FRED Dibnah’s famous steam-powered traction engine has been sold at auction for £264,000 - more than twice the guide price.
The historic 1912 Aveling and Porter engine is synonymous with Mr Dibnah’s passion for steam and was last used to pull his coffin at his funeral in November 2004.
It was valued at between £110,000 and £130,000, but collector Michael Oliver paid an extra £100,000 for what he calls “the Fred effect”.
The motoring enthusiast won the auction with a telephone bid from Silverstone after a protracted bidding war between three or four serious potential buyers.
Mr Dibnah’s engine will now become part of Mr Oliver’s extensive private collection, which contains, amongst other things, Bentleys, Ferraris, Aston Martins and Rolls Royces.
It will share a home in a warehouse in Knutsford with two of Princess Diana’s state coaches, the world’s slowest car, a 1905 Leon Bollee, and the world’s fastest production car, a Bugatti Veyron.
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