A STEAM CAR is in your future

TED PRITCHARD has had his ups and downs since he first decided that steam cars had a future. That was back in the early 1960s, when nobody had heard of the energy crisis or the perils of pollution.

Now, there's great interest in his work. At its present stage of development, the Pritchard steam power unit is far ahead of most internal combustion engines in its fuel economy and its pollution-free emission.

So far, it's the only engine in the world capable of driving a motor car and meeting the standards that will apply ;In the United States in 1985, when a fuel economy of 32 miles per gallon and specified low emissions will be required.

Over the years Pritchard has had a steady stream of people who backed him by taking shares in Pritchard Steam Power Pty Ltd, though at times the money side of the operation has been touch and go. But, thanks mainly to the involvemerit of the Australian and Victorian Governments,which have put $150 000 into the project, Ted Pritchard is now able to get on with his work without having to worry too much about finance.

The Pelland Sports formed the basis of the first Pelland steam car called "The Steam Cat" This was the same fibreglass monocoque chassis and used a twin-cylinder double-acting compound engine. The car was built to a contract with the South Australian Government in 1974. It currently is at the National Motor museum at Birdwood South Australia. In 1977 the Pelland Mk II Steam Car was built. It was a project Pellandine had originally started in Australia with funding from the Australian government. It had a three-cylinder double-acting engine in a 'broad-arrow' configuration. This was mounted in a tubular steel chassis, with a Kevlar body giving a gross weight of just 1,050 lb (480 kg). Uncomplicated and robust, the steam engine was claimed to give trouble-free, efficient performance. It had huge torque (1,100 ft·lbf (1,500 N·m)) at zero engine revs, and could accelerate from 0 to 60 mph (97 km/h) in under 8 seconds.

HAVE STEAM WILL TRAVEL (Fall 1961)
Thrills, chills, excitement, fear, fun and trouble were some of the emotions experienced on our vacation. The climax was the Steam Car Meet at the Doric 6th Ave. Motel, in the heart of Seattle, Washington, "The boat capital of the world". The anticlimax was sitting out all night on Highway 50 with the "Red Demon". Bless her steaming little heart! Barney had his feet on the throttle and his hand on her pulse. I had my heart in my mouth and cold feet. But, like the Pony Express, come rain, fog, heat, stopped up burners, soot, smoke and steam, she always comes through. We are home now and it all seems like fun. More...

THE STEAM AUTOMOBILE (Winter 1959)
To-day there is a reappraisal taking place in the automobile industry. The small car influx from abroad which began as a trickle after the war, has now mushroomed into a real threat to the domestic market. Rambler and Lark have offered a compromise between the chariots of Detroit and the foreign imports. Now, the "Big three" have entered the picture with Corvair, Falcon and Valiant. Their sponsors, however, are in disagreement as to just where their market lies; will these newcomers cut into the sale of the chariots, the foreign imports, the used car market or the "Little two"? Meanwhile there is a revival of interest in the electrics and the steamer hopes to stage a comeback. Public interest in smaller cars is motivated by lower first cost, greater mileage from gasoline and greater ease of parking.

The steam car of four or five decades ago offered advantages that its gas buggy rivals could not match. Its power plant enabled the driver to attain phenomenal speeds, climb impressive slopes and acquire rapid acceleration. Its reserve power permitted the motorist to drive the car a considerable distance- even if the burners "conked out". The oldtimer was quiet as compared to the gasoline cars of that era. The steamer needed no self starter, only enough steam pressure to drive its pistons. The steam car had simplicity. It needed no clutch, transmission gears, carburetor, distributor or muffler. These accessories besides involving considerable first cost, required periodic attention, adjustment and sometimes replacement. The steamer had far less moving parts than its gasoline rivalmaking for greater reliability, smaller first cost and lower upkeep. If the new steamer can retain these and other features of yesterday, it will have made its first step toward a comeback! Read more...