1909 Locomobile Model 30

FROM THE DICK SHAPPY COLLECTION: The 1909 Locomobile Model 30 Touring

Locomobile
In 1899, John Brisben Walker (editor and publisher of The Cosmopolitan magazine) purchased the plans for a steam-powered vehicle from Francis and Freelan Stanley and partnered with paving contractor Amzi L. Barber to fill the 199 orders. Walker and Barber soon split, Walker founding Mobile Company of America in NY at the former Stanley and Barber founding Locomobile with the Stanley twins as general managers in Watertown, MA. One of the earliest car manufacturers, they derived the name from locomotive and automobile and moved to Bridgeport, CT in 1900.

Until 1903, they manufactured small, affordable steam cars. Despite being described by author Rudyard Kipling as nickel-plated fraud and prone to kerosene fires, Locomobile sold over 4,000 unreliable steam-powered runabouts with seven different body styles. They were the first automobiles to be used in war, joining the British in the second Boer War where they were used to dismantle a minefield and even to serve tea by tapping the boiler.

Andrew L. Riker designed a four-cylinder, steel-chassis internal combustion-powered luxury car in 1902 and pivoted production, selling the rights to the steam vehicle back to Stanley. The Stanley twins would go on to found the Stanley Motor Carriage Company, becoming Locomobiles closest competitors. By 1908, George Robertson had won the Vanderbilt Cup with a Locomobile, making the company the first American-made manufacturer to win an international competition.

In 1911, the prestigious Type M was introduced, known more commonly as the Model 48 for its 48HP, with an open body, large chassis, straight six T-head engine with side valves, and impeccable workmanship and materials. They came with a hefty pricetag, going for $10,000 (over $330K in 2025), and offered custom lamp and metalwork from Tiffany Studios.

Orin Davis won the Los Angeles-Phoenix rally with a Locomobile in 1913, but Locomobile did not make much more of an impression in racing history, although Eva Mudge chose the Locomobile as her race car. She is believed to be the first female to hold a drivers license, race a car, and also to get into an accident. Locomobile joined the war effort again in 1917, selling the Riker Truck to the British army, and contributing more vehicles to WWI than any other American company.

Durant Motors Inc., led by Billy Durant, former CEO of General Motors, acquired Locomobile in 1922 and continued producing the Model 48. They came out with their own Locomobile 8-66 Junior Eight with a straight-eight engine and a much lower pricetag along with several other vehicles until they placed a Lycoming engine in the 8-70 of 1927, damaging the Locomobile name. Production ended in 1929, despite trying to save the companys reputation with new 8-86 and 8-88s, afte the stock market crash.

Locomobiles were known to be speedy, well-built luxury cars, revered for their precision engineering and beautiful craftmanship. Its no wonder Locomobile Automobile Co. used the slogan, The Best Built Car in America.

Locomobile: 1909 Model 30 Touring
This extremely rare 1909 Locomobile Model 30 is almost in exact original barn find condition with all original and correct accessories. The vehicle has had three owners, the first of whom, a fruit and vegetable salesman, purchased the car in Connecticut. In the 1940s, he moved to Victor, NY to farm and used the car until the 1950s. After such time, the vehicle was tucked neatly into a garage alongside boxes until 1997. The family considered a restoration at one point and removed most of the original deep blue paint, but got no further than that. The son of the original owner met a father and son, Clark and Clark Rittersbach, driving a 1899 Locomobile Steam carriage at a local show, and sold the Model 30 to the enthusiastic pair. They declared that the Locomobile found them.

The upholstery did not weather the years as well as the rest of the vehicle, and since entering the collection of Dick Shappy, it has been painstakingly replaced and repaired with era-correct leather along with the top. The clutch has been repaired and multiple mechanical engine, drive train, etc. adjustments were performed. It now runs smoothly and is ready for touring and show. It comes with the VIN no. PSR17676 and The Rushmore Lens-Mirror Searchlight Solar Model 726B Lamps Manufactured by Rushmore Dynamo Works in Plainfield, NJ. Rushmore also patented The Automatic Shaking Grate Generator, the ignition is a dual coil Bosch, and the MotoMeter is a traditional Boyce from The MotoMeter Company. It also comes equipped with an Ingraham steering-column mounted clock, Locomobile speedometer, and a Lavigne Mfg. Co. lubricator from Detroit, MI.

The 1909 Locomobile completed the 2025 Audrain Automobile Museum's Newport to Bristol Veteran Car Tour.

The 1909 Locomobile won "Best Preservation" at the Horseless Carriage Club of America's 74th Annual New England Event in Redding, CT October 19, 2025.

More video available at DSClassics.com