Your Toyota dealer knows there’s a lot we take for granted today. From fast speeds through Kirkland to a smooth ride through Florissant, our customers expect the best of the vehicles they purchase from their Toyota dealer. Cars weren’t always this easy to own and operate, however. Some of the first cars may have been a little less complicated, but they certainly took more work and couldn’t go nearly as fast. What are we talking about? The steam powered car, of course!

The definition of a steam car is pretty simple. It is a car whose engine is powered by steam. As water is heated in a boiler, the pressure from the expanding vapor is what is used to run the engine. In order to create steam however, you have to have heat. Your Toyota dealer has learned that these early cars used coal to heat the water, which required careful management of both the fuel as well as the boiler pressure. Not only that, but you had to wait for the water to heat before you could use the vehicle. In those days a car was certainly not a quick starting vehicle.

Over time, new models became available that required less water to initially start the engine. The cars could start more quickly, and they had a water reservoir to draw more water from as it was needed. While this was a smart invention, it couldn’t compare to the electric starter. Your Toyota dealer knows that steam and gasoline powered cars were once two competing markets. Hand cranking a gasoline powered car, however, could be dangerous. Once the electric starter was invented, gasoline powered cars became safer to drive and easier to start, and the rest is history.

Your St Louis Toyota dealer has seen many vehicles over the years, and has witnessed history as times and innovations have changed. All the same, cars have never been as reliable as they are today.