The February 1912 issue of Motor magazine featured the first illustration of a new Stanley Model 85, a seven-passenger tourer. Its wheelbase is not recorded, but the model, of which just five were built from May through September 1911, served as a prototype experiment for the Model 87 that followed in 1912. A 30-horsepower car, the 87 sat on a 134-inch wheelbase and weighed 2,600 pounds unladen. At a cost of $2,250, the Model 85 was second only to the $2,300 Model 86 Mountain Wagon in the Stanley Motor Carriage Company catalog.

Like all Model 85 Stanleys extant today, this car is a modern, but authentic re-created vehicle. Built up in St. Thomas, Pennsylvania by the late Carl S. Amsley in the early 1990s, it is an excellent example of his work. Mr. Amsley is credited with putting and keeping more Stanleys on the road than any other person, sometimes creating whole cars from an accumulation of metal parts—cars that anyone would be proud to drive.

This Model 85 Stanley Touring was purchased by the consignors in 1994. Following an Antique Automobile Club of America First Junior award, it completed a Michigan tour in 1995. It has been continually upgraded and maintained, with re-conditioned wood-spoke wheels. Clean and well detailed from the ground up, the undercarriage matches the red body, accented with gold striping.

Outfitted with a full touring top, the car has a folding windshield. The seats are upholstered in black buttoned leather. Instrumentation concerns mostly the steam pressure in critical areas, augmented by a Stewart 65-mph speedometer and a New Haven eight-day key-wind clock with a second hand. The headlights are nickel-plated Rushmore Searchlight units, augmented by nickeled kerosene sidelamps. Mounted on the steering column is a Neverout kerosene lamp, for keeping an eye on the pressure gauges during night driving.

The car is accompanied by an extensive history file with invoices and details of work performed and is currently being recommissioned by Stanley specialist Alan Kelso.