1904 White Steam Car

edited by David Barth, 30 January 2009.
Courtesy The Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum in Cleveland, Ohio, USA. Photos were taken in January 2009.

Steam-powered vehicles were at the height of popularity in 1904. This model year was considered the peak of steam engineering.

In a steam auto, gasoline or kerosene fuel is used to heat water in a boiler. The steam produced is channeled to the cylinders where the pressure drives the pistons up and down. In all White steam cars from 1902, forward, a condenser was installed to recycle the steam. White steamers were known for their reliability and safety. The 1904 model differed little from the 1903 steamer. This car was restored in-house.

The Cleveland-based White factory, then located on Rockwell near E. 6th Street, turned out 719 Model D cars, which were sold in over ten cities in the U.S. and abroad. Exhibited in the Cleveland Automobile Show for 1904 was a Model D suspended from the ceiling and outlined with electric lights.

Model: D
Body Style: 4-seat touring with rear-entrance tonneau
Original Factory Price: $2,150
Brake Horsepower: 10
Displacement: 93.6 cubic inches
Bore: 3 inches (high pressure) and 5 inches (low pressure)
Stroke: 3 1/2 inches
Cylinders: 2 steam (double-acting, compound)
Wheelbase: 80 inches
Manufacturer: White Sewing Machine Company
Location: Cleveland, Ohio, USA

This was a Museum purchase sponsored by Mr. and Mrs. Thomas V. H. Vail in memory of Herman Lansing Vail.