It is probably no bulky surprize that one of the inaugural commercially booming automobiles in the 20th century would be steam powered. After all, during the later half of the 19th century, transportation systems were dominated by steam-powered engines that travelled both over land and across H2O. On the contrary, what might surprize most observers is that the fundamental doable steam-powered machine was manufactured in Newton, Massachusetts, by the Stanley Engine Carriage Association.
Significance
Fun Facts
In 1906, a sleekly designed version of the Stanley Steamer broke the land speed record on the beaches of Daytona Beach, Florida, by reaching a cruising speed of 127 miles per hour. Later that year, the same crew came back to the same Florida beach in a failed attempt to break their previous record. The anterior cars were sold in 1897--and for a short extent from 1898 to 1899--the Stanley became the most habitual van in the USA, selling enhanced than 200 cars per year. The "Stanley Steamer," as the vehicle was commonly called, remained accepted at least until 1910, when the internal combustion motorcar began to overhaul the Steamer in sales.Safety
The Steamer ran off steam produced by the machine's engine. In spite of the act that an engine might blow up every promptly and then, this feature seldom caused any injuries. This was for the cylinders easily came apart and would spill their subject on the flames, preventing a dynamite explosion. All the more enhanced bad was the Eccentric person that you had to turn to begin the engine. This and the reality that you had to let the Steamer roasting up for 30 minutes before driving, allowed the internal combustion cars to overhaul the Stanley in sales.
Features
The engine of the Stanley Steamer was fueled by the Industry of steam from heated soak. A small flame produced from either gasoline or kerosene heated the water, which produced the steam that ran the engine. Then the steam energy had to be transferred to the rear axle. This was done by a heavy chain rather than the solid drive shaft, which is found in most modern cars. The frame of the Stanley was wood mounted over a steel structure, which resulted in a lightweight vehicle. For modern car enthusiasts, the best place to receive an idea of what an old Stanley looked like is in the old movies, for over the years Hollywood has made many a picture using the old steam-powered vehicles.
Still though the Stanley was steam powered, it was one of the elementary automobiles to be manufactured in the USA. Much so, the manufacturers were not all that prolific in that matchless 14,000 vehicles were produced during the all-inclusive 26-year extent that the collection was in craft. Nowadays, there are an estimated 600 operating vehicles yet in vitality.
Unofficially, the Steamer hit a speed of 197 mph, but the car became airborne after hitting a small bump and crashed, so the results were not official.
Expert Insight
The first Stanley Steamer was a powerful vehicle--so powerful, really, that the vehicle was dangerous at high speeds. This design flaw was partly due to the fact that engineers at the turn of the century knew little about aerodynamics. This problem is well illustrated in the above example of the test run at Daytona Beach, Florida, when a streamlined Stanley Steamer made a short flight after hitting a small bump, all while traveling at 197 mph. The car then made a crash landing, an event that nearly killed the driver and injured the passenger, one of the Stanley brothers. This unofficial speed record of 197 mph stood for 20 years, until a newly improved internal combustion automobile was able surpass the speed.
