1900 Locomobile Steam Car - $20K

[Leif in Calif]

Could this be real? Pretty neat and the star of any cars and coffee either way. 

https://inlandempire.craigslist.org/cto/d/ontario-1900-locomobile-steam-car/7507559687.html

1900 Locomobile Steam Car
Good Condition-
Contact Larry: 909 917 4679

 

[alsancle]

Real engine with reproduction everything else?

[Terry Harper]

Sure looks that way

Edited August 4, 2022 by Terry Harper (see edit history)

[edinmass]

Just as genuine as that boattail speedster parked in front of it…… plain as the nose on your face. 

[bill witmer]

Could it be a Lykamobile from Steam Traction World ?

[alsancle]

50 minutes ago, bill witmer said:

Could it be a Lykamobile from Steam Traction World ?

I thought that at first but engine looks old.

[tom_in_nh]

That engine appears to be a fabricated,  non original lump.

[edinmass]

It’s what we call a TURD in car collecting circles. And yes, that IS a polite description.

[bill witmer]

Google: steamtractionworld. A very interesting website. 

[TAKerry]

They did get the name correct "Loco".

[Leif in Calif]

11 hours ago, edinmass said:

It’s what we call a TURD in car collecting circles. And yes, that IS a polite description.

I (obviously) know nothing about circa 1900 steam cars, but I do admire the skill and craftsmanship of who ever put this together.

Easy to make a phoney plastic boat tailed Auburn...this took some thinking. 

[bill witmer]

Steam Traction World offers them and other steam engines in kit form. Check out their website.

[JBP]

In one of their many, many exchanges on radio, there's a great clip of Jack Benny attempting to sell his Maxwell to Fred Allen. 
 

This Locomobile brought back one of Fred's retorts to Jack about his car:

 

"You don't think you can pawn that tin nightmare off on me, I hope! The engine in that steam cabinet is so dead, the front wheels are nothing but rubber pallbearers."

Edited August 4, 2022 by JBP (see edit history)

[63RedBrier]

14 hours ago, edinmass said:

It’s what we call a TURD in car collecting circles. And yes, that IS a polite description.

Is TURD an acronym for something?

[48Super]

2 hours ago, 63RedBrier said:

Is TURD an acronym for something?

Truly Unauthentic Reproduction Disaster

[John_S_in_Penna]

For comparison, here is a picture of an 1899 Locomobile

which appeared at an AACA national meet when our

region hosted it.  It was owned by one of our local members.

The "1900" pictured looks unauthentic to me.

 

By the way, "Loco-" means place.  At this time, various

names were being proposed for the new self-propelled

invention, and "locomobile" was a generic name.

Locomobile Company of America was the chosen name

for the company that manufactured that product, locomobiles,

just as the National Cash Register Company made cash registers.

 

Edited August 5, 2022 by John_S_in_Penna (see edit history)

[John Kelso]

yes that is the kit produced several years ago, the original one John pictured is mine. Those kits were fun, relatively easy to build and run. Great

fun for the right person without the usual hassles. No, wouldn't have one in my shop but can see the modern steam appeal.

[John_S_in_Penna]

3 hours ago, JAK said:

...the original one John pictured is mine.

JAK, do you still have your Crouch steamer?

I remember it from our show and still have pictures

on my computer.

 

Edited August 5, 2022 by John_S_in_Penna (see edit history)

[John Kelso]

No John it is now sitting in a museum. Although a beautiful car it had some very basic design issues. I was unwilling to

make these changes ,for historical reasons, so it couldn't have been a reliable tour car, just go for on and off the show field.

I am still grateful to my friend the late Sterling Walsh for passing the job on to me

[John Kelso]