Ultra-rare 120-year-old car with vintage oil lights and WOODEN steering wheel hits auction for eye-watering price

AN ULTRA-rare sports car that’s 120 years old is up for auction with a truly eye-watering price tag.

The vintage motor includes leather seats, side and rear brass oil lights, and even a wooden steering wheel.

This rarely seen Rochet-Schneider motor from 1904 has been listed at auction for a cool £690,000 - and it comes with an incredible backstory.

Produced by Rochet-Schneider, a French company established in 1889, the car was originally sold in 1904 in France and is number 45 of the 215 units manufactured that year.

It was then imported to the UK in 1967, where it was owned and cherished by a handful of classic car enthusiasts, including Denis Wright and Peter Agg, as well as the Tierra Blanca Collection.

Its current owner bought it in 1991, and in 2019 it was given a thorough service by veteran specialists at Jonathan Wood Ltd in Essex - with over £21,000 worth of work done to the classic car’s engine, steering, transmission, wheels and tyres.

The car's next owner will also receive a comprehensive history file, including a certificate of dating from the Veteran Car Club of Great Britain, a FIVA passport dated 2005, and a Vintage Sports-Car Club eligibility document dated 2011.

It also retains several period-correct accessories, such as Rejna Hanardini & Cie of Milan Brevetto self-generating acetylene parabolic oval headlights.

However, for added convenience, a discreet and efficient electric starter has been installed.

RM Sotheby’s, who are listing the motor, said: "This car is one of the most remarkable veteran-era cars, and a true rival to Mercedes.

“It has travelled approximately 17,000 miles in over 100 veteran car rallies across the UK and Europe under its current ownership.

“The current owner confirms that the car has been meticulously maintained and is ready for immediate use and enjoyment.

"The engine was fully rebuilt in 2003 and the car has done approximately 7,000 miles since.”

This comes as a Ford Escort recently sold for over £200,000 at a classic car auction - with just over 2,000 miles on the clock.

The retro motor was one of the standout sales at the weekend's Classic Motor Show at the NEC, Birmingham, which saw over 100 cars change hands for eye-watering sums of money.

And a rare car-turned-camper that's full of retro charm was sold at an auction earlier this year - complete with a tiny kitchen, bed and living space.

The unassuming 1986 Austin Maestro 500L Countryman is today considered one of the rarest versions of the once wildly popular model.