Unusual WWI (or earlier) MOTOR CAR Army. Vehicle ID ✔STANLEY STEAMER

[001uk]

Hello!

Any ideas please as to the identification of this

WWI MOTOR VEHICLE

The "Car" appears to have British Army serviceman on board and motoring on a Camp.What type of vehicle is it? Who made it and for what propose ? (It looks new: no mud or wear). No lettering anywhere - either within the image or on reverse.

With thanks~001uk

[PrawnCocktail]

Suspect this may be earlier than 1WW? Maybe Boer War?

[Margow]

Almost certainly an early Stanley (pre 1905). Made by the American Stanley Company and known as "Stanley Steamers", as they were steam powered.  Quite a number survive, even here in the UK.  There are usually a few on the London to Brighton Run every year.

Margow

[001uk]

Suspect this may be earlier than 1WW? Maybe Boer War?

Indeed. The vehicle looks a bit too primitive for the 1910s.

[001uk]

Almost certainly an early Stanley (pre 1905). Made by the American Stanley Company and known as "Stanley Steamers", as they were steam powered.  Quite a number survive, even here in the UK.  There are usually a few on the London to Brighton Run every year.

Margow

Hi Margow,

Fantastic! Thank you for your swift and accurate solution. I did a few searches and found some practically identical vehicles from the Stanley Motor Carriage Company see below.

Steam cars? Seems quite bizarre now....but then  driverless cars are here...!

[Margow]

Steam powered vehicles were very popular in the remote mid-West, where fuel might have been in short supply but wood was plentiful. Stanley continued building steam vehicles up to the 1920s. There were a few other manufacturers such as White and Locomobile, but Stanley was the biggest. Steam powered cars never really caught on in Europe, but steam heavy road haulage was common until the development of the diesel engine in the early 1930s.

Margow

[001uk]

Steam powered vehicles were very popular in the remote mid-West, where fuel might have been in short supply but wood was plentiful. Stanley continued building steam vehicles up to the 1920s.
 Steam powered cars never really caught on in Europe.
Margow

Hi Margow,
Thanks for the extra info. Why do you think two British Army servicemen are running around in a Stanley? As suggested by PrawnCocktail the men are probably pre WWI, maybe Boer war. Were these vehicles in South Africa I wonder?

[ScouseBoy]

The manufacturer  may have loaned a vehicle to the War Department  for them to evaluate it.

The armed forces today operate many civilian specification vehicles.

[Margow]

Do you know that these are British servicemen ?   I can't distinguish any insignia to confirm.   Could they be U.S. servicemen ?  I believe that the U.S. military did wear slouch hats c. 1900,  but I think the style of cap may have come later.   Perhaps someone with knowledge of military uniform will respond.

Bear in mind that this pic could have been taken any time after c. 1900 (though probably not too long after) and not necessarily in a war zone.

Margow