Financed by the profits of his successful Gladiator bicycle enterprise, French engineer Alexandre Darracq founded Darracq et Cie in 1896. Dissatisfied with current automotive offerings and their horizontal-stroke engines, in 1900, M. Darracq designed his vehicle with a much more efficient single vertical cylinder configuration, mounted within a tubular frame, and featuring central shaft drive. The example offered here, built circa 1902, features the uprated twin-cylinder engine, which essentially doubled its power output.

This beautifully presented Darracq Roadster was in the possession of the renowned Frederick C. Crawford Auto Aviation Museum in Cleveland, Ohio, during the mid-1960s, when it was substantially restored. Its two-place, roadster body is complemented by a sweeping rear fender line, and a storage trunk sits above the rear-mounted radiator. The Darracq was purchased by the Mullin Collection in the early 1990s and has been a part of its stable of French antique cars since then. It has served as a fantastic example of the impressive engineering that was a hallmark of French cars nearly since the dawn of motoring.

*Please note that all of the Lots in this Auction have been in long-term static storage at the Mullin Automotive Museum and may not be currently operational. They will require mechanical attention and in some cases significant restoration prior to any road use.

*Please note that this vehicle's model year is circa 1901.