1898 Stephen's Car Sculpture

Fit for Royalty

Iqbal Johal

On the windswept Severn Estuary, Clevedon presents one of the harshest seaside environments for any car sculpture to endure. It was here that a striking new monument was unveiled: a full-scale steel recreation of the Stephens Prototype AE-174, the groundbreaking Victorian petrol-powered motorcar designed by Richard Stephens in 1897 and released to the public in 1898.

The project was spearheaded by Mark Reber, founder of Clevedon Cars & Coffee®, whose members raised the funds to commemorate the town’s automotive heritage. Mark, however, was acutely aware of the risks: exposed year-round on a roundabout by the sea, the sculpture would be vulnerable to rusting from the inside out.

To overcome this challenge, he turned to long-time collaborator Ryan Atkin of Ryan’s Iron, whose Lincolnshire forge is conveniently located close to a galvanizing plant. Together, they began work on the intricate replica through the depths of winter, often finding fresh rust forming on their progress by the following morning.

Galvanizing Protects Clevedon’s Historic Car Sculpture

From the outset, the local galvanizer became an invaluable partner. Multiple visits were made to the forge to advise on fabrication and ensure that nothing would obstruct the smooth flow of molten zinc during galvanizing. The sculpture’s design incorporated hollow sections and solid steel plates of varying thicknesses. To achieve a flawless result, additional venting holes were recommended, allowing the zinc to coat every surface, internally and externally.

The completed Stephens Prototype monument does more than commemorate a remarkable piece of motoring history, it demonstrates the role galvanizing plays in preserving heritage for future generations.

Where once Mark and Ryan battled rust on bare steel, the finished sculpture now possesses a robust, corrosion-resistant armour, capable of withstanding the elements for decades to come. Bathed in its silvery sheen, the replica appears less like a simple model and more like a carriage fit for royalty — a fitting tribute to one of Britain’s earliest motorcars, safeguarded for the next century by galvanizing.

Project Gallery
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Project Information

Clevedon Cars & Coffee

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