1900 De Dion Bouton 275cc Single-Cylinder Quadricycle

• Early London-Brighton starter
• Present ownership since 2017
• New fuel and oil tanks (December 2014)
• Ideal for 'Tuf-Tuf' and 'Creepy Crawly' events

The names of De Dion and Bouton are inextricably linked with the pioneer years of the motor car, initially in company with Trépardoux in the building of light steam carriages, the first of which appeared in 1883. In the early 1890s De Dion and Bouton turned their attention to the internal combustion engine, much to the annoyance of Trépardoux who quit in 1894, leaving his erstwhile partners to develop what was, in effect, the first high-speed internal combustion engine.

Engineer Bouton's power units developed significantly greater output than their contemporaries from Daimler and Benz yet matched them for reliability. Small wonder then that De Dion Bouton engines were adopted by many other manufacturers of tricycles, quadricycles and light cars, both in Europe and the United States, influenced no doubt by the success of the flying tricycles in such events as the Paris-Bordeaux and other endurance races. Early 137cc engines ran at speeds of up to 1,500rpm, and the first internal combustion-engined tricycles were built in 1895. The 250cc engine of 1896 developed approximately 1¾hp and made the contemporary Benz engines seem positively antiquated.

Early De Dions were rear engined and of the vis-à-vis type – where the passengers sat facing the driver – but from 1902 onwards the firm began to adopt what would become accepted as the conventional layout for a motor car. By this time De Dion's fast revving, single-cylinder engines were offered in 4½hp, 6hp and 8hp variants. All featured mechanical inlet and atmospheric exhaust valves, and were noted for their reliability, which is borne out by the number surviving today.

This De Dion Bouton quadricycle was first registered in the UK in 2014 and previously owned by a Mr Peter Smith, who sold it to the current vendor in June 2017. Accompanying documentation consists of a V5C registration document; DVLA correspondence; an expired MoT (2015); starting/operating instructions; a bill for a new fuel tank and oil tank (December 2014); and a National Autocycle & Cyclemotor Club dating document. The quad also comes with the tricycle conversion (a single wheel and mudguard) which, once installed, makes it eligible for motorcycle events such as the Pioneer Run, which it has entered in the past.