The Most Expensive Vehicle in the World

This 1884 De Dion Steam Runabouts sold for $4.62 million at auction

　

It's full name is the De Dion Bouton Et Trepardoux Dos-A-Dos Steam Runabout. On Oct. 7, it sold for more than double its estimated value--a cool $4.62 million.

The 127-year-old vehicle drew a standing ovation from the crowd, according to RM Auctions, which presided over the sale. Bidding started at $500,000 before immediately jumping to $1 million. The final price is a new world record for an early motor car sold at auction. The winner is the fifth owner of the historic machine. It was offered from the estate of John O'Quinn, a collector who bought the car from British Veteran Car Club member Tim Moore. It was Moore who restored the De Dion to full working condition. As a result, it won the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in 1997.

"The world's leading automotive collectors recognized the incredibly rare opportunity the sale represented, as was reflected in the spirited bidding and impressive result," said Rob Myers, founder of RM Auctions.

Just imagine. The JRWatkins Company was already 16 years old when this high-priced De Dion was first built. In those early years, Watkins salesmen distributed their products to remote farms in ss carriages. They carried America's first door-to-door salesmen to their customers in distant homesteads, who would wait in great anticipation to see the Watkins wagon come rolling down the dusty road every month.

As the sales force grew to include both men and women, their cars needed to be a bit more comfortable for those longer trips to handle the demand for a wide array of Watkins products. No longer just an apothicary company, the Watkins Associates were able to offer baking products, cleaning products, and body care products to make every housewife feel like Gloria Swanson and Heddie Lamar.

Today, we are still selling Watkins products door-to-door here in Big Bear, CA, but we purchased our Watkins wagon -- a 2007 Jeep Patriot -- for a few bucks less than that 1884 De Dion. We didn't even need a major overhaul when we purchased it in 2009, the year we launched our Watkins business.

The Jeep gets its biggest workout when we travel, not to nearby farms but to farmer's markets and street fairs. For the first few years, we could get our tent, display tables and products inside the Jeep. But this year, with the intent of showing at least one of the top 50 Watkins products, we had to resort to straping three 8-ft. tables to the roof to make everything fit. It certainly is easy to spot n a large parking lot!

If you live anywhere from Palm Springs to Riverside, CA, give us a call at 888-881-7372. We can include you on our door-to-door route. Or we may be able to hook you up with one of our Watkins Associates who lives closer, and could come to your door more often than just once a month.

Remember, the holidays are just around the corner. There are so many items you will remember from our last year's Seasonal Favorites, plus a number of new products just in time for this year's holiday baking, entertaining and gift-giving. Check them out at our website:
www.BigBearCountryStore.com.