Harry Hibler Likamobile

This is the British kit car from Modelworks and called the Likamobile because it is of similar dimensions to the original Locomobile of 1898. As I understand it Modelworks went broke making this product but someone else is trying to keep this kit going. It has a Winslow/Derr type of a boiler and a gun burner and I forget what kind of valves. At one time these things cost $25,000 for the kit. Much more information is available on the internet and posted on the British Steam Car Club website.

		Harry Hibler is in Washington State and a long time steam person and an engineer. Years ago he helped his father, Russ Hibler, make a Locomobile replica as accurately as possible so he is familiar with the theory. That car runs nicely. One of the British people did some modifying of the kit and that is written up in detail in the “Steam Car World” magazine published by the National Steam Car Association, which is the club that broke away from the old time British steam car club. That was a long and sad story and we will not discuss it.

Anyhow, this was the easiest and cheapest way to get into a steam car at the time. They are not making any more real steam cars and most of the barn finds have been found, so now we are making replicas. The Locomobile was good for 25 miles an hour or so and was very light weight. Brakes on the original were problematic. It could be that with mud roads brakes were not all that important.