Lot 447: 1922 Stanley Steamer

Francis E. and Freelan O. Stanley were born in Kingsfield, Maine, America in 1849. Their first steam car was finished in September 1897 and they continued the development of their cars with speed and hillclimbing trials in which they excelled. The development and improvement of Stanley steam cars continued until 1924, by which time only a handful of steam car manufacturers remained. Without doubt, Stanley is the most widely known of all the steam car manufacturers. A Stanley steam car captured the legendary land speed record in 1906 with a speed of 127.66mph, a considerable triumph in its day. With this level of performance it is easy to see why the steam car was so popular at the dawn of motoring, indeed, in technological terms, steam was easier to accept for the masses than the internal combustion engine; it was, after all, steam which had powered the industrial revolution. Manufactured in 1922, this splendid 735G Tourer was purchased in 1984 by the vendor's father, Bill Lowe, a well-known and respected steam car enthusiast. Over the years he gradually improved the car's already spirited performance, as well as maintaining a log of all work and maintenance carried out, the latter including fitment of an oil separator and a spare rebuilt engine in 2005. A well-known car to the Stanley Steam Car Club of Great Britain, it is accompanied by a V5 registration document, past MoT test certificates, owner's instruction manual, related technical information and an invoice for a new boiler dated 1995. Finished in black over green with black interior - which includes two occasional central seats - and a cream hood with matching wire wheels, this handsome and practical motor car is offered in good condition. With the support of the active and enthusiastic Stanley Steam Car Club of Great Britain, these cars represent a fascinating element of early motoring, combining as they do a high level of reliability with the ability to travel at speed in almost complete silence.