Stanley (Stanley Steamer) Model K Semi-Racer History

Riding the publicity from the 1906 land speed record, Stanley offered a series of road-going speedsters. The Model H of 1906 became known as the 'Gentleman's Speedy Roadster'; the Model K Semi-Racer that followed in 1907 was the harder-edged version, which Stanley advertised as 'the fastest stock car in the world.'

The Model K used a larger 26-inch boiler and a bigger engine than the standard cars, and was geared for high-speed track and hill-climb work. Production was tiny — roughly 25 of these semi-racers were built in the 1906–1908 window — and Stanley wound down its dedicated speed cars after 1908–1909, in the wake of the Rocket crash. Only a handful survive.