Rickett

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Thomas Rickett of Buckingham , United Kingdom, made a steam-powered automobile in 1860. In contrast to other attempts at that time, the Rickett was produced in series. A few copies were created that were also offered on the market. Therefore, it can be considered the first production car in the UK.

Rickett was on the management board of the Castle Foundry in Buckingham, which manufactured agricultural implements and began making steam engines in 1857 . In 1858 he combined both ideas and produced a steam plow . This brought the Marquess of Staffordto order a steam truck. This vehicle had three wheels, with the single one in the front, a coal-fired steam boiler mounted on the rear and a two-cylinder steam engine. The boiler pressure was 1.79 bar (110 psi) and the cylinders had a bore of 76 mm and a stroke of 178 mm. The power of the steam engine was transmitted to the right rear wheel via a chain. The top speed was given as 30.6 km / h. The stoker sat in the back and three passengers could sit next to each other in the front, with the one on the right having to operate the steering column, the controller, the lever for reverse gear and the brake. The wheels had iron tires and the brakes worked on the rear wheels.

A second copy was ordered by the Earl of Caithness in 1860 , but this time the rear wheels were driven by a two-speed gearbox with spur gears. The Earl drove the 235 km from Inverness to Barrogil Castle , 20 miles north of Wick in Scotland with his wife as the passenger and Thomas Rickett as the stoker.

Following that success, Rickett placed an ad in The Engineer magazine listing his steam cars for £ 180- £ 200. However, it was ahead of its time and probably none of the machines were sold.

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