Many of the world’s most respected and pre-eminent motoring historians have acclaimed the ‘Prince Henry’ Vauxhall as the first true sports car BONHAMSWhen the first sports car took to the road 102 years ago, it astounded onlookers with its acceleration and top speed. The Vauxhall Prince Henry Sports Torpedo could travel at double the maximum speed of most vehicles of the time, although it would look tame by modern standards. The car is expected to make upwards of £500,000 when it goes under the hammer BONHAMSThe car, which will be put on sale at Bonhams on December 4 with an upper estimate of £600,000, could generate 25hp and reach 80mph, a speed that the auctioneer thinks it could still manage “with a little refurbishment”. Modern sports cars of the highest calibre can break the 200mph barrier and have in excess of 600hp. The Prince Henry was designed by Laurence Pomeroy, a Vauxhall engineer who had such success with another car in the…

Source: The Times November 15, 2016 04:01 UTC