Did you know that cars once ran on steam?  And that modern day designers are seriously thinking about returning to it in one way or another to reduce emissions?  Popular phrases like “You’re all steamed up” and “I ran out of steam” are attributed to these genre of cars.  For that matter the steam era was not confined to cars, great ocean going vessels and massive train and rail steam engines ruled the day.  Steam drove the American Industrial Revolution and it was only a matter of time before the steam engine would be used to replace the horse and buggy. In the 1800s most people had a working knowledge of steam making it the preferred choice of power for many mechanical devices and applications. While the internal-combustion engine had been under development since 1860, it was nearly impossible to start. In the 1890s the steam automobile was beginning to offer a reliable means of personal transportation. Even then the electric car was being experimented with and development  of a few commercially viable designs were evident, but steam reigned overall.  Cars were not an everyday necessity like present day, they were more of a weekend luxury.  Roads were mostly dirt and tires not the high powered affairs of your SUV or Hemi-powered truck.

By the start of the 1900s over 125 American manufacturers offered steam cars with all sorts of options and features. Already a more common sight in England than America, it would take twins Freelan Oscar and Francis Edgar Stanley in 1897 to make the steam automobile a commercial business venture. 

The Stanley’s first steam car was built for personal use but it gained immediate attention. With nearly 200 orders, an unexpected business blossomed. While their car looked similar to most others, their real advantage was simple operation. It was light, quiet, and perhaps the most powerful and fastestvehicle of its time.  The car automatically generated steam to meet demand with little additional attention required except watching the water level. All that was required of the driver was to set the throttle to a comfortable speed and to move the tiller for steering.  Not so many gadgets to monitor like today’s cars, nor the noisy banging sounds of the early 19th century internal combustion engines.  Steam was favored, especially by the rich and Stanley Steamers became the preferred favorite of the steam cars.

So why aren’t there mass produced steam cars today.  The answer lies in the Stanley Bros. who unlike Henry Ford, did not want to mass produce their car.  According to statistics of the time the Ford Company could mass produce twice as many cars in one day as the Stanley Bros. in one year at a quarter of the price.  Also, the invention of the electric starter on cars in 1912 changed things forever in the car industry, there was no need to spend 15-20 minutes firing up your car to start.  Roads improved, speeds increased and the steamers became increasingly left behind until the Stanley Bros. sold their business in 1917 and production ceased in 1924.  Henry Ford, and others were on their way.

The “Flying Teapot” has been called a hallmark of American ingenuity and is considered a treasure worldwide by many collectors and aficionados.  With steam in everything from irons to vacumn cleaners, perhaps we will see its return in modern car designs coming our way.