1906 Stanley Rocket Racer

The Stanley Motor Carriage Company was the producer of the Rocket Racer that set the world automobile land speed record at 127.7 mph (205.5 km/h) at the Daytona Beach Road Course, driven by Fred Marriott.
The Stanley Rocket was powered by a steam engine where the fuel is combusted outside the engine, as opposed to an internal combustion engine.
While gasoline powered cars have a fuel efficiency of 30%, steam engines are capable of 90% efficiency.
An additional benefit of the steam engine is that the fuel is burned at atmospheric pressure so does not produce carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxide.
The Steamer enjoyed a boom in the early 1900s before eventually being overtaken technologically by the internal combustion engine.