1902 Stanley Stick-Seat Runabout

Want to see our founder talk about the 1901 Mobile? Check out this video from the official Marshall Steam Museum YouTube channel!

Tom Marshall: 1901 Mobile

General History

In 1899, the Stanley brothers sold their fledgling business and steam car patent to John B. Walker and Amzi L. Barber, but the latter partnership immediately fell apart. Both manufactured vehicles of Stanley design, with Barber launching the Locomobile Company in Bridgeport, Connecticut, and Walker starting the Mobile Company of America in Tarrytown, New York.  In 1902, the Stanley brothers founded the Stanley Motor Carriage Company after having reinvented their own version of a steam car, since they no longer owned the rights to their original patent. Mobile’s manufacturing ended just a few years later, about the same time Locomobile switched to building high-quality gas cars. 

Our Model’s History

Purchased new in 1901 by the Hodgetts family, this Mobile received an aftermarket modification in 1903 that lengthened its wheelbase, added a front seat, and changed the steering from the center to the side. Soon after, Edwin Hodgetts drove with three passengers from Wallingford, Connecticut, to Atlantic City, New Jersey, and back—an astonishing feat for such a delicate machine on the roads of that era.

Alexis I. du Pont purchased the car from Edwin Hodgetts in 1945. He made it operational and gave it a quick cosmetic restoration. After 60 years of care, du Pont sold the car to the Friends of Auburn Heights, which became only the third owner. It is the oldest car in the collection and remains the only one that uses the chain drive of the Stanley company’s earliest design.

Specifications

Capacity: 2/4 passengers
Engine: 4½ horsepower
Weight: 900 pounds
Wheelbase: 65 inches
Cost: $650 in 1901; today’s equivalent: $17,000

Comparison Chart

Model	Car Type	Passenger Capacity	Engine (Horsepower for Steam & Gas, Volts for Electric)	Weight (Pounds)	Wheelbase (Inches)	Original Cost (Year Released)	Today's Equivalent Cost (in 2015)
1901 Mobile	Steam	4	4.5	900	65	650	17000
1902 Stanley Stick-Seat Runabout	Steam	4	6	900	70	650	18108
1905 Stanley Runabout Model CX	Steam	4	8	1000	78	670	16900
1907 Stanley Semi-Racer Model K	Steam	3	30	1850	108	1800	47368
1908 Stanley Model EX	Steam	4	10	1200	90	870	20400
1908 Stanley Gentleman’s Speedy Roadster H-5	Steam	2	20	1350	100	1350	35526
1910 Stanley Touring Model 71	Steam	4	20	2200	115	1400	35000
1912 Stanley Touring Model 87	Steam	7	30	4200	134	2500	57100
1913 Stanley Model 76	Steam	5	20	2800	120	1700	38000
1913 Stanley Roadster Model 78	Steam	2	20	2500	115	1640	36700
1914 Stanley Model 607	Steam	4	10	2200	112	1450	34414
1915 Stanley Mountain Wagon Model 820	Steam	15	30	5000	136	2350	54635
1916 Stanley Touring Model 725	Steam	5	20	3400	130	1975	43004
1918 Stanley Touring Model 735	Steam	7	20	3850	130	2600	40866
1922 Stanley Touring Model 740	Steam	7	20	4200	130	2750	40866
1924 Stanley Model 750	Steam	7	20	4200	130	2600	36086
1914 Ford Model T	Gas	5	20	1200	100	500	12000
1932 Packard Phaeton Model 905	Gas	4	160	5450	142	4750	82288
1937 Packard Model 1508	Gas	7	175	6000	144	4500	74168
1916 Rauch and Lang Electric Brougham	Electric	5	90	3500	92	2800	60967