Thomas Rickett from Buckingham Buckingham is a town situated in north Buckinghamshire, England, approximately 10 miles from the border with Northamptonshire. The town has a population of 11,572 (United Kingdom Census 2001), (2007 est. 13,200). Buckingham is also a civil parish designated as a town council, England, made a steam powered car in 1860. What distinguishes this from others made around the time is that it was put into production and several examples made and it was also advertised. This arguably makes it the first British production car.
Rickett was manager of the Castle Foundry in Buckingham, makers of agricultural implements, who in 1857 also started to make steam engines. In 1858 he combined the two to make a steam plough. This inspired the Marquess of Stafford to order a steam carriage. This vehicle had three wheels, the single wheel at the front, and a rear mounted coal fired boiler and two cylinder engine. The boiler pressure was 110 psi and the cylinders had a bore of 76 mm and stroke of 178 mm. Transmission was by chain to the right hand rear wheel. A maximum speed of 19 mph was claimed. A boilerman was seated at the rear and three passengers could sit side by side at the front with the one on the right operating tiller steering and the regulator, reversing lever and brake. The wheels had iron "tyres" with the brakes operating on the rear wheels.
In 1860 a second example was ordered by the Earl of Caithness Earl of Caithness is a title that has been created several times in the Peerage of Scotland, and has a very complex history. Its first grant, in the modern sense as to have been counted in strict lists of peerages, is now generally held to have taken place in favor of Maol Íosa V, Earl of Strathearn, in 1334, although in the true circumstances of but this time the wheels were driven through a two speed gearbox and spur gears A gear is a rotating machine part having cut teeth, or cogs, which mesh with another toothed part in order to transmit torque. Two or more gears working in tandem are called a transmission and can produce a mechanical advantage through a gear ratio and thus may be considered a simple machine. Geared devices can change the speed, magnitude, and. The Earl used the car to drive 146 miles from Inverness Inverness is a city in northern Scotland. The city is the administrative centre for the Highland council area, and is promoted as the capital of the Highlands of Scotland. The city lies near the site of the 18th century Battle of Culloden and at the northeastern extremity of the Great Glen (An Gleann Mòr), where the River Ness enters the to Barrogill Castle, 20 miles north of Wick Wick is an estuary town and a royal burgh in the north of the Highland council area of Scotland. Historically, it is one of two burghs within the county of Caithness, of which Wick was the county town. The town straddles the River Wick and extends along both sides of Wick Bay. It has a population of about 7,333.Census 2001 in Scotland. accompanied by his wife with Thomas Rickett acting as engine man.
Encouraged by his success Rickett placed an advertisement in The Engineer The Engineer is a London-based fortnightly magazine covering the latest developments and business news in engineering and technology in the UK and internationally. Founded in January 1856, it is among the world's oldest professional journals magazine advertising his carriages for sale at £180 to £200. He was however ahead of his time and it is not thought that any more were sold.
References
- Beaulieu Encyclopedia of the Automobile. Editor Nick Georgano. HM Stationery Office 2000. ISBN 1-57958-293-1
- Source Book of Veteran Cars. G N Georgano. Ward Lock 1974. ISBN 0-7063-1820-X
Categories: Defunct motor vehicle manufacturers of the United Kingdom Categories: Motor vehicle manufacturers of the United Kingdom | Defunct motor vehicle manufacturers | Defunct manufacturing companies of the United Kingdom | Steam automobiles | Steam road vehicles | Veteran vehicles | 1860s automobiles
Camille Ricketts
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