Doble Steam Cars: 7 Fascinating Facts That Still Surprise Car Enthusiasts

Doble steam cars remain some of the most fascinating and advanced automobiles of the classic era. Even today, they feel almost unbelievable when you look at what they could do in the 1920s.

A few facts that make the Doble story so compelling:

1: The Doble was one of the most advanced steam cars ever built. Its Series E models are widely regarded as the high-water mark of steam car development.  

2: A Doble could start remarkably quickly for a steam car. One of its biggest breakthroughs was fast steam generation, which helped overcome the old stereotype that steam cars took forever to get going. Period and later historical accounts note cold-start readiness in roughly 30 to 90 seconds depending on conditions and the specific source cited.  

3: The cars were incredibly fast and smooth. Contemporary and historical accounts describe Dobles as capable of sustained highway-speed performance well above many cars of their era, with very little vibration and no need for a conventional transmission or clutch.  

4: They were expensive from the start. The Model E was priced as a true luxury automobile, which was one of the reasons Doble never became a mass-market success despite its engineering brilliance.  

5: Only a very small number were built. Historical sources generally point to just a few dozen complete Doble automobiles being produced, which helps explain why they are so revered today.  

6: Famous owners were drawn to them. Howard Hughes was among the notable names associated with Doble ownership, which fits the car’s reputation for technical sophistication and dramatic performance.  

7: The Doble shows how steam power nearly stayed in the automotive game. The company proved that steam could be modern, refined, quiet, and seriously quick, but high cost, limited production, and company troubles kept it from changing the industry.  

What do you think is the most impressive thing about the Doble: the engineering, the performance, the rarity, or the fact that steam technology came this close to remaining relevant in the luxury car world?