
Lex, Irénée & Barbara du Pont in Mobile, circa 1945-1948
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 |