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A steam tricycle is a steam engine three-wheeled vehicle.
The Long steam tricycle appears to be one of the earliest preserved examples, built by George A. Long around 1880 and patented sometime around 1882; an example is on display at the Smithsonian Institution.
In 1881 the Parkyns-Bateman steam tricycle was demonstrated in England. It used a petroleum-fired steam boiler (making it the first petroleum-powered vehicle), driving a double-acting two cylinder steam engine on the chassis of a Cheylesmore tricycle. Although numerous orders were reportedly placed, British law made such vehicles essentially illegal on public roads. An example was displayed in the Science Museum from 1912 to 1922.
A small steam tricycle was built by Albert, Comte de Dion in 1887. This had two wheels in the front, between which was mounted to the boiler, and a single rear wheel driven by the engine. It was fitted with pneumatic .
In the same year Léon Serpollet also constructed a coal-fired steam tricycle, with the "steam generator" (boiler) mounted between two rear wheels. These and other experimenters also built four-wheeled steam-powered vehicles. The invention of the internal combustion engine led to the replacement of steam in most cases, although continue to be built to the present day in small numbers.
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