The world’s oldest working car is due to be sold at auction next month and expected to fetch £1.6 million when it goes under the hammer.

The 127-year-old antique vehicle is run on steam, using paper, coal and wood as fuel to produce the steam which powers the engine. Forward planning is required if you want to take the vintage car for ride as the vehicle takes 45 minutes to build up enough steam to motor the vehicle.

The formal name of the classic car, De Dion Buton Et Treparadoux, was shorted to the easier title of La Marquise, named after the first owner’s mother. La Marquise was built especially for the Count De Dion in 1884 and remained within the family until 1906 when it was sold to a French army officer Henri Doriol.

After 81 years with the Doriol household, the unique car was sold to motor enthusiast, Tim Moore in 1987, who succeeded in getting the car working again after it lost its copper and brass components during the First World War.

Weighing in at 150 stone, approximately the same weight as a small modern car such as the Renault Clio, and measuring just 9 feet in length, La Marquise boasts a top speed of 38mph, and is officially the oldest working car in the world. Expectations are high for the forthcoming auction, with an expected selling price in the region of £1.6 million for this one-of-a-kind car.