(October 10, 2011) HERSHEY, Pa. — RM Auctions' pre-auction estimate on the selling price of “La Marquise,” the 1884 De Dion Bouton Et Trepardoux Dos-a-Dos steam runabout that currently holds the title of world’s oldest operating motor vehicle, was set at between $2 million and $2.5 million.

As a unique specimen that attracted attention from beyond the bounds of the collector car hobby, any such estimate was bound to be more speculation than educated guess. What’s not surprising, then, is that “La Marquise” far surpassed the estimates, ultimately selling for $4.62 million on Friday night.

Bidding for the De Dion at RM’s Hershey auction started at $500,000, quickly jumped to the seven-figure mark, and steadily increased between two in-attendance bidders until about the $4 million mark, when one dropped out.

As RM Auctions noted in its press release, the buyer will be just the fifth owner of “La Marquise” in the De Dion’s 127-year history.

While no other cars at the Hershey auction sold for seven figures, nearly a dozen sold for more than six figures, helping push the total sale amount at Hershey to $10,065,200. Rounding out the top five sales of the auction:

1912 Mercedes 28/50 PS Town Car – $253,000
1938 Lincoln Model K Convertible Victoria – $203,500
1935 Packard Twelve Coupe Roadster – $181,500
1930 Cord L-29 Boattail Speedster – $165,000

Sources: Hemmings Daily Blog, the Wall Street Journal