Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[alastairq]

[Ray White]

There really is nothing new "under the Sun" (as the Good Book says). From what I can gather; at the turn of the 20th Century the horseless carriage could have evolved in one of three ways. Steam was the known and proven (if not generally understood) motive power and as survivors (particularly of the White) steam car demonstrates had many fine attributes; quietness of operation amongst them.

A second and increasingly popular mode of personal transport was the electric town car which was also quiet... and like the steamer required no gearbox. It's limitation was range and like the steamer it was a complicated machine that required frequent attention from an expert.

The new boy on the block was the internal combustion engine. It was not a forgone conclusion that this noisy engine would win out but it could be produced cheaply and was in many ways more practical.

How differently things could be today if the electric car had won the popularity contest.

[alastairq]

[Writer1900]

This is all fantastic information! Thank you everyone. I never expected so many helpful responses. Looks like I found a great board.

[Ray White]

[roverdriver]

I too have a fancy for a Doble, but it was a Stanley that I saw on a rally where the owner heated his lunch-time pies on the top of the boiler housing, and that gave it a certain appeal. An earlier steamer that I admired was the Locomobile, which IIRC was founded in 1899. They had a good turn of speed if road conditions allowed.
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Dane- roverdriver but not a Viking.

[V8 Nutter]

There was a 1908 Stanley Steamer on T.V. last night, the only one of that particular model in the U.K. The owner said it will do 70 m.p.h. on a good road

[Ray White]

As most of you will be aware there are two distinctly different types of steam boiler.

Stanley and Locomobile use a fire tube boiler which is like a big kettle and there is the risk of explosion.

Doble uses a water tube boiler which is perfectly safe.