Rauch & Lang Electric

1918 Rauch & Lang B26 Brougham

Offered by Mecum | Kissimmee, Florida | January 6-16, 2022

Photo – Mecum

Mystery. Mecum’s catalog lists this as a 1918 Baker. But I don’t believe it. And here’s why: Baker Electric of Cleveland, Ohio, began producing electric vehicles in 1899, and in 1915 they merged with Rauch & Lang, one of their fiercest electric-car-making competitors. The Baker brand was phased out on passenger cars after 1916 (trucks soldiered on for a little bit afterward).

The Rauch & Lang brand continued on, selling nearly identical cars to the Baker through the late 1920s. The Baker-Raulang name (as the post-merger company was called) soldiered on in various fields and continues to exist as Linde Material Handling, a manufacturer of forklifts, among other things. This car is apparently being sold from that company, having never been titled.

I called it a Rauch & Lang because Baker didn’t exist in 1918, and the model name follows the same structure as other R&L cars. This is about as low-mile (3,211) of a 100-year-old electric car you are likely to find. You can see more about it here and see more from Mecum here.

Update: Sold $55,000.

Boshart EV

2011 Boshart Tersus EV

Offered by Mecum | Kansas City, Missouri | December 2, 2021

Photo – Mecum

Boshart Engineering, who is no longer in business, did some development work on the Phoenix SUT, which was an electric truck that looked identical to this one and was built by Phoenix Motorcars in Anaheim, California. Well Boshart, also of California, decided to produce their own version.

The bodies were the same. And neither company designed it. It’s actually a SsangYong Actyon Sports pickup, a truck from South Korea that was never sold in the U.S. The powerplant on this truck is a 37-horsepower electric motor. It’s got a two-speed automatic transmission and a reported top speed of 25 mph.

Why so slow? Well these were intended for use on “private land” or closed campuses. Not the highway. Or even the street. But they cost $30,000 when new. Thus, only 10 were sold. You can check out more about this one here and see more from Mecum here.

Update: Sold $9,900.

Riker Electric

1898 Riker Electric Stanhope

Offered by Worldwide Auctioneers | Pacific Grove, California | August 15, 2019

Photo – Worldwide Auctioneers

Andrew Riker built his first vehicle – an electric tricycle – in 1887. He incorporated – first in Brooklyn, later in Elizabethport, New Jersey – and became one of the first manufacturers of electric vehicles. The company was never huge, but it did produce passenger vehicles and heavy trucks. Riker tired of electric cars and, after selling his electric car business to Columbia, eventually moved to Connecticut, where he designed the first gasoline-powered Locomobile and later became the first president of the Society of Automotive Engineers.

This car was built by Riker in 1898 and is powered by a 1.5-kilowatt-hour electric motor that drives the rear wheels through a three-speed gearbox. Tiller steering and a convertible top are equipped.

Riker won a race in this car in Boston and later showed it in Paris. Competition seemed to usually be at the forefront of Riker’s mind, and the car was entered in the first race held by the New York Automobile Racing Association. And it won. Later, it remained with the Riker family until Andrew’s passing in 1930, whereupon it was donated to the Henry Ford Museum.

When the Henry Ford thinned their collection in 1985, the car was acquired by the widow of Andrew Riker Jr. The current owners acquired it from her after maintaining the car for her during her ownership. It’s 121-years-old and is all-original. This is the type of car you usually only see at the Henry Ford or the Harrah Collection. It still runs and drives, reportedly capable of 40 mph, which is frightening. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

1908 Columbia Electric

1908 Columbia Mark LXX Victoria Phaeton

Offered by Bonhams | Chichester, U.K. | April 7, 2019

Photo – Bonhams

There were a few Columbia-branded automobiles in the early days of motoring, including this car made by the Columbia Automobile Company of Hartford, Connecticut. Columbia was actually founded by Albert Pope, who built a number of other cars. They offered electric and gasoline-powered cars from 1903 through 1911, with a smattering of both available from 1897 and gasonline-only cars until 1913.

This 1908 model was wildly outdated by 1908 standards, carrying a body more appropriate for something from 1901. The Mark LXX Victoria Phaeton body was one of at least four body styles offered on Columbia’s electric motor-powered chassis in 1908.

Costing $1,600 when new, this car currently carries a pre-sale estimate of $39,000-$65,000. It’s a pretty rare example – and it sports white tires, which is always a plus. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $76,661.

Red Bug Electric

1924 Red Bug Electric Roadster

Offered by Bonhams | Paris, France | February 7, 2019

Photo – Bonhams

The Smith Flyer went on sale in 1916, and it was a two-seat buckboard driven by a fifth wheel located out back. Briggs & Stratton bought the design in 1919, and it was sold as the Briggs & Stratton flyer thereafter. In 1924, they sold the rights to the Automotive Electric Service Corporation, who began to market the cars as the Red Bug (and sometimes the Auto Red Bug).

Between 1924 and 1928, two versions were offered: a gas-powered single-cylinder car and an electric one. They were more or less identical in looks and both cost $150. This 12-volt electric-powered version has only four wheels and was restored by its current owner.

Yes, these are real cars that you should be able to register for the road. The Indian motorcycle company allegedly bought the design in 1930, but no one really seems to know what happened, and they disappeared from the automotive landscape (though I couldn’t imagine driving one in the 1930s with a huge Duesenberg bearing down on you, much less an SUV today). This one should sell for between $11,000-$17,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $4,958.

1917 Milburn Electric

1917 Milburn Electric Model 27 Brougham

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Hershey, Pennsylvania | October 11-12, 2018

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

The Milburn Wagon Company had been around in Toledo since 1848. In 1914 they decided to start building electric cars. Over a thousand were built in 1915 but the factory suffered heavy losses in a fire in 1919. By 1921, 75% of the employees were building bodies for GM cars while only 25% were building electric cars. General Motors bought the plant outright in 1923 and this early electric car manufacturer was gone.

This car featured a 60 mile range when it went on sale, with a top speed of 19 mph. It was one of many such cars with stodgy, upright bodies, but they sold relatively well while electric cars were hot. They were lightweight and this one has been well restored and converted to run on 12-volt batteries.

Milburn built over 4,000 cars in their short lifespan. Survivors are sought after and don’t change hands often. This one should bring between $25,000-$35,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $63,250.

Five Cars from the 1920s

1927 Whippet Model 96 Sedan

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Hershey, Pennsylvania | October 8-9, 2015

Photo - RM Sotheby's

Photo – RM Sotheby’s

General Motors wasn’t the only American automaker expanding its brands in the 1920s. Willys-Overland was one of a number of other companies to get in on the game. Whippet was a marque introduced for the 1926 model year. It didn’t last long – it was gone after 1930 – but it did have an impact: boosting Willys into third place in the U.S.

The Model 96 was the smaller option in the Whippet line and was produced in every model year. It is powered by a 30 horsepower 2.2-liter straight-four. This car looks great. It was formerly part of the AACA Museum and has been used in Boardwalk Empire – which is something we’ve talked about in other posts. Interesting. Click here for more.

Update: Sold $23,100.


1929 Roosevelt Eight Sedan by Hayes

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Hershey, Pennsylvania | October 8-9, 2015

Photo - RM Sotheby's

Photo – RM Sotheby’s

Roosevelt is a very rare American automobile make. It was built by Marmon and introduced in 1929 – great timing. It was a smaller version of the larger Marmons and was the first American car with a straight-eight engine to be offered for sale for less than $1,000. The engine is actually a 3.3-liter straight-eight, making 77 horsepower.

The Eight (Roosevelt’s only model) was offered in four body styles with the Sedan being the cheapest and least fanciful. Named for Teddy Roosevelt, this rare survivor would be an awesome addition to a collection. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $10,450.


1924 Oldsmobile Model 30-B Turtle Deck Speedster by Schutte

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Hershey, Pennsylvania | October 8-9, 2015

Photo - RM Sotheby's

Photo – RM Sotheby’s

The 1924 Oldsmobile line consisted of a single model offered in a range of factory body styles and apparently coachbuilt ones as well. The engine is a 2.8-liter straight-six making 42 horsepower.

The story here is this awesome bod. The aluminium radiator looks like it was milled out of a solid block of metal. The solid metal wheels are amazing. The car only has a single door – on the passenger side of the car. It is full of special one-off features with an unusual body style from a smaller coachbuilder. It is thought that less than 10 Schutte-bodied cars exist and we’ve now featured two of them. Check out more on RM’s site.

Update: Sold $71,500.


1923 Wills Sainte Claire B-68 Gray Goose Special

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Hershey, Pennsylvania | October 8-9, 2015

Photo - RM Sotheby's

Photo – RM Sotheby’s

Like Roosevelt, Wills Sainte Claire was another short-lived American automobile manufacturer of respectable quality. This car, which is all-original, is a 68-series car. The variations of the Model 68 were built from 1922 through 1926. 1927 was the only year it wasn’t built.

It was Wills Sainte Claire’s largest model, using a 4.4-liter V-8 making 67 horsepower. In 1924, the Model 68 was offered in a bunch of body styles with the most interesting being the Gray Goose Special seen here (which is essentially a four-door touring car). This one has known ownership history from new and has only been owned by two different families in that time. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $57,200.


1920 Rauch & Lang Electric Model C-45 Dual Drive Coach

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Hershey, Pennsylvania | October 8-9, 2015

Photo - RM Sotheby's

Photo – RM Sotheby’s

Rauch & Lang traces its history back to Jacob Rauch, a blacksmith in Cleveland who opened his shop in 1853. Charles Lang was a real estate man from nearby and moved the company toward wagon building. In 1905, they turned to electric cars and became one of America’s premier electric car builders in the early days of automobiles.

They built cars through 1928 and this 1920 Model C-45 is how most of them looked. The company moved from Cleveland to Massachusetts in 1920 (after having merged with Baker Electric in 1917) and this car was the final example produced in Cleveland. It uses a three horsepower electric motor. This car can be driven from the left hand seat either in the front or rear, which is pretty interesting. Try that in your Buick. Click here to see more about this car.

Update: Sold $66,000.

1920 Rauch & Lang

1920 Rauch & Lang Electric Model C-45 Dual Drive Coach

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Hershey, Pennsylvania | October 8-9, 2015

Photo - RM Sotheby's

Photo – RM Sotheby’s

Rauch & Lang traces its history back to Jacob Rauch, a blacksmith in Cleveland who opened his shop in 1853. Charles Lang was a real estate man from nearby and moved the company toward wagon building. In 1905, they turned to electric cars and became one of America’s premier electric car builders in the early days of automobiles.

They built cars through 1928 and this 1920 Model C-45 is how most of them looked. The company moved from Cleveland to Massachusetts in 1920 (after having merged with Baker Electric in 1917) and this car was the final example produced in Cleveland. It uses a three horsepower electric motor. This car can be driven from the left hand seat either in the front or rear, which is pretty interesting. Try that in your Buick. Click here to see more about this car.

Update: Sold $66,000.

Enfield Electric

1974 Enfield 8000

Offered by Brightwells | Leominster, U.K. | June 10, 2015

Photo - Brightwells

Photo – Brightwells

We’ve featured a lot of microcars on this site – but not this one. Enfield is a name that goes back a long way in British automobiledom. Royal Enfield built fantastic motorcycles prior to WWII. But this brand is not related to that one at all.

This company, Enfield Automotive, was founded in the 1960s in the U.K. It moved to Greece in 1973, but the cars were still built on the Isle of Wight. Many of this cars’ parts were from or based on readily available cars of the time, such as the Mini and Hillman Imp. The body is aluminium and it is powered by an eight horsepower electric motor.

There are two seats and this one looks to need a little work (it’s probably not a driver). It had a top speed of between 48 mph and a range of around 40  miles. Only 120 of these were built between 1973 and 1977. It’s tiny – but if you want an electric car project, here you go. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $5,400.

Sperry Electric

1900 Cleveland Sperry System Electric Stanhope

Offered by Bonhams | London, U.K. | October 31, 2014

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

Elmer A. Sperry invented some electric arc lamps and electric mining equipment before he moved to Cleveland in the 1890s. He was there to help establish an electric railway company, but started fooling around with automobiles and produced his first electric car in 1898. The Sperry Electric went on sale in 1899 under the name Cleveland Sperry System. In the car’s final year, 1901, they were just called “Sperry.”

They are powered by a 3.5 horsepower electric motor and could be had in one of eight body styles. This is a three-seat stanhope. Sperry sold their patents to the Cleveland Machine Screw Company in 1901 and they produced the car under the Cleveland marque from 1902 through 1904. Part of Sperry’s electric engineering company still exists today as part of Honeywell.

This car is one of two Sperrys known to exist. It has known history for the last 25 years and has been run in many rallies and shown at many shows around the U.K. It should sell for between $77,000-$83,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $88,151.