The Stanley Steamer

F.E. and F.O. Stanley were twins born in Kingsland, Maine, on June 1, 1849. They operated a dry-plate photographic business in Massachusetts until the automobile bug bit them in 1896.
A steam-powered vehicle built by George Whitney first sparked their interest and soon after they both encountered a French-designed gasoline auto at a fair in Brockton, Massachusetts. Within months they had designed a steam engine destined for their first car that was built for them by the Mason Regulator Company of Milton, Massachusetts.
The reason for the steam engine was quite simple when you consider
the advantages of steam power at that time.
First, anything that will burn can be used as fuel - wood, coal, kerosene, natural gas, whale oil, petroleum - you name it.
Second, the design of the actual engine is simplicity itself. Often steam engines have fewer than 25 moving parts.
Third, steam power provides nearly instantaneous torque that precludes the need for multi-speed transmissions or gearboxes.
Forth, steam power has a long record of reliability.
In the early twenty century it was estimated there were over 100 firms building steam cars in the United States. One report notes that in 1900, when there were just 2000 or so cars in the United States, over half of them were powered by steam.
Electric vehicles also outnumbered the cantankerous and hard-to-start gasoline cars at that point in time.
From this beginning in 1896 their automotive path led to nothing but success. They had sold out their photographic business and began to build steam cars more as a hobby than as a business, but in 1898 one of their cars won the hill-climbing contest at Charles River Park. The brothers, who had little inclination to enter the hotly competitive business of automotive manufacture, were deluged with people wanting copies of their car. Since they were entrepreneurs, they couldn't help but take these potential customers up on their offers, and they were in the car business.
But, much like Henry Ford at the same time, the Stanleys were more interested in setting speed records than building production cars. In 1898 one of their steamers was timed at 27.40 miles per hour.
In less than a year later, the Stanley brothers' cars had gained such a reputation for quality and reliability that the firm was approached by a two customers, A. B. Barber and J. B. Walker, who bought the manufacturing rights to the Stanley Steamer and went into production as The Locomobile Company. On August 31 of that same year, a Stanley Steamer driven by F.O. Stanley with his wife as passenger was the first car to climb Mount Washington, helping solidify the car's reputation.
Despite selling the rights to their vehicles, however, the Stanleys decided to stay in the steam car business, much to Locomobile's displeasure. This move led to a lot of legal wrangling, some apparently over patents held by the descendants of Eli Whitney, inventor of the cotton gin, and when all the litigation had played itself out both Locomobile and the Stanleys were still in the steam car business.
The Stanley's however did change their design, opting to place the engine toward the rear of the vehicle, connected directly to the differential, rather than using the rather crude chain drive they had utilized previously. The shift had the twin benefits of simplicity and better weight balance.
The improved model was equipped with a twin cylinder engine that was both powerful and had lots torque. The boiler was placed where gasoline cars' engines were being fitted, under the famous "coffin nose." This main burner in turn, was kept in operation by a pilot burner. Kerosene was pumped to the main burner from a tank with a pressure-regulated pump. The pilot burner, which burned gasoline, was fed from a separate pressure tank. The engine was mounted horizontally under the rear deck, and it, the driving gear and differential were all enclosed in an oil-tight and dust-proof case and ran in an oil bath.
Driving the vehicle was simplicity itself. Once lighting and heating the boiler had established a proper head of steam, a handle allowed the driver to adjust the amount of steam sent to the engine with a hand-operated accelerator. Another lever controlled the flow of fuel to the main burner. The car had conventional brakes, and the engine could also be engaged in reverse to help braking or to travel in reverse.
The Stanley Brothers progressed quickly as they used to advertise their improved vehicles. In 1906 racing driver Frank Marriott was timed at 127.66 miles per hour on Daytona Beach with a streamlined Stanley Steamer nicknamed the "Woggle Bug."
It was one of the first vehicles ever designed with the help of wind tunnel testing. The following year Marriott had a revised the twitchy Woggle Bug and got it up to about 150 miles per hour when a crash destroyed the car and almost took Marriott's life.
The Stanleys had even better success with their production vehicles. The 1907 model Gentleman's Speedy Roadster was capable of 75 miles per hour
The Stanley Steamers did have two failings. While the Gentleman's Speedy Roadster could travel at 75 miles per hour however it couldn't travel more than 50 miles or so on a filling of water. some say the foot and The other failing was start-up time. Often it would take a Stanley Steamer 10 to 15 minutes to build up its steam level before it could be driven.
Once the self-starter was designed for the gasoline car that inconvenience became too much.
Driven by the competition from Locomobile, the Stanley's improved their cars and by 1913, Stanleys were electrically lighted to compete with the modern gasoline cars of the day, but, strangely, they retained wooden frames until 1915.
In fact, by 1915 it had become clear to most that the internal combustion gasoline engine was the power plant of the future and steam a thing of the past but F.E. Stanley continued racing his cars over the New England countryside.
Sadly, on July 21, 1918, he was fatally injured in a car accident near Ipswich, Massachusetts. The death of his twin caused F.O. to sell the company. He then turned to the manufacture of violins. The company lasted only six more years. On October 3, 1940, F.O. died at the age of 91 from a heart condition.


1903 Stanley Steamer Model C Runabout	1903 Stanley Steamer Model C Runabout


1904 Stanley Steamer 2 Passanger


1906 Stanley Steamer Model H Gents Speedy Roadster	1906 Stanley Steamer Model H Vanderbilt Cup Racer


1907 Stanley Steamer Model K Semi Race	1907 Stanley Steamer Model K Semi Race

Click on this image for a larger view in a new window
1908 Stanley Steamer	1908 Stanley Steamer
This pictures were taken and submitted by Paul Black, Tampa, FL	This pictures were taken and submitted by Paul Black, Tampa, FL

1909 Stanley Steamer Model EX Runabout	1909 Stanley Steamer Model R Roadster


1910 Stanley Steamer Model 60 Runabout	1910 Stanley Steamer Model 60 Runabout


1910 Stanley Steamer Model 60 Touring	1910 Stanley Steamer Model 70 Touring


1910 Stanley Steamer Model 70 Touring	1910 Stanley Steamer Model 70 Touring


1910 Stanley Steamer Model 70 Touring	1910 Stanley Steamer Model 70 Touring


1910 Stanley Steamer Model 71 Touring	1910 Stanley Steamer Model 72 Roadster

This 1910 Stanley Steamer is owned by the Malaga City - Automobile Museum, Malaga, Spain Europe The pictures were submitted by Knud Jespersen. He is trying to determine the exact model of the car and would like to find any other information about these cars. You may contact me at
1910 Stanley Steamer	1910 Stanley Steamer

Click on this image for a larger view in a new window	Click on this image for a larger view in a new window
1910 Stanley Steamer	1910 Stanley Steamer


1910 Stanley Steamer Model R Roadster	1911 Stanley Steamer Model 62 Runabout


1911 Stanley Steamer Model 63 Touring	1911 Stanley Steamer Model 70 Touring


1911 Stanley Steamer Model 71 Touring	1911 Stanley Steamer Model 85 Touring


1911 Stanley Steamer Model 85 Touring	1912 Stanley Steamer Model 73 Touring


1912 Stanley Steamer Model 76 Touring	1912 Stanley Steamer Model 88 12 Pass Mountain Wagon


1913 Stanley Steamer Model 64 Roadster	1913 Stanley Steamer Model 65 Touring


1913 Stanley Steamer Model 76 Touring	1913 Stanley Steamer Model 76 Touring


1913 Stanley Steamer Model 77 Touring	1913 Stanley Steamer Model 77 Touring


1913 Stanley Steamer Model 810 12 Pass Mountain Wagon	1913 Stanley Steamer Model 810 12 Pass Mountain Wagon


1914 Stanley Steamer Model 606 Roadster	1914 Stanley Steamer Model 606 Roadster


1914 Stanley Steamer Model 607 Touring	1915 Stanley Steamer Model 812 12 Pass Mountain Wagon


1916 Stanley Steamer Model 725 Touring	1916 Stanley Steamer Model 726 Roadster


1916 Stanley Steamer Model 726 Roadster	1916 Stanley Steamer Model 825 Mountain Wagon


Stanley Steamer Model 826 12 Pass Mountain Wagon	1917 Stanley Steamer Model 728 Touring


1917 Stanley Steamer Model 730 Touring	1917 Stanley Steamer Model 728 Touring


1918 Stanley Steamer Model 735 B 7 Pass Touring	1918 Stanley Steamer Model 735 B 7 Pass Touring
This car is owned by Bob Wilhelm	This car is owned by Bob Wilhelm
This picture was taken the day the car was moved from the body restoration garage back to where I store the car after three years of restoration and painting of the body. The car in this photo does not yet have its seats installed nor is the top installed. It was another two years before the interior and top were installed making the restoration 7 years. Click here to view Bob's web site on this car

1918 Stanley Steamer Model 735 B 7 Pass Touring	1918 Stanley Steamer Model 735 B 7 Pass Touring
This car is owned by Bob Wilhelm	This car is owned by Bob Wilhelm

1918 Stanley Steamer Model 735 B Touring


1919 Stanley Steamer Model 735 A Touring	1920 Stanley Steamer Model 735 B 7 Pass Touring


1920 Stanley Steamer Model 735 E Roadster	1922 Stanley Steamer Model 735 B 7 Pass Touring


1922 Stanley Steamer Model 740 A Touring	1922 Stanley Steamer Model 735 7 Pass Sedan


1922 Stanley Steamer Model 740 B Touring	1922 Stanley Steamer Model 740 D 4 Door Sedan


1922 Stanley Steamer Model 740 F Brougham	1922 Stanley Steamer Model 740 F Brougham


1922 Stanley Steamer Model 740 F Brougham	1922 Stanley Steamer Model


1923 Stanley Steamer Model 740 B 7 Passenger Touring	1923 Stanley Steamer Model 740 D 4 Door Sedan


1924Stanley Steamer Model 740 A Touring	1927 Stanley Steamer Model 770 4 Door Touring

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