1910 Stanley Model 60

The Stanley Motor Carriage Company produced steam-powered automobiles during the early 1900s. The automobile had just been created, and many individuals and companies were experimenting with a wide variety of fuel sources, such as gasoline, electricity, and steam. These three sources were the primary sources, each having benefits and limitations. The electric vehicles were limited in their range, but they were clean, quiet, and easy to start. The steam-powered vehicles were also clean and quiet, but they required a few minutes before starting to allow steam to form. The gasoline engine was noisy, dirty, and hard to start but showed the most potential. The advent of the electric starter around 1914 meant the demise of the other fuel sources.

Twins Francis Edgar and Freelan O. Stanley were born in 1849. Francis passed away in 1918, and Freelan survived until 1940. Their first glimpse of business ingenuity was shown at an early age when they opened a photographic dry plate business which they eventually sold to Eastman Kodak. They became interested in the horseless carriage and, in 1897, created their first automobile. They eventually sold the rights to their design to Locomobile.

The brothers produced steam-powered vehicles from 1902 through 1917, known as the Stanley Steamers. Throughout the years, the configuration of the vehicles, the complexity of the engines, and the mechanical components were all greatly improved.

The cars were simple yet complex and rather ingenious. The frame was constructed of tubular steel and suspended by full-elliptic springs. Wooden bodies were built atop the frames with a boiler mounted beneath the seat. A petroleum burner, later replaced by kerosene, was placed underneath the vertical fire-tube boiler and generated the steam. Piano-wire was used to reinforce the enclosure. By using piano wire, a low overall weight was maintained while increasing the structural rigidity of the boiler. The vertical fire-tubes were made of copper and later replaced with welded steel. A thick chain was connected from the engine crankshaft to a rear-mounted differential.

The boilers were made safe by incorporating certain safety valves that could be used to release pressure. Even with these safety valves, there was still a concern about the boiler shell bursting. The boiler was made up of many joints, and in the cases of excessive pressure, these joints would fail and release that pressure, extinguishing the burner and subside the potential catastrophe.

The name 'coffin bonnet' was coined when the broiler was moved to the front of the vehicle, creating an appearance similar to other cars of the era. By moving it to the front of the vehicle, the noise generated by the boiling steam slightly subsided for the passengers.

By 1917 the Stanley brothers sold their company to Prescott Warren, who continued to build the steam-powered car until 1927. The demise of the company was slow but much anticipated. The automobile was rapidly evolving while the Steamer stagnated. Gasoline was inexpensive and reliable, and more importantly, cheap. Steam-powered cars sold for around $4000 while the Ford and Chevrolet, to name a few, were producing cars under $1000. Gasoline engines increased in size, capacity, and output while the steam cars hovered around 20 horsepower.

One of the most famous Steam-powered cars is the Stanley Rocket which captured a land speed record for steam at 127.7 mph at the Daytona Beach Road Course. Driven by Fred Marriott, he easily secured the Dewar International Trophy awarded to the vehicle with the fastest measured mile time, which he accomplished in just 28.5 seconds.

The Stanley Rocket was designed to have limited drag. It was similar in shape to a canoe. It was long and narrow, 16 feet long and 3 feet wide at its widest point. Most of the car's components were housed within the body, which increased aerodynamics. The 3.1-liter engine was a twin-piston double-acting type capable of producing a reported 275 or 1000 psi at 700 degrees F. The entire vehicle weighed less than 1680 pounds.

About the Engines

The Stanley Steamers used water converted into steam to power the vehicle's drive mechanism. What is generally not realized is that the boiler required fuel to generate the heat to make the conversion possible. Stanley's fuel diet was flexible and able to accept a variety of fuels to create heat. Generally, the fuel of choice was hexane as the pilot fuel and kerosene as the running fuel. Other liquid fuels included gasoline, diesel, white gas, and various soy fuels.

It is difficult to vaporize kerosene and a more volatile fuel source was needed, thus the hexane to ignite the kerosene was used to heat the boiler. The hexane served as a pilot fuel that began the steaming process. Once the burner area was hot enough to vaporize the kerosene, the pilot fuel is turned off and the main fuel source is used. The kerosene would burn at a rate of about one gallon every 8-12 miles. Water had a broader range depending on if the car was non-condensing or condensing. A non-condensing car went through a gallon of water every one or two miles. A condensing car was higher, at about 8-12 mpg. The condensing cars reused steam. The non-condensing cars, the early Stanley Steamers, would discharge the used steam out of the car. This type of engine was simple, required few parts, and was not as prone to rusting as were the non-condensing cars.

Non-condensing Stanleys entered production around 1914 in response to customers' demands for greater MPG (water). The cars are distinguishable by their front-mounted radiator, similar to modern cars. The radiator would condense the steam and return the water back to the water tank. This increased miles-per-gallon, but it introduced a slew of other problems due to the more-complex engine.

by Dan Vaughan

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.

Runabout

The Stanley Steamer Model R Roadster was the creation of a famous American automobile design team: the Stanley twins, Francis and Freelan. The brothers were partners in a photographic dry-plate business in Massachusetts when they developed their first steam car in 1897. An instant success, they sold over 200 of the 1897 vehicles in its first year of production, and the Stanley brothers began their manufacturing career.

This Stanley Steamer Model 60 was a high-powered car suitable for hilly regions such as Pittsburgh, PA, because it did not falter on hills as a gasoline engine might. In addition, it did not stall or overheat on city streets as was common for many cars of the time.

The Stanley Steamer was capable of reaching speeds of between 60 and 70 miles per hour, causing the growing conflict over speed regulation between authorities and motorists to intensify.

The authorities believed that the 'reasonable and proper' speed standard for horse-drawn carriages should apply to automobiles as well. However, the top speeds for horse-drawn vehicles ranged from only 8 to 15 miles per hour, and in the early 1900s, carriages comprised the bulk of traffic on the roads. Many motorists were unwilling to restrain themselves to 'reasonable and proper' limits. There was growing concern about speeding and reckless driving. By 1909, every state had enacted some type of speed legislation in an attempt to ease conflicts and dangers on America's roads, due partially to the power of vehicles such as the Stanley Steamer.

by Frick

Toy Tonneau
Chassis number: 5424

The Stanley brothers built their first car in 1887 and steadily refined their design over the years, increasing the reliability and speed of their steam-powered car. They went on to command the steam car market, and during the first two decades of the 240th Century, the Stanley brothers were one of the few manufacturers to build a viable alternative to the early gasoline-powered motorcar. These popular steam-powered cars could sustain impressive speeds for the time, over long distances, requiring only water along the route.

By 1927, the Stanley Company had built around 12,000 steam cars. In 1918, Francis Stanley died in a car accident. The other brother, Freeland, passed away in 1940.

This particular example is a 1910 Stanley Model 61 Toy Tonneau, finished in Brewster Green with cream/yellow accents and hand-painted pinstripes. The interior is finished in tufted black leather. There is a full-length mohair top, hood irons wrapped in patent leather, hand sewn over the ironwork. It has resided in the Allen Blazick Steam Car Collection since 1982. Mr. Blazick restored this car to Concours winning standards in the early 1990s. It then went on to be recognized with many awards, including a National First Prize, a Grand National First Prize, and the Pamphilon Distinguished Car Award winner from the AACA.

This Stanley has the signature 'coffin' nose, a pair of brass acetylene Rushmore headlamps, a large brass horn, and both side and rear lanterns. The dashboard area features nickel plating, and there is extensive use of polished copper for all lines, tubing, and tanks. It also has a 60 mph Jones speedometer.

Starting this Stanley is made easy with a pilot tank, and high-performance slotted Baker burner. The engine is a Stanley two-cylinder, double-acting steam engine with Stephenson valve linkage that offers 10 horsepower. It has a solid front axle and full elliptic leaf-spring suspension, a 104-inch wheelbase, and rear drum brakes.

This Stanley has recently undergone a complete freshening of the power plant and valving.

by Dan Vaughan

Runabout
Chassis number: 5332

The 1910 Stanley Model 60 Runabout had a 2-cylinder steam engine with a 3.25-inch bore and produced approximately ten horsepower. They had a fully-elliptical leaf-spring suspension and rear-wheel mechanical drum brakes. Pricing began at $850.

This particular original Stanley Runabout was acquired by Fred Buess in 1937 in Glendale, California. The current owner acquired this steamer from the Buess family in 2010. It has been well maintained, is in working order, and is currently unrestored.

by Dan Vaughan