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."