Stanhope is an archaic car body style

Car body style

Automobiles' body styles are highly variable. Some body styles remain in production, while others become less common or obsolete. They may or may not correlate to a car's price, size or intended market classification. The same car model might be available in multiple body styles comprising a...

 characterized by its single bench seat mounted at the center, folding cloth top, and a dashboard

Dashboard

A dashboard is a control panel placed in front of the driver of an automobile, housing instrumentation and controls for operation of the vehicle....

 at the front. All Stanhopes featured tiller

Tiller

A tiller or till is a lever attached to a rudder post or rudder stock of a boat that provides leverage for the helmsman to turn the rudder...

 steering, either in the center or at the side. Features of the car included a foot button to signal a bell (early version of a horn), hard rubber tires, wood trim, and eight forward speeds, three backs and a top speed of about 50 miles. The body style disappeared by the vintage vehicle era. It could be considered a specific type of runabout

Runabout (car)

Runabouts were a popular car body style at the beginning of the 20th Century. They were small, inexpensive, open cars. Most runabouts had just a single row of seats, providing seating for two passengers. Many also had a tonneau at the rear to provide optional seating for four or five...

.

There have been further productions of the Stanhope automobile including 3-wheeled versions with fully enclosed body work and a 4-wheeled version with front-wheel drive using chains, which also allowed front-wheel steering. It was mentioned many years later as being 20 years ahead of its time.

Examples

• 1899-1916 Woods
  Woods Motor Vehicle
  Woods Motor Vehicle Company was a manufacturer of electric automobiles in Chicago, Illinois between 1899 and 1916. In 1915 they produced the Dual Power Woods Motor Vehicle Company was a manufacturer of electric automobiles in Chicago, Illinois between 1899 and 1916. In 1915 they produced the Dual...
  
   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...
  
  
• 1899 Winton
  Winton Motor Carriage Company
  The Winton Motor Carriage Company was a pioneer United States automobile manufacturer based in Cleveland, Ohio. Winton was one of the first American companies to sell a motor car.-1896:...
  
   (largest manufacturer of gas-powered automobiles in the United States at the time)
• 1900-1901 Porter Motor Company
  Porter Motor Company
  The Porter Motor Company was an early United States automobile manufacturer based in Boston, Massachusetts. They made the steam powered Porter Stanhope from 1900 to 1901 and advertised it as "The Only Perfect Automobile"....
  
   (manufacturer of steam-powered automobiles)
• 1900-1910 White Steamcar
  White Motor Company
  White Motor Company was an American automobile and truck manufacturer from 1900 until 1980. The company also produced bicycles, roller skates, automatic lathes, and sewing machines. Before World War II, the company was based in Cleveland, Ohio.-History:...
  
   (largest manufacturer of steam-powered automobiles ever)
• 1901-1907 Oldsmobile Curved Dash
  Oldsmobile Curved Dash
  The gasoline powered Curved Dash Oldsmobile is credited as being the first mass-produced automobile, meaning that it was built on an assembly line using interchangeable parts. It was introduced by the Oldsmobile company in 1901 and produced through 1907...
  
  
• 1904-1906 Twyford Stanhope

See also

• Stanhope
  Stanhope (carriage)
  The stanhope was a gig, buggy or light phaeton, typically having a high seat and closed back. It was named after Captain Hon. Henry FitzRoy Stanhope The stanhope was a gig, buggy or light phaeton, typically having a high seat and closed back. It was named after Captain Hon. Henry FitzRoy Stanhope...
  
   horse-drawn carriage
  Carriage
  A carriage is a wheeled vehicle for people, usually horse-drawn; litters and sedan chairs are excluded, since they are wheelless vehicles. The carriage is especially designed for private passenger use and for comfort or elegance, though some are also used to transport goods. It may be light,...
  
  .