Why the world’s fastest driver prefers a 20mph steam-powered car

Just over 28 years ago Andy Green became the only person to break the sound barrier on land when he piloted the Thrust SSC jet-powered car to 763mph in Nevada, USA. But on November 2, the land-speed record holder will take on a more sedate challenge – driving an 8 horsepower, Edwardian car from London to Brighton in the annual Veteran Car Run.

“Owning this car has been the best thing I’ve ever done, it is so much fun,” Green told me during a shakedown run ahead of the 60-mile journey from capital to coast. That’s quite a statement given that he is a former RAF fighter pilot (he retired in 2019) and also currently holds the diesel land speed record (563mph), set in 2006.

“It is a privilege having something that old, something generations have looked after and preserved so it is a case of keeping it going and hopefully in 100 years it will still be competing,” he says of his steed, a 1904 Stanley Runabout, which he has owned for the past seven years.

And while electric cars were cutting-edge during the early days of motoring before the increasing efficiency of petrol engines rendered them obsolete, Green’s machine is different again – being powered by the even earlier technology of steam.

Green’s transition from land-speed record to partaking in an event where drivers are not allowed to exceed an average of 20mph, however, happened somewhat by accident.

Falling in love

“I stumbled across my love for that type of car. Several years ago a friend, who owns the oldest left-hand drive car in the world, a 1902 Haynes-Apperson, invited us along and we just fell in love with the fun, the warmth, the excitement and the adventure of driving from London to Brighton in the same way the guys did in 1896 [the inaugural event, known as the Emancipation Run].

“We went year after year and as a result of falling in love with the Run I wanted to enter it myself,” he says. “I find technology of all eras fascinating and the older the cars, the more interesting they get because you can see and understand all of the technology.

“We looked at the various internal combustion engine options and then I looked at steam cars and thought: ‘Actually, you can get a lot of value from much simpler mechanisms and a much smaller vehicle that I can keep in the garage at home’, which makes it a lot more affordable and manageable. The simplicity of the steam technology means I can pretty much do all the maintenance myself.”

Steam-powered record-breaker

Perhaps surprisingly, its manufacturer – which existed from 1902 to 1924 – has a link to the land speed record, with a steam-powered vehicle named the Rocket taking the overall title in 1906 at Daytona Beach, reaching 126mph.

“It does have a lovely echo with one of my other interests,” says Green. “The engine in my car is the double-acting twin cylinder 3in by 4in displacement, which is exactly the same engine they used in the Rocket to break the land speed record. It is the only steam car to ever hold the overall record. It was an unbelievable achievement to hit 126mph using something that looks like an upturned boat on bicycle wheels.”

When new, Green’s car had a top speed of 60mph, but nowadays he says 20mph “feels more than fast enough” given it has the “worst brakes in the world”.

Unsurprisingly, the steamer has little in common with the Thrust SSC. “It’s like asking for a comparison between flying a jet and cycling to work. I was a very small part of the most extraordinary vehicle in the world. Being involved in a world-class team is completely different to sitting on the driveway getting the Stanley ready. It’s a fascinating challenge and I love it.

“The world’s best holiday job was driving a jet car to a supersonic speed record, but it is very different to driving to Brighton at an average speed of 10mph.”

Understanding the Steamer

“A little bit of my fighter pilot background bleeds over to the Stanley: when I bought the car there were a handful of notes for a few checks and a few hand-drawn diagrams on how systems work. I spent the first year of ownership working out where all the pipes went and where the valves went to produce a technical diagram of the car. I basically made an owners’ manual because Stanley didn’t make one,” he adds.

“There are a five or six other Stanleys in the UK and anyone can pick up the guide and in theory know how to drive it, along with a checklist of how to get the car ready and how to start it.”

While he won’t need to make any fuel stops between London and Brighton – the 10-gallon petrol tank is large enough to offer a range of around 150 miles and to keep the furnace alive – he will need to top-up the 18-gallon water tank three times.

A thirst for water

“You can get rid of that in the space of 20 miles and you don’t want to run out of water half a mile before the stop because that’s a long way to push an old car. If you stop outside a house and say: ‘Can I have some water please?’ people are generally happy to help, but you have to hope the hosepipe pressure is OK.”

Such is Green’s enthusiasm for his Steamer, he runs it as frequently as he can. “We like to take it out and about as much as possible. When we bought the car the previous owner said: ‘It takes about half an hour to get it going so it isn’t the sort of the car you take to the pub’. My wife and I looked at each other and said ‘Oh yeah it is’. If it is a sunny day we’ll take the steam car to the pub; the landlord loves having it parked outside.”

Needless to say, it gets quite a reaction from the general public. During the test run passers-by were stopped in their tracks, both to wave and take photos of the 121-year-old machine.

“There aren’t many things you can do day-to-day that make people smile and have a chat with you,” says Green. “It’s like having a dog, times a thousand.”

[Source: Daily Telegraph]