Mystery and intrigue has long surrounded the Titanic disaster, sparking questions about all the items lost - and that includes the only car that was aboard the vessel.
If someone asked you to name a shipwreck off the top of your head, unless you're a serious history buff, chances are you will say the Titanic.
It makes perfect sense since it is the world’s most famous shipwreck, despite the vessel going down over 100 years ago in 1912.
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But in more recent memory, people’s fascination was reignited with James Cameron’s 1997 Oscar-winning classic film Titanic.
Anyone seriously interested in the disaster will know that just under 1,500 people lost their lives when the ship went down in the North Atlantic Ocean.
However, one thing that often goes overlooked is the many items and treasures that went down with the ship.
The only car onboard was a 1912 Renault Type CB Coupe de Ville, and it has been a source of mystery for decades.
While you might not think cars when you think of the Titanic, you likely know what the vehicle looks like as it featured in the Titanic film for one hell of a steamy scene between leads Leonardo Dicaprio and Kate Winslet.
But what happened to the real car?
Well, to be honest, we don’t exactly know. We know it was loaded on the ship by its owner, William Carter, but the car could be completely destroyed or buried somewhere amongst the ship’s wreckage.
The car was stored in the ship’s cargo hold, but after the ship hit the bottom of the ocean, it became impossible to find or recover the and since the wreckage, no trace of the car has been reported.
Despite us knowing pretty much exactly were the sunken vessel is, exploring it is very difficult.
Beyond this, finding the severely damaged car - if it is still in recogniseable shape - likely isn’t a high priority and would also be a practical nightmare.
Over the years, expensive vials of perfume, jewelry, musical instruments and a gold pocket watch have been recovered from the wreckage, as well as other treasures. However, these are all considerably easier to hoist to the surface than a car over 113 years old that has been exposed to the elements all this time.
But if by some miracle you managed it, it would likely make you a wealthy individual as the vehicle was one of the most luxurious items aboard the vessel.
Gerrard Kaonga