Phillip James GlasgowJun 12, 2023

The first car to break 100 km/h was the remarkable looking La Jaimais Contente in 1899. Not only looking as if it was designed by Jules Verne it was electric powered. Considering so much effort went into making it so aerodynamic it seems odd they left the driver so elevated.
In the US as late as 1900 there was less petrol powered vehicles than electric or steam powered!

#cars #automobiles

Show threadPhillip James Glasgow
Steam powered cars continued production until the 1930s. The last model produced in the US was the 1932 Doble Model F which was capable of 90 km/h. Pictured is the very stylish 1924 Model E.
Jun 12, 2023 at 4:19amWeb
Show threadPhillip James GlasgowJun 14, 2023

Following the collapse of their company, Abner & Warren Doble traveled as steam power consultants. Abner first went to New Zealand in March 1930, where he worked for A & G Price Limited on the development of steam buses... Abner was involved in the development of a steam bus for the Auckland Transport Board while in New Zealand."

Wow! Steam buses. New Zealand was #steampunk before steam punk was a thing!

#steam ##steambus #automobiles

Show threadPhillip James GlasgowJun 15, 2023
"The weight distribution & low center of gravity contributed much to the ride and handling of all Doble cars.
These improvements promised a steam car that would at last provide virtually all of the convenience associated with a conventional automobile, but with higher speed, simpler controls, & what was a virtually noiseless power plant. Dobles achieved reliability by eliminating most items that tended to malfunction in automobiles: they had no clutch, transmission, distributor, and points."
Show threadPhillip James GlasgowJun 15, 2023

"The Doble Detroit caused a sensation at the 1917 New York Motor Show and over 5,000 deposits were received for the car, with deliveries scheduled to begin in early 1918. However the Doble brothers had not entirely worked out various design and manufacturing issues, and although the car received good notices and several thousand advance orders were placed, very few were actually built, estimates ranging from 11 to as many as 80"

Golly, this is such a fascinating story

#Doble #steamcars #steam