1910 Stanley Model 60 Toy Tonneau

The Stanley Motor Carriage Company was founded in 1902 by brothers Francis and Freelan Stanley after selling their photographic dry plate business to Eastman Kodak. They built their first car in 1897 and sold over 200 cars, more than any other United States maker during 1898-99. One of these cars was the first to climb Mount Washington in New Hampshire, taking over two hours for the climb. They sold the rights to this early design to Locomobile and formed their company in 1902.

Early Stanleys had light wooden bodies mounted on tubular steel frames with full-elliptic springs. The cars were powered by a ten horsepower non-condensing 18' by 14' fire tube boiler made up of 760 tubes 14 inches long. The main burner is fired with kerosene, and the pilot uses white gas. There is no transmission, and the engine is connected directly to the rear axle. The car uses one gallon of water per mile and ten mpg of fuel. Stanley Steamers' prices started at $875 in 1910, and 670 were sold.

With the invention of the electric starter, internal combustion engines took over the automobile market during the mid-teens, and the Stanley factory closed for good in 1924.

Stanley automobiles featured light wooden bodies mounted on a tubular steel frame. Steam was generated by a boiler mounted underneath the seat. Despite safety concerns raised by the obvious, these cars were actually quite safe. Eventually, the boiler was moved to the front of the car.

In 1906, a Stanley Steamer set the world record for the fastest mile ever in an automobile - 28.2 seconds.

This example of a Stanley Steamer has a two-cylinder engine that produces ten horsepower. Water usage is about one gallon per mile, and it has a 28-gallon tank located under the front seat.

Sadly, in 1918 after Francis Stanley's accidental death, Freelan Stanley sold his interests. By 1924, the Model T and the widespread use of electric starters spelled the end for steam cars, and the factory closed.