What does a retired fish merchant do in his spare time?

Nick Howell traded for many years as a fish merchant from Newlyn. While the canned Cornish Sardine business he started ticks over nicely he now has time to enjoy life at a more leisurely pace - about the speed of his 1902 American Bicycle Company's Toledo steam car - the latest in a long list of cars Nick has owned and restored.

The car as it arrived from America

 The car has taken years of restoration to get to this condition including a brand new steam boiler - however, most of the car is original.

Now fully restored, the rear view...

a none too crowded dashboard where fuel and steam pressure are the only instruments...

and the front view, she is now all set to recreate a journey undertaken by what is thought to have been the same car in 1902!...

this photo shows that car looking over the gRand Canyon - where Nick and his brother Chris are currently heading. They have just been looked after by fellow vintage car collector, journalist and TV presenter Jay Leno at his Pebble Beach home in LA.



Yesterday, Nick and his brother packed up the Toledo steamer in its case (a converted horse box!) and are headed North to the adge of the grand Canyon before setting out on their epic 62 mile drive into the wilderness!

Follow the adventure from the blog here and on Twitter @steamcarman: