From the archives of Bob Montgomery, motoring historian
WHITE STEAM CARS: It's an intriguing photograph - four steam cars of the same make photographed together at an unknown location in Ireland, (although there is some evidence to suggest that it was somewhere in Wicklow).
Steam cars had enjoyed a modicum of success in motoring's earliest days, with the Stanley make to the fore. But by 1909, when this photograph was taken, the internal combustion engine had successfully asserted its superiority, except perhaps for one American make, the White, whose cars feature in this photograph. One carries a trade plate while one has a Birmingham index mark and the others Irish plates. The Birmingham plate was quite common in Ireland, as a form of snobbery existed which saw owners register their cars in England, rather than have a "provincial Irish plate". I've little doubt that these four cars represented all of the White steam cars then in Ireland.
Whatever about that, the motorists are: (from left) Lord Louth, Stanley Cochrane and Dr John F Colohan, while the final motorist is unidentified.
If you look closely, the head of a small child can also be seen peeking over the garden gate on the right. Perhaps one of our readers can supply more information about this photograph? What was the occasion which brought these four highly interesting but very unusual steam cars together at an unknown location?
The White Steam cars were produced by the White Sewing Machine Company of Cleveland, Ohio. Rollin H White made his first steamer in 1900, and 193 were sold in 1901, the first full year of production. In 1903 a new model was introduced with front-mounted compound engine and with a condenser in the normal radiator position. This and all future White steam cars utilised a semi-flash boiler and were capable of at least 1,000 miles between fillings of water. Their frames were of armoured wood and the Tonneau model cost $2,000.
The Whites proved themselves in the early Glidden Tours and racing versions were also successful leading to a widespread acceptance of the make in the US. And they were fast - Webb Jay's "Whistling Billy" with an underslung chassis covering a mile at 74.07 mph. Their success was cemented by the use of a White car by President Theodore Roosevelt during his time in office. On the back of this sort of publicity and other successes, 1906 was White's best year with 1,534 cars delivered.
By 1907 the company could offer two models: a 20 hp model L and a larger seven-seater Model K. The model "K" retailed at the not inconsiderable sum of $3,700, while the smaller "L" sold for $2,500, again a high price for a car at the time. The White Company continued to offer Steamers until 1911, producing at least 1,000 a year until production ceased in 1912. The company had introduced its first petrol-engined car, a 3 ½-litre with a monobloc engine inspired by the Delahaye, in 1910, and this was joined by a big six-cylinder engined car in 1912 which sold for $5,000. These four- and six-cylinder Whites continued in production until 1916.
With a switch in emphasis to truck production, the White Company moved away from cars and after 1918, cars were only made to special order and in small quantities, this arrangement continuing until 1936 when the company, which had made what was arguably the most interesting of all steam cars, made its final car.
Today, many White Steam cars have survived and are to be seen driven by their enthusiastic owners in Old Car events all over the world. An intriguing "might have been", the high quality of their manufacture is readily apparent, as is the high regard their current owners have for them.