De Dion Bouton steam quadricycle 1887
2019 Pre-War to the Museum - Den Haag (NL)

One of the oldest preserved automobiles in the world, this 2 cylinder 4 wheeled steamer made by the French firm De Dion Bouton & Trepardoux. A remarkably compact and effective looking machine which could reach a top speed of 60 kph, which must have been quite a sight in a world still dominated by horse drawn carts.
A few years later De Dion Bouton switched to petrol engines and became one of the largest manufacturers of motorized vehicles around the turn of the century. Steam engine specialist Charles Trepardoux had left the company by then.