stanley licensed their designs to several other motor car companies. the white motor company was one who used the stanley design and continued to produce steam cars until 1912. stanley was the last manufacturer of steam powered cars. as the internal combustion engine designs improved, steam and electric cars lost much of their popularity. the numbers of cars sold went down to less than 600 a year in 1918. that year the stanley brothers sold the company to prescott warren, a chicago businessman. francis stanley died in an automobile accident later the same year (1918). his brother freelan opened a hotel in colorado called the stanley hotel. he lived to be 91 years old. stanley steamers were made until 1924.