Vehicle Description
Chassis No. 256
Engine No. 256
Belgian Jules Miesse was an early automotive pioneer, producing his
first steam-powered automobile, the Torpedo, in 1896, having
developed his own steam engine inspired by the Frenchman Leon
Serpollet. Serpollet had previously pioneered the use of a flash
boiler in an automotive application. Miesse's horizontal
three-cylinder engine utilized a closed crankcase and poppet
valves, with a flash boiler employing a driver-operated manual
water feed creating the steam required to deliver pressure through
the valves to each cylinder. This engine's economy was heavily
touted, and some models were reportedly capable of 50 miles per
gallon with the right operator feeding the boiler!
Miesse ultimately partnered with the Thomas Turner & Company of
Wolverhampton, UK in 1902. While the exact nature of this
partnership is slightly unclear, it is believed that Turner built
cars to Miesse's design under license in the UK as "Turner-Miesse"
cars, for which the arrangement lasted until 1906.
This early example of the Turner-Miesse automotive partnership
dates to 1904, and is well known in the veteran & steam car
community with a series of known ownerships dating back to the
Pre-WWII days. The Turner-Miesse regularly took part in the London
to Brighton run during the years 1973-1991, most often prevailing
to reach the finish line. It is recognizable thanks to its notable
early UK registration mark "A 230" which still accompanies the car
today. It entered its present long-term American ownership from a
Brooks auction in December 2000, joining an important California
collection. The Turner-Miesse was subsequently displayed at the
Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in 2014. In preparation for this
appearance, its boiler was replaced with a newer unit. This showing
was rewarded with a 3rd place in the Prewar Preservation Class, a
remarkable achievement for a relatively little-known steam powered
veteran motorcar.
Not operated in recent years since its showing at Pebble Beach a
decade ago, the Turner-Miesse presents today as a splendid artefact
of the Edwardian motoring age, and a reminder of a time when steam
was considered a highly viable "alternative fuel."
