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Locomobile


Locomobile was a company that produced automobiles in the United States of America from 1899 to 1929.

The Locomobile Company of America was founded by Amzi L. Barber and John Brisben Walker and was based in Bridgeport, Connecticut. The name "Locomobile" was coined from the words locomotive and automobile. Locomobile began by producing steam powered autos, leasing a motor design from the Stanley Steamer Company. The steam Locomobiles were unreliable, finicky to operate, had flammable parafin fires, small water tanks and took time to raise steam. Nevertheless, they were a curiosity and middle class Americans clamoured for the latest technology. Salesmen, doctors and people needing quick mobility found them useful. Several thousand of the steam buggies were eventually sold. Locomobile started experimenting with gasoline internal combustion engines in 1902, and stopped making steam vehicles the following year. The 1904 "Locomobile Runabout" was a runabout model. It could seat 2 passengers and sold for US$850. The compound 2-cylinder steam engine was situated amidships of the armored wood-framed car.

The 1904 "Locomobile Touring Car" was a touring car model. Equipped with a tonneau, it could seat 5 passengers and sold for US$4500. The vertically-mounted water-cooled straight-4, situated at the front of the car, produced 16 hp (11.9 kW). A 3-speed sliding transmission was fitted, as on the Système Panhard cars it competed with. The angle steel-framed car weighed 2200 lb (998 kg). Locomobile soon became known for well built and speedy luxury cars. A Locomobile was the first United States-built auto to win an international motor race, taking the Vanderbilt Cup in 1908. The 1908 "Locomobile 40 Runabout "was a runabout model. It could seat 2 passengers and sold for US$4750. It had a 60 hp engine. In 1922 Locomobile was acquired by Durant Motors, which continued using the Locomobile brand name for their top-of-the-line autos until 1929.

Click on the year Locomobile you would like to view.

1899

1900

1901

1902

1903

1904

1905

1906

1907

1908

1909

1910

1911

1912

1913

1914

1915

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1917

1918

1919

1920

1921

1922

1923

1924

1925

1926

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1929

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Locomobile Production totals
sorry no model breakdown's are available

1899 = 337

1900 = 767

1901 = 1561

1902 = 2750

1903 = 1897

1904 = 927

1905 = 688

1906 = 723

1907 = 627

1908 = ±1000

1909 = ±1000

1910 = ±1000

1911 = ±1000

1912 = ±1000

1913 = ±1000

1914 = ±1000

1915 = ±1000

1916 = ±1000

1917 = ±1000

1918 = 8627

1919 = 9429

1920 = 1000

1921 = 721

1922 = 221

1923 = 116

1924 = 230

1925 = 828

1926 = 2586

1927 = 2037

1928= 112

1929 = 327

         

 

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