Jay Leno's 1925 Doble
Written by Keith Fudge

One of Dennis Gage's favorite assignments is to take a trip to Jay Leno's garage because he never knows just what cool ride Jay might show him! On this week's show, you'll have the chance to see what Dennis saw on his latest visit. It was a rare treat indeed as Jay showed Dennis his recently restored 1925 Doble steamer.

At the beginning of their visit, Jay showed Dennis some earlier steamers that he had restored. Most of these vintage steamers were Stanleys from the early 1900s, but some were manufactured, perhaps as late as 1910. While they were talking, the conversation turned to the engineering and design of these automobiles and some of the aspects that people don't realize about them. For instance, there is no clutch or no transmission on a steamer! Jay also remarked that with a steamer, people couldn't just hop in the car and go somewhere because the steam had to build pressure. Consequently, some of these cars took a good ten to fifteen minutes of warming before they would produce enough steam pressure to run! “That's where the Doble is different,” Jay remarked. We soon found out why.

As they approached the Doble, Jay told Dennis that the car had recently been completed. When he raised the hood, Jay also noted that what they were about to see would look more like, “something you would see in a basement apartment building.” Under the hood lurked a massive boiler that is referred to as a generator. Jay told Dennis that this device contained 600 feet of tubing to help heat the water quickly. Next, he showed Dennis the port where one spark plug, when fired, produced almost instant steam in ten to fifteen seconds. This “instant steam” was a vast improvement from the previous longer warm-up periods that made steamers inconvenient in terms of having to go somewhere in a hurry! Jay said the generator produced two million BTUs and that there were definite “safety issues” when working on this type of engine. One can become scalded if proper caution is not taken! In fact, Jay showed Dennis some parts on the generator that had been replaced. There were large holes in these devices that had been literally blown through. This was caused by extreme temperatures and pressure. Jay mentioned that these parts were eighteen gauge steel, so you can imagine just how hot and powerful the steam would be to create this sort of damage. Jay went on to comment on the fascinating design of the engine, telling Dennis that it was a four-cylinder compound engine that was significantly stronger than its predecessors.

Next, Jay took Dennis into another part of the garage where he gave Dennis a bit of a history lesson on the Doble itself. Photos of several models of Doble steamers graced the walls of the office where Jay took Dennis, and Jay proclaimed that this group of photos constitutes all the official Doble photos that he could find. Also, there were framed reproductions of the original technical drawings of the engine and mechanics of the cars. Jay knew all the inner workings of the Doble, and every time we speak to him, we are even more impressed with his knowledge of vintage cars and motorcycles. He is quickly proving that he is quite an automotive historian

Finally, after discussing some of the technical merits of the car itself, it was time to fire up the Doble and take to the streets of L.A. As they began, Jay fired up the Doble, and he and Dennis climbed inside. As one might suspect, the dash was filled with a variety of gauges indicating temperature and pressure, and there was an additional and smaller steering wheel mounted just on top of the regular wheel. Jay told Dennis this smaller wheel served as a safety precaution. In case the steam valve sticks, it can be turned off by using this smaller wheel. While they were talking, the car was quickly warming. Soon the engine had achieved 500° in steam pressure, the amount needed to run the car at normal speeds. Jay also mentioned that the temperature in the generator would reach approximately 2,000° to create this much steam power.

As they took to the streets, Dennis commented on what a beautiful car the Doble was. Jay responded that the Doble was definitely an upscale car for its day, and that it has a Murphy body made in California . Next, Dennis asked about the brakes. When Jay demonstrated the stopping power, Dennis was truly impressed! Jay responded that he had installed Corvette disc brakes on the front. After all, it takes solid stopping power to slow down a car that weighs three tons! Jay remarked that the car will do 100 miles per hour and that Doble was the only manufacturer of steamers that addressed the problem of overcoming the excessive weight of the cars with a more powerful engine. Later, Jay turned the Doble over to Dennis, and then it was his turn to cruise L.A in this fashionable ride. Finally, Dennis and Jay changed roles again, and Jay suggested that Dennis take a ride in the back of the car in order to get a true feel of what the car was like for passengers. Imagine, being chauffeured through L.A. by Jay Leno!

When they returned to the garage, they stopped just outside to release the excess steam from the generator. While the car cooled a bit, Jay showed Dennis the rest of the engine located under the rear floorboard. This car truly is an engineering marvel and was one of the elite among steamer cars! Jay never ceases to amaze us with what he has to show us, and we couldn't be happier with his choice for this visit! That's it from sunny California, so remember, “honor the timeless classics. Happy Motoring!”