1904 Turner-Miesse Steam Torpedo

256roadUnited Kingdom

Engine: Horizontal three-cylinder steam engine with closed crankcase, poppet valves, and flash boiler

A 1904 Turner-Miesse steam car, VCC-dated, produced under a Belgian Miesse licence by Thomas Turner & Company of Wolverhampton. Powered by a horizontal three-cylinder steam engine fed by a flash boiler, the car has a documented postwar ownership history through several British custodians and was a regular London to Brighton Veteran Car Run entrant until 1993. Later held by American collector Jack Croul, it received a new flash boiler and was shown at Pebble Beach in 2014, winning third place in its class.

Ownership

—Auction sale
Sold £109,250 (≈ $137K)
RM Sotheby's catalogue lot →
1979 → 2000Acquisition unknown
British enthusiast
partial documentation
Cared for the vehicle for more than two decades, regularly entering it in the London to Brighton run; a cylinder block failure was repaired with a replacement unit.
2000 →Acquisition unknown
Jack Croul
partial documentation
Prominent American collector who displayed the car at West Coast events and had a new flash boiler fitted ahead of its 2014 Pebble Beach appearance.
Date unknownPrivate sale
Current owner
partial documentation
Acquired from the Croul collection; car retains original finishes including much of its leather trim.
Date unknownAcquisition unknown
R Lawson
partial documentation
Based in the Bristol region during the early post-war period.
Date unknownAcquisition unknown
Alex Hodsdon
partial documentation
Date unknownAcquisition unknown
Leslie Goldsmith
partial documentation
Date unknownAcquisition unknown
Peter Kendall-Torry
partial documentation

Competition

2014
2014 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance
3rd in Prewar Preservation class
Car was fitted with a replacement flash boiler before being presented at this event under Jack Croul's ownership.
—London to Brighton Veteran Car Run
London to Brighton Veteran Car Run
Participated regularly from the late 1970s through 1993, completing most runs successfully; failed on two occasions, one involving a cylinder block fault that was later remedied.

Maintenance & restoration

2014
Mechanical
A new flash boiler was installed in preparation for the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.
Carried out under Jack Croul's ownership.
—
Repair
A cracked or failed cylinder block, sustained during a London to Brighton run, was rectified by fitting a replacement block.
Occurred during the British enthusiast's ownership prior to 2000; described as the reason for one of the car's two non-finishes in the Run.

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