Keystone Match & Machine Company was founded in 1894 and offering bicycles from 1896.^[2] In 1899 the company offered an interesting but complicated steam car. It featured runabout coachwork and was powered by three small single-cylinder steam engines built into each of its rear wheel hubs in a way that they worked as a radial engine. It was tried to avoid the use of sprockets, chains and a differential gear as each wheel worked completely independent from the other.^[3] The vehicle could reach a maximum speed of 20 miles per hour (32 km/h).^[4]

Planned production included trucks, but the Keystone Match & Machine Co. gave up all automobile projects in 1900, concentrating instead in producing matches and machinery for that purpose.^[4]

Engineer J. G. Xander, who mainly developed the Keystone Steamer, went to Reading, Pennsylvania, where he manufactured steam and gasoline engines, and offered for a short time the Xander automobile, built on custom order.^[4]^[5]

History

References