Bonhams Sale of 1904 Wilson-Pilcher Is a Family Affair Collectors tend to prize a one-owner vehicle, or in the case of a very old vehicle, one that has been owned by a single family. The presumption is that the car has sentimental value and consequently is well looked after. These factors make a 1904 Wilson-Pilcher four-seater, consigned by Bonhams for its sale in London on Nov. 2, rather extraordinary. The car has been owned by the family of Walter Wilson, its creator, since the car was built. Adding to the car's appeal, it appears to be the sole survivor of its type. Walter Wilson was an engineer in the Victorian sense, or at least in the sense that steampunk tinkerers imagine Victorian engineers to have been, with interests in several emerging technologies, including aviation, armored weaponry and automobiles. A graduate of Kings College, Wilson began dabbling in aero engines soon after the Wright Brothers' first flight. When his partner Percy Pilcher was killed in what must have been one of the earliest aviation accidents in Britain, Wilson turned his attention toward the automobile. The car consigned by Bonhams was never sold, but retained by the factory and put to use in odd jobs, including that of a fire engine. Factory apprentices restored the car in the '40s and later gave it to the founder's son. The car has been on display in various museums in Britain, including the Bovington Tank Museum in Dorset, England. Wilson is credited with co-developing the first military tank, nicknamed Little Willie, a descendent of which saw action in World War I. Wilson lived more than long enough to see his creation recognized as an automotive milestone. By 1957, the year of his death, the car had been involved in at least one London to Brighton Veteran Car Run, an event that celebrates the repeal of a series of notorious laws in Britain that curtailed the use of automobiles. Known as the Locomotive Acts, the laws included speed limits and required a person with a red flag to escort automobiles through towns. Only cars built before Jan. 1, 1905, are eligible to be driven in the London to Brighton Run, and eligibility has a significant impact on the values of those cars. The presale estimate on the one-of-a-kind Wilson-Pilcher is £180,000 to £220,000, roughly $290,000 to $350,000.