Taking its name from Phoebus, the Greek god who drove the sun across the heavens each day, the Phebus was built between 1899-1903 in the Parisian suburb of Suresnes by Noe Boyer & Cie, who also marketed the Boyer car.

Phebus was initially known for its “very powerful and fast” Aster-engined tricycles, one of which achieved the then breakneck speed of almost 39mph on the Crystal Palace velodrome ridden by Charles Jarrott.

His racing companion on that occasion was F.F.Wellington, who imported Phebus machines into England.

The tricycles were soon joined by a two-speed voiturette powered by a rear-mounted single-cylinder 397cc Aster engine, of which this is the only example known to the Veteran Car Club.

Its history has been traced back to March 1904, when a Leicester cycle manufacturer bought the three-year-old car for the sum of ‘eighty golden sovereigns’ on a visit to London and had it transported home by rail from St Pancras Station.

He drove the car regularly until 1912, when it ...