I don’t know about you, but I just learned about this, great car manufacturer from the USA. I want to dedicate my first post on this brand to the Old 16. It is an outstanding car that won the Vanderbilt Cup in 1906. Remarkably, the two previous cups were won by French cars.
It may surprise many people, but at one time Locomobile was the most mass producer of cars in the United States. True, we are talking about steam-powered cars. This manufacturer produced some of the most luxurious and expensive cars in America. So I just have to make my own, small contribution to the reminder of Locomobile cars. Let’s start with the Old 16 race car.
Locomobile Old 16 exterior and photos.
From the photo you can see the wooden, artillery-type wheel rims. In those years, these types of rims were installed on most cars. The rear wheels have rims with wider spokes than the front wheels. The Dunlop brand pneumatic tires on the rear were also wider than the front and had a larger diameter. The Locomobile race car does not have a traditional, exhaust system.
The entire exhaust system of this American car is in the form of short headers, which end just behind the hood flap. The large fuel tank is mounted just behind the seat backs, and the two spare tires are secured by straps behind the fuel tank.
Locomobile Old 16 interior and equipment.
The steering wheel on the car is mounted on the right side, which was the norm for American cars of that time. From the photo you can notice that there is a pump attached to the passenger’s legs. But it is used not for tire inflation, but to facilitate the start of the huge engine.
Just from the photo you can notice that the passenger seat backrest is much lower than the driver’s seat backrest. A wooden steering wheel rim was also the norm for expensive, albeit racing cars of those years.
Features of the Locomobile Old 16.
Under the sashes of the racing Locomobile Old 16 is a huge, four-cylinder engine with a capacity of 17.7 liters! Although originally, in 1905, the displacement was 16.2 liters. Power to the rear wheels is transmitted by two chains rather than one. The gearbox is manual, three-speed, and the brakes are of course mechanical and only on the rear wheels.
This is an outstanding machine, produced by an outstanding brand that many people have forgotten about today.
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