This 1902 White Model B Steam car , S/N 340 has history back to the origins of the antique car hobby in the 1930’s, with giant name owners including George Whitney, Lindley Bothwell,  and D. Cameron Peck.  It has been meticulously researched and obsessively and thoroughly restored, with a Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance trophy in the 2014 “Early Steam Car” class with a second place trophy!

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There it is, steaming on the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance field in 2014, with the oil lamps glowing! on the way to winning its class award!  As we go through this presentation, you’ll see why this car was judged so highly.

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Here it is, second row far left, at the Bothwell ranch “Rinconada”  taken in 1948.

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And the earliest known photo , again from 1948, taken at the Bothwell ranch.

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And a clear view of the car – steam propulsion from the dawn of the automobile age, finished in the original shade of deep green.

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This is the end result of a total mechanical and cosmetic restoration done to the highest standard, resulting in a car that looks and steams like it did when it was new in 1902!

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There are thought to be only 10 complete 1901/1902 White model B Steamers extant, with another 3 partially complete cars.  That’s extremely rare indeed!

The provenance of this car is stellar.  George Whitney, one of the earliest collectors of antique cars amassed a 70 car collection near San Francisco in the 1930’s and 1940’s.  He sold a batch of 52 cars to another prolific and pioneering collector Lindley Bothwell in 1943. The Bothwells did some work on the car, and then sold it to the legendary D. Cameron Peck, a Chicago collector. D. Cameron Peck owned it from 1950 to 1952, when under pressure from his family, he auctioned off the entire collection.  Morris P. Frost owned it from 1952 to 1955, then sold it to Scribner executive  G. McKay Shieffelin ( The Grandson of Charles Scribner II of publishing fame).  The sale was effected by an auction run by another legendary hobbyist, Henry Austin Clark.  The auction description in 1955:  “This is a very beautiful example of the early White steamer. The property of Morris Frost, who has become a Stanley nut, and is bored with a White that needs nothing. New boiler and everything. This is a real cream puff. Bring money.”  G. McKay Shieffelin owned the car for the longest time of any known owner, from 1955 to 1985.

Bernard Levine, a steam enthusiast, owned it from 1985 to 1990, when Allen Blazick – another multi-steam car owner – bought the car.  By this time the car needed some mechanical refreshing, so the Blazicks sold it to the current owner in 2009, at which point the total restoration commenced!

The rubber floor covering is a great example of the commitment to authenticity and originality. The original pattern was copied  and the entire floor covering re-made exactly as new.

We see details of the pinstriping here.

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Since it’s a steam car, we have a fuel tank pressure gauge – which registers about 20 PSI when running

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And a steam pressure gauge, which should be about 220 PSI when running

And a boiler temperature gauge.

In this interesting view of the undercarriage, we see the drive chain, and the boiler tubes

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In another view of the undercarriage, we see the drive chain and the burner pan with the secondary air tubes going through it and the brass sub-burner attached.  The main fuel/air nozzle is at the top center

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Steam tubes and drive mechanism. Note the attention to detail here.

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Nice view of the front suspension  – note the pinstriping on the springs and axle.

Beautifully restored tool panel.

Tiller on the seat.

Lovely dark green paint and high quality bodywork – wood body of course.

The controls are at your right.

Another view of the floor covering.  Also note the hand pumps.

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Done exactly as original, there is a Leather top with leatherette side panel, and a small side window at eye level.

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The inner top liner is the correct shade of pale green wilton wool.  Again, this attention to detail and high quality work is what makes a top concours trophy winner!

Here’s the top on the way down.

excellent paint and body finish work.

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The 6 HP twin cylinder steam engine lives here underneath the body

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Just like the steam powered railroad locomotives, the crankshaft and connecting rods are right out in the open, powering the chain in the center.  A leather apron which fastens to the frame just in front of the engine has been removed so you can see the engine. It keeps mud and debris out of the bearings.

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The Fuel Tank just below the floorboard

And the copper water tank at the rear of the vehicle. note the baffle in the center that shows when the cap is removed.

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Here’s a photo of the White Steam Carriage as it went together

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A116 is the engine number.  The car is definitely a model “B”, but has an “A” prefix open crankshaft engine, which both “A” and “B” models used.  It’s possible that it was factory installed, or replaced later, we don’t know for sure.

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The boiler was cleaned up and re-insulated in 2010.  We think there were some boiler tubes replaced during the  Mckay Shieffelin ownership.

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Working tail light – again, same as the trains of the era!

This car has been cared for by legends in the car collecting hobby – add your name to this distinguished list of collectors!

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