1902 White Model B Stanhope

This car was considered the most advanced American automobile of 1902. It far outperformed other steam and electric cars and was generally preferred for its silence, smoothness and reliability. Two American presidents, Theodore Roosevelt and William Howard Taft, were owners of White steamers. To propel the car, a gasoline-fired steam generator supplies up to 450 PSI of steam at 800 degrees to a 2-cylinder engine delivering 6 horsepower. The steam generator is unique in that the steam runs through a series of spiral coils rather than boiling in a large cylindrical pot, which makes it very quick to get steam up. It is built exactly as a horse-drawn carriage would have been in 1902 with a strong lightweight body of hickory and maple. Only ten complete Model B Stanhopes remain and only two or three can be driven. This car has been in many famous collections over the years including those of Lindley Bothwell and D. Cameron Peck.