Doble, Abner

Engineer and developer of steam automobiles, buses, trains, and trucks. Founder of the Doble Steam Motors Corporation. Born Mar. 26, 1890 in San Francisco, Calif; died 1961, Santa Rosa, Calif.

From the description of Abner Doble papers, 1885-1963. (University of California, Berkeley). WorldCat record id: 83210504

Biography

Abner Doble was born in San Francisco, California on March 26, 1890. At the age of eight, he began an apprenticeship at the Abner Doble Company, the factory founded by his grandfather and namesake. His father, William Ashton Doble, was inventor of the Pelton-Doble Water Wheel and chief engineer for the Pelton Water Wheel Co., which eventually merged with his family's business. Abner Doble designed and built his first steam car while a student Lick High School in San Francisco. He attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology from 1910-1912, but left college in order to focus his attention on the development of steam automobiles. In 1912 he developed the Doble Model "A" in Waltham, Massachusetts, soon followed by the Doble Model "B" roadster. In 1915 Doble drove the Model "B" to Detroit where the General Engineering Company offered to put it into production. Renamed the Doble-Detroit, his car was introduced at the New York auto show of 1917. Although over 10,000 orders came in for the model, wartime demand for steel put manufacturing on hold and only 30 Doble-Detroit cars were ever produced.

In 1920 Doble and his brothers organized the Doble Steam Motors Corporation in San Francisco with the intention of developing the finest steam car ever built. Doble modeled his factory, which later moved across the bay to Emeryville, on the Rolls-Royce plant in Springfield, Massachusetts. The cars manufactured by Doble were luxury vehicles guaranteed to run for 100,000 miles. Their reputation for fine performance spread and orders came in quickly. The production process was costly, as well as enormously time consuming, given the amount of attention paid to nearly every detail of the car's manufacture. As a result of Doble's high standards, the company manufactured only 42 cars between 1923 and 1931. Finally, unable to secure adequate financing, Doble Steam Motors went bankrupt in 1931. Despite the company's failure, steam enthusiasts still consider the Doble steam car of this era to be among the best ever produced.

After the collapse of his company, Doble became consultant to several firms engaged in the development of steam technology. In Germany he helped to develop steam powered trains, buses, trucks and boats for A. Borsig, Co. and Henschel & Sohn. He worked on steam trucks and railcars for Sentinel Waggon Works in England and steam buses for A & G Price, Ltd., New Zealand. In 1946 Doble was retained by Nordberg Manufacturing Company, Milwaukee, Wisconsin to develop a steam power plant for city buses. This engine, known as the Ultimax, was the culmination of Doble's nearly four decades of experience in steam technology. Another firm later attempted to employ the Ultimax for use in railway locomotives. Finally, in 1950, McCulloch Motors of Los Angeles hired Doble as consultant on the development of the Paxton Phoenix, a steam powered luxury car fitted with an Ultimax engine. Once again, lack of funding forced the company to abandon the project and the car was never completed.

Doble continued to work as a consultant throughout the 1950's. One of his last projects was for Charles F. Keen of Milwaukee on the development of the Keen steam car in 1956.

Abner Doble died in Santa Rosa, California on July 16, 1961.

Chronology

• 1890: Born March 26, San Francisco, CA
• 1898 - 1905 : Apprenticeship at the Abner Doble Company, San Francisco, CA
• 1910 - 1912 : Attends Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
• 1912: Develops the Doble Model A, Waltham, MA
• 1914: Develops the Doble Model B Roadster, Waltham, MA
• 1916: Introduces Doble-Detroit Steam Car, Detroit, MI
• 1920: Doble Steam Motors factory opens in San Francisco, CA
• 1923: Factory moved to Emeryville, CA
• 1929 - 1931 : Consultant to A & G Price, Ltd., New Zealand
• 1930 - 1936 : Consultant to Sentinel Waggon Works, Shrewsbury, England
• 1931: Doble Steam Motors closes Consultant to A. Borsig Co., Berlin, Germany
• 1931 - 1934 : Consultant to Henschel & Sohn, Kassel, Germany
• 1946 - 1948 : Consultant to Nordberg Manufacturing Co., Milwaukee, WI
• 1950 - 1956 : Consultant on development of Paxton Phoenix steam car for McCulloch Motors Corporation, Los Angeles, CA
• 1956: Consultant on Keen steam car, Milwaukee, WI
• 1957: Consultant on monotube boiler for Charles W. Tadlock, St. Louis, MO
• 1961: Died July 16 in Santa Rosa, CA

From the guide to the Abner Doble Papers, 1885-1963, (The Bancroft Library.)