White Steamers

As with most minor steam car makers, little is known about the Conrad Motor Carriage Company.

The Conrad Motor Carriage Company of Buffalo, NY was incorporated in April 1900 with a woefully inadequate capital stock of $25,000. During Christmas 1901, a “large Conrad delivery wagon ran for a week making deliveries for a large Buffalo department Store. It did the work of three horse-drawn vehicles without trouble. A similar wagon carried mail from the main post office in Buffalo to the Pas American Exposition.”[2]

In 1902, the Conrad Motor Carriage Company began manufacturing gasoline cars. The company failed in July 1903 and declared bankruptcy in August 1903. [3]

Bently describes the technical details of the Conrad. The “1903 Steam Model 65 Special [was] powered by a two-cylinder, six hp engine located amidships under the frame and enclosed in a special hood.” “A 20 in. boiler (at rear) produced super-heated steam from 650 copper tubes at 160 psi, water being stored in a 35 gallon tank. Eight gallons of gasoline fed the burner which had a patented pilot light to keep up a head of steam. Weight of this buggy was 1,004 pounds with a two-passenger panel back seat body and full tanks. One of four models (two of them commercial vehicles) with a price of $800 - $2,500.” [4]

Floyd Clymer’s 1945 Steam Car Scrapbook lists three models of the Conrad in 1903.[6]

The Conrad Steam Model 65 Special: “Two-passenger; panel back seat; weight with tanks filled, 1,004 pounds; 2½-inch tires; 28-inch wheels; capacity of gasoline tanks, 8 gallons; capacity of water tanks, 35 gallons. Price $850.”

Conrad Steam Model 70: “Dos-a-Dos; stick back seat; seating capacity 4 passengers; weight, tanks filled, 1,000 pounds; 2½-inch tires; 28-inch wheels; capacity of gasoline tanks, 8 gallons; capacity of water tank, 38 gallons. Price, $800.”

Conrad Steam Model 77½: “Panel seat; seating capacity, 4 passengers; 3-inch tires; 28-inch wheels; gasoline tank capacity, 8 gallons; water tank capacity, 38 gallons. Price, 1,200.”

This small advertisement appeared in the Scientific American of May 17, 1902, Vol. LXXXVI, No. 20, page 358.

[1] SACA Forum , Phorum 5, It’s Like Fast and Stuff. Posts by Don Anger, Peter Brow, and David K. Nergaard, March 2002.

[2] Bentley, John, Oldtime Steam Cars, (New York, NY, ARCO Publishing Co., second printing, 1969), p. 75.

[3] Bentley, John, Oldtime Steam Cars, (New York, NY, ARCO Publishing Co., second printing, 1969), p. 75.

[4] Bentley, John, Oldtime Steam Cars, (New York, NY, ARCO Publishing Co., second printing, 1969), p. 75.

[5] Derr, Thomas S., The Modern Steam Car and its Background: With a supplement on Historical Steam Cars by Floyd Clymer, (Los Angeles, CA., Floyd Clymer, 1952, 2^nd reprint), p. 104.

[6] Clymer, Floyd, Floyd Clymer’s Historical Motor Scapbook: Steam Car Edition, Vol. 1. (This book is copy No. 76692), (Los Angeles, CA, Clymer Motors, 1945), p. 49. This information seems to have been copied from some publication, but Clymer does not indicate where.

Conrad 1900 – 1904

1. Conrad Motor Carriage Co., Buffalo, NY 1900 – 1903

2. Lacakwanna Motor CO., Buffalo, NY 1904

The Conrad company made mainly steam cars, light 2-cylinder vehicles with side-tiller steering and single chain drive. In 1903 they introduced two gasoline engined cars of 8 hp and 12 hp, both with 2-cylinder engines, three speeds, and single chain drive. They were out of business by the end of 1903, but one of their gasoline engined models was exhibited by the Lackawanna Motor Co. at the 1904 New York Show. However, this latter company concentrated mainly on engines.[1]

[1] Georgano, G. N., Encyclopedia of American Automobile, (New York, E. P. Dutton & Co., 1968), p. 48-49.