The 1922 Stanley Model 740 as it looks today
1918 Stanley Touring Model 735 1924 Stanley Model 750
Want to hear our founder Tom Marshall talk about the Model 740? Check out this video from the official Marshall Steam Museum YouTube channel!
Tom Marshall: Model 740
General History
By 1922, the Stanley factory remained the last manufacturer of steam cars, but production was high at more than 450 cars that year. Visually indistinguishable from contemporary gas cars, the performance of late Stanleys had nonetheless fallen far behind. The Model 740 weighed more than 4,000 pounds but used the same power plant as the 2,000-pound cars from more than 10 years earlier. Only minor engineering changes had been made during that time. Although its performance is leisurely, the car offers a smooth and near-silent ride.
An original ad for the Model 740, found in a Stanley Steam Car sales brochure
Our Model’s History
Clarence Marshall purchased the Model 740, the second car in his emerging collection, from Robert B. Chase of Earlville, New York. He used it for daily transportation during World War II, when gasoline was rationed but kerosene remained available and in little demand.
This car is quite original, with only a paint job in the 1940s over the original paint. It has a “California top,” made of fabric stretched over an iron framework that does not fold down. The engine may never have been out of this car, although the boiler was changed during World War II, but not since. The wheels are original.
This car adopted by Stan & Kim Wilcox
Specifications
Capacity: 7 passengers
Engine: 20 horsepower
Weight: 4,200 pounds
Wheelbase: 130 inches
Cost: $2,750 in 1922; 2015 equivalent: $40,866
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 |