, and designed the center to specialize in the X-kote service. This place is unbelievable!

I could only dream of having a shop like this!   

 

This Fifth Wheel Parallel Parking Invention is genius!

Although it did take up some trunk space. And it got it's power from the drive shaft, so I wonder, was it throttle controlled?

If so, it could bring a new meaning to "one tire fire". Video link here.

 

At Splashes we claim Armaguard spray-on liners are the strongest protection not only for trucks, but for anything you could possible think of. We have used Armaguard coating to protect everything from trailers to baggage carriers, pilings and boats.

But even we would have never thought of coating a jacket in Spray On Truck Bed Liner. The MythBusters gave it a go as part of their tests to see how strong truck bedliners really are.

A dog bite can produce up to 500 PSI of pressure and that is focused to several sharply pointed teeth. Then a dog twists and wipes to make their attack even more violent. No matter, because even that is no match for Spray On Truck Bed Liners.

Check out the video here.   

YES!

Claims and rumors are flying about a new car being released by VW that will get 258 MPG and will only cost $600!

This thing is called the VW L1. It is carbon fiber from door to door and comes standard with equipment such as anti lock brakes, stability program and one air bag.

So no, it won't cost $600 ... more like $25,900.

It is going to get 258 MPG with it's single cylinder diesel engine which turns off at stop lights. With a mind bending top speed of 74 miles per hours and seating for two, it is a bit pricey.

But that's ok, because when you fill the the tank with 1.72 gallons of fuel it will only cost you about $5.00 and that will take you over 400 miles!

If the average person commuting to work drives about 15,000 miles per year, then with this car they would only burn about 58 gallons of fuel each year! That's only $175 worth of fuel @ $3.00 per gallon!

Take that Hybrids!

Here are our December specials on car washes and gift cards.

 

I had a customer ask me this question;

Ryan...is the drive through wash hard on the paint with the chemicals?

So I thought I would post my response, just in case anyone else is curious;