1910 Lorraine-Dietrich 12HP Sport

Full disclosure – we’ve never seen a 1910 Lorraine-Dietrich 12hp 2-seater open tourer before. 

And, as far as we can tell from our exhaustive trawling of auction results, archives, Google and any other portal with an opinion, neither has anyone else.

Or, at least, no one who’s ever thought to mention it.

In terms of rare sightings, it’s up there with Lord Lucan, Shergar and the Ark of the Covenant.

So, what do we know?

Well, we believe that the car spent most of its life in Argentina, where it was purchased by Peter Edbrooke in 2005.

He was a passionate car enthusiast and driver, having raced cars well into his 80s, and with a collection that at various times included such cars as a 1936 BMW 328, Lotus 18-Ford Formula 2 car, Lotus 17, Lotus Elite and a rally prepared original Mini…to name but a few.

The chassis, engine, running gear and other mechanicals were present when he purchased the car….but not the body.

To rectify this oversight, he took the car to the esteemed Buenos Aires restorers Jorge and Luis Penedo, who set about fabricating a new body for the car, using open 2-seater touring cars of the era as inspiration. 

‘The Motor Car Red Book – A List Of Motor Cars 1906-1912’ - features the make and the model of the car - thus at least confirming its existence.

Well, by any measure you care to use in your assessment of this car, the Penedo restoration business - which is globally renowned for the quality and integrity of its work - has evidently done a magnificent job in rebodying the vehicle and ensuring that it is in the first-class dynamic and mechanical condition you see today. 

The bodywork is reassuringly devoid of any dents, dinks, holes, crumples or creases of consequence anywhere that we can see.

The artillery wheels are in very good order, as are the car’s various ancillary items – battery box, horn (currently not working), spare tyre, and lamps.

There are small scratches, scuffs, stone chips and patches of flat paint in various places but, frankly, who cares?

Eagle-eyed observers will note that the (originally acetylene-fuelled, we imagine) headlamps and other lights carry the moniker Blériot, a name rather more famously associated with flying. 

Between 1900-1914, Blériot produced a range of motoring lamps which soon gained a reputation for being the finest available for your motorcar. 

Blériot’s use of solid nickel silver reflectors, solid brass hinges and lugs, and his designs in general led the way in the production of motoring accessories throughout the first decade of the 20th Century.

The year before this car was built, Blériot became the first person in history to fly a powered machine across the English Channel, winning the prize of £1,000 offered by the Daily Mail.

The car’s surprisingly weighty beige canvas hood is in very decent condition and owes its significant mass to the presence of various hardwood and brass struts and fittings. 

It’s pretty much a two-person job to get it up and down unless you’ve been spending too much time in the gym and are routinely in the habit of walking around in public clutching a giant water bottle.

The interior of this charming car is very much the equivalent of its exterior counterpart as far as condition, quality and delightful aesthetics are concerned. 

The tan leather seats have enough patina to satisfy even the most incorrigible patina addict.

The steering wheel, other controls, dials, switches, levers and buttons are intact and, as far as we’re aware, fully functional - although we haven’t dared navigate our way through the arcane priming, tweaking and nudging protocols that the car will no doubt demand before it coughs into lusty life and sets forth.

We’ve got no idea what a 12hp Lorraine-Dietrich engine is meant to look like – but what we can see looks fine to us.

It works, we know that, as do the rest of the car’s antiquated mechanical bits and pieces.

The undersides have given us no reason to tut, frown or utter any profanities.

Despite being nearly 116 years old, history is a little thin on the ground with this car. 

There is however, a letter, sent to the DVLA from The Veteran Car Company in 2018.

It reads as follows. 

“Dear Sirs,

Re: Lorraine-Dietrich, 1910 12hp model, Chassis Number 15284,

Engine Number 8641

We inspected the 12hp Lorraine-Dietrich detailed above at Woking in Surrey and confirmed that the Chassis Number is 15284 and the Engine Number 8641. In accordance with our own research and rules and from the supporting information

supplied to us we are satisfied that the car is a four cylinder 12 hp model Lorraine-Dietrich made by Sté Lorraine des Anciens Établissements de Dietrich et Cie in 1910.

Veteran Car Company Ltd owns copies of The Motor Car Red Book (a forerunner of

Glasses Guide, extracts enclosed) which confirm that this model Lorraine-Dietrich was only made in 1910. The construction and components of this car match exactly contemporary published information about this model type. Note that although the manufacturer's rather long name was often shortened to de Dietrich (as in the Red Book) the cars were called and badged Lorraine-Dietrich.”

So, there you have it. 

There are copies of Argentinian documents with the car, plus an HPI report.

This car was built in 1910, nine years after the end of the Victorian era and the same year in which Florence Nightingale, Mark Twain and Leo Tolstoy died. 

And it still starts, goes and stops. 

It is rarer than a steak that’s been shown just a fleeting glimpse of a candle.

We like it very much indeed.

And we think you should, too.

We’re confident to offer this fine car for auction, but you’ll have to decide its value.  We’ve seen them sell for £40,000, and £150,000!

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at THE MARKET, HQ. Viewings are STRICTLY BY APPOINTMENT and we are open weekdays between 10am - 12pm or 2pm - 4pm. To make a booking, please use the ‘Enquire About This Vehicle’ button on the listing. Feel free to ask any questions, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.