Happy New Year !

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On this very first day of a brandnew year we like to share this incredible photo sent to us by a very good friend of PreWarCar.  It may look as a simple photo at first glance. Just another one in the series 'A New Generation is Taking Over', showing a young lad at the wheel er.... in the driving seat of his father's motorcar. 
But....but ! Mind you, as you can see this is no average car, not even an average tricycle. You may have seen already that this must be an 1887 De Dion Bouton et Trépardoux steamer. And what's more, you may also have seen this is no recent photo, yet arguably shot in 1889, just over 125 years ago! So the 'young lad' could have been your (great) grandfather. Unfortunately his identity not known but our good friend presumes that he is "... related to either Count/Marquis de Dion, Georges Bouton, Charles-Armand Trépardoux or, Monsieur F. Mérelle. The first three were - as you can imagine - involved with the machine coming inot being, whilst Mérelle wastheir agent and it was at this stand that DDB&T vehcicles were exhibited at the Exposition Universelle of 1889 which had the brand new Tour d'Eiffel as its focal point. The tricycle is similar to the one surviving that is exhibited at the Arts & Métiers in Paris." 

Now these are many insiders words, but you may be able to understand our enthusiasm, especially when it coems to mind that this may be the oldest photo showing a youngster in the driver's seat. Untill the moment you proove us to be wrong of course.

Happy New Year !

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