Benz Duc Victoria

The paint, the upholstery, the leather roof and the solid rubber tires of this Benz Duc Victoria are all more than a century old. That makes it one of the most authentic cars to be found anywhere in the world.

Moreover, it is the only known remaining example of this model. Christopher Frank Wakefield, a country doctor from Horley in the English county of Surrey, bought the car in 1900 and used it to visit his patients and take the occasional ride in the country. In 1925 the Benz was put into storage and some 45 years later, in 1969, it reappeared. All that was needed to get the car started again was a new spark plug and leather drive belts. The engine has one cylinder and an open crankshaft, which has to be oiled every 30 km. There is no camshaft: instead the inlet valve works with a weak spring. Power from the engine is transmitted to the gearbox by leather belts, and from there to the wheels by chain. In 1989 the car was added to the collection; until that time the car had been owned by the doctor’s family for nearly ninety years.