Standout veterans under hammer

1901 steam-powered American Locomotive. Photo / Supplied

A steam-powered car built in 1901 and up for auction in Melbourne has attracted worldwide interest, says Australian auction house Shannons.

The tiller-steered American Locomobile is expected to sell for between A$40,000 and A$55,000 ($53,000 and $73,000).

It is fitted with a handmade two-cylinder, double-acting reversible steam engine - about one-third the capacity of the vehicle's original powerplant.

It uses an LPG-fired boiler with a starting time of 10 minutes. Shannons says the Locomobile is fully operational.

A 1901 Locomobile engine rebuilt to operational standard will be included in the March 7 sale. Larger boilers required for the original engine are available from the United States or England.

Also creating interest in the same auction are a handful of standout British veterans, including a rare 1931 Bentley 4-litre with its original aluminium H. J. Mulliner coachwork.

It is believed to be one of the last of 50 Bentley 4-litre models built before Rolls-Royce bought the company in 1931. Shannons expects it to fetch between A$150,000 and A$180,000.

In the same exclusive league is a 1978 Bristol 603 S Coupe. Introduced in 1976 and fitted with a 5.9-litre Chrysler V8 engine and automatic transmission in its S (Sport) guise, the 603 replaced the Bristol 411 and was the first major facelift of the hand-built British grand tourer since the introduction of the 406 in the 1950s. Shannons are quoting a guiding range of A$40,000 to A$48,000.