Hybrid Armstrong Phaeton From 1896 Is Up For Auction

A hybrid car from 1896, the Armstrong Phaeton is set to go up for auction at the Bonhams Auction In Amelia Island on March 10, 2016.

Designed by Harry E. Dey, the hybrid powertrain consists of a 6.5-litre twin-cylinder petrol engine which is coupled with a dynamo-wound flywheel that drives the rear wheels. The dynamo also charges an onboard battery that operates the clutch, acts as a starter motor for the combustion engine and can alos run the car itself.

The car can run on fully electric power as well as a normal car ie only on petrol and can run as a hybrid as well, something that only came back into production cars many decades later.

The 1896 Armstrong Phaeton is the only one of its kind and is expected to fetch between $175,000 to $275,000 when it goes under the hammer on March 10.