Altmann (1905 automobile)
Encyclopedia
The Altmann was an automobile
made by Kraftfahrzeug-Werke GmbH, Brandenburg/Havel from 1905 to 1907. It was one of only a handful of German steam car
makes, and was quite advanced for the era. Its valve timing
engine
allowed it to follow the Gardner-Serpollet
principle, though the engine differed from that design in other aspects. Its three cylinder
s allowed it to produce 15 bhp. Its use of a condensation system and ensuing low consumption of water gave it an effective range of around 125 miles (201 km) on a single tank of water. The death of its designer, Adolf Altmann, prevented it from being built on a large scale. The firm later went on to build electric car
s.
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
made by Kraftfahrzeug-Werke GmbH, Brandenburg/Havel from 1905 to 1907. It was one of only a handful of German steam car
Steam car
A steam car is a light car powered by a steam engine.Steam locomotives, steam engines capable of propelling themselves along either road or rails, developed around one hundred years earlier than internal combustion engine cars although their weight restricted them to agricultural and heavy haulage...
makes, and was quite advanced for the era. Its valve timing
Valve timing
In a piston engine, the valve timing is the precise timing of the opening and closing of the valves.In four-stroke cycle engines and some two-stroke cycle engines, the valve timing is controlled by the camshaft. It can be varied by modifying the camshaft, or it can be varied during engine operation...
engine
Engine
An engine or motor is a machine designed to convert energy into useful mechanical motion. Heat engines, including internal combustion engines and external combustion engines burn a fuel to create heat which is then used to create motion...
allowed it to follow the Gardner-Serpollet
Gardner-Serpollet
Gardner-Serpollet was a French manufacturer of steam-powered cars in the early 1900s.In 1896, Leon Serpollet invented and perfected the flash boiler, which made steam a much more practical source of power for an automobile...
principle, though the engine differed from that design in other aspects. Its three cylinder
Cylinder (engine)
A cylinder is the central working part of a reciprocating engine or pump, the space in which a piston travels. Multiple cylinders are commonly arranged side by side in a bank, or engine block, which is typically cast from aluminum or cast iron before receiving precision machine work...
s allowed it to produce 15 bhp. Its use of a condensation system and ensuing low consumption of water gave it an effective range of around 125 miles (201 km) on a single tank of water. The death of its designer, Adolf Altmann, prevented it from being built on a large scale. The firm later went on to build electric car
Electric car
An electric car is an automobile which is propelled by electric motor, using electrical energy stored in batteries or another energy storage device. Electric cars were popular in the late-19th century and early 20th century, until advances in internal combustion engine technology and mass...
s.