This steam-powered car from 1901 was made by Gardner-Serpollet in France. The car uses a "flash boiler" which provides the steam that drives the engine. Invented by Leon Serpollet, the flash boiler made steam a much more practical power source for cars.
About Léon Serpollet
In 1902, Serpollet demonstrated how good his designs were when he broke the Land Speed Record at 75.06 mph! That may not seem record-breaking by today's standards. But this was the early stages in the history of the automobile. At that time, internal combustion, electric and steam cars were all competing to be the future of the car. Serpollet's inventions and designs made steam a real contender. Sadly, Serpollet died in 1907 aged just 48. Following his death, interest in steam cars quickly dwindled in his native France.
What if Serpollet hadn't died so young? Might our streets look very different today?
Developing steam-powered cars
Léon Serpollet built his first steam-powered vehicle in 1886, aged 18. It was a wooden tricycle with a coal-fired boiler. Serpollet improved the machine over the next few years until it was reliable enough to travel on public roads in 1889. On the 16th of April of that year, Serpollet received the first driving licence ever issued.
That same year, Serpollet joined in partnership with wealthy American Frank Gardner. Together they invented and manufactured vehicles under the name Gardner-Serpollet. Gardner had many influential friends, including the Shah of Persia. So they had a ready-made market for their cars. In 1891, Gardner and Serpollet developed a paraffin-fired boiler.
Did you know: Serpollet introduced the word chauffeur to describe someone who looks after a car. "Chauffeur" is French for "stoker" and comes from the name for the man who fed the car's coke-fired boiler
During the nineteenth century, steam became the main means of propulsion for ships and trains. On roads, however, steam cars were rare until the end of the century.
The Motor Car Act
In 1903 the government introduced The Motor Car Act to regulate the growing motoring population. This Act made reckless driving a crime and set penalties for anyone found guilty. The Act also required drivers to register their vehicles with their local council. Each car received a unique number which the owner had to display on the vehicle. Drivers also had to get a licence, although there was no test. The driver simply had to pay the council a fee of five shillings.
