On this day in auto history - December 3rd

Thu 3rd Dec 2020

It was on this day in 2007 that the world’s oldest known surviving Rolls-Royce was sold for a record £3.5 million at a Bonhams auction in London.

Described by the auctioneers as a “true motoring icon”, the two-seater, 10-bhp vehicle was purchased for a mammoth £3.5 million by an anonymous bidder - then a world record for a veteran car.

Made in 1904, the vehicle was used as an exhibition car at both the Paris Salon and the Olympia Motor Exhibitions and played a leading role in helping establish the credentials of Rolls-Royce as a world renowned company.

Records show it was just the fourth-ever car produced at the Rolls-Royce factory in Manchester and was initially purchased by a wealthy Lancashire doctor.