 |  |  |  |  |
1921 Milburn Opera Coupe news, pictures, and information | ||
| Tweet | ||
 |  |  | Model 27L Brougham |
Because of their ease of operation (no cranking needed to start the engine), electric vehicles were very popular with women drivers. The Milburn has several features designed to appeal to women, including flower vases and the beveled glass mirror. While our eyes might see it as an oversized rear-view mirror, it is actually a fashion accessory.
The two levers in front of the left rear seat are the controls. The long lever is for steering, and the small lever controls the four forward and two reverse speeds. The controls fold up, out of the way, to make room to enter. The strap hanging from the back of the main seat is the 'handle' to lower the range rear window.
The dawn of the automobile era saw many individuals and companies experimenting with a wide variety of fuel sources, such as gasoline, electric, and steam. These three sources were the primary sources with each having benefits and limitations. The electric vehicles were limited on their range but they were clean, quiet and easy to start. Another disadvantage was that households that lacked electricity in their homes were unable to recharge the storage batteries. The steam powered vehicles were also clean and quiet but they required a few minutes before starting to allow steam to form. The gasoline engine was noisy, dirty, and hard to start but showed the most potential. The advent of the electric starter around 1914 meant the demise of the other fuel sources.
By 1910, electric mains had reached a wide portion of the United States population, making electric vehicles more desirable. In 1914, a company was formed in Toledo, Ohio named the Millburn Wagon Company. It was faced with stiff competition from well established electric car makers such as Baker and Detroit, not to mention mounting pressure from many other alternative-fuel sourced vehicles and the low-cost Ford Model T's. What Millburn offered that was unique to the company was a battery pack on rollers, which allowed fresh batteries to be installed quickly. This eliminated the downtime required for re-charging making it much more versatile and useful than the traditional electric cars. Sales reflected, with around 1,000 cars sold in 1915 and increasing to 1500 the following year. Their success was short-lived, and by the early 1920s the era of the electric car was going the way of the dinosaur. Production ceased in 1923 and the factory was sold to General Motors.
Most of the bodystyles produced on the Millburn had the 'phone booth' design. A few roadsters, town cars, and even a delivery van were available.
By Daniel Vaughan | Jun 2008
By 1910, electric mains had reached a wide portion of the United States population, making electric vehicles more desirable. In 1914, a company was formed in Toledo, Ohio named the Millburn Wagon Company. It was faced with stiff competition from well established electric car makers such as Baker and Detroit, not to mention mounting pressure from many other alternative-fuel sourced vehicles and the low-cost Ford Model T's. What Millburn offered that was unique to the company was a battery pack on rollers, which allowed fresh batteries to be installed quickly. This eliminated the downtime required for re-charging making it much more versatile and useful than the traditional electric cars. Sales reflected, with around 1,000 cars sold in 1915 and increasing to 1500 the following year. Their success was short-lived, and by the early 1920s the era of the electric car was going the way of the dinosaur. Production ceased in 1923 and the factory was sold to General Motors.
Most of the bodystyles produced on the Millburn had the 'phone booth' design. A few roadsters, town cars, and even a delivery van were available.
By Daniel Vaughan | Jun 2008
| Mayor Villaraigosa Welcomes Formula E Electric Car Racing To Los Angeles On Earth Day | |
 | LOS ANGELES (April 22, 2013) - Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa officially welcomed the FIA Formula E Championship to Los Angeles today, Earth Day, becoming one of 10 global cities to host the world's first fully-electric Formula E race, commencing in 2014. Formula E is a new FIA championship that brings electric vehicle racing to the people, as city centres around the world play host to an electric energy World Championship designed to promote interest and investment in electric vehicles an...[Read more...] |
| Nissan, New York City Launch Leaf Electric Vehicle Taxi Pilot | |
 | To celebrate Earth Day, Nissan and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg today launched a new electric vehicle taxi pilot with the world's best-selling electric car, Nissan LEAF. This pilot program, which puts six LEAF taxis into service beginning this spring, will help Nissan, the city, the taxi industry and the public understand how zero emission vehicles can be integrated into future taxi fleets. Joe Castelli, vice president, Nissan Commercial Vehicles said: 'As part of our commitment to z...[Read more...] |
| World'S Fastest Ev – Detroit Electric Sp:01 – Makes Global Public Debut At Shanghai Motor Show | |
 | • Limited-edition SP:01 is world's fastest pure-electric production sports car– 155 mph (249 km/h)top speed and 0-62 mph (0-100km/h) in 3.7 seconds
• SP:01boasts a carbon-fibre body, luxurious and high-tech interior, and range of over 180 miles • Customer orders already confirmed Detroit Electric's new high-performance electric sports car, the SP:01, received its global public reveal at the Shanghai Motor Show today (20 April 2013). A limited-edition, two-seat pure-ele...[Read more...] |
| Project Visio.M: Electric mass mobility for urban environments. | |
 | Electric vehicles powered by electricity from renewable energy sources are an attractive option for mobility within the urban area and beyond. However, previous approaches lead to vehicles that either are too heavy and too expensive or do not meet mass-market safety requirements. Within the joint research project Visio.M scientists at the Technische Universitaet Muenchen (TUM), in cooperation with engineers from the automotive industry, will develop concepts to produce electric cars that are eff...[Read more...] |
| 2012 Mitsubishi i Named a 10 Best Green Car by Kelley Blue Book's kbb.com | |
 | Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) has seen its breakthrough 100% electric-powered 2012 Mitsubishi receive yet another prestigious accolade with today's announcement by Kelley Blue Book's kbb.com that the Japanese auto manufacturer's all-new EV has made its '10 Best Green Cars of 2012' list. In naming the 2012 Mitsubishi i to the 2012 list of '10 Best Green Cars,' Kelley Blue Book's kbb.com proclaimed that 'the newest all-electric car on the block is also the least expensive and ha...[Read more...] |
| Milburn: 1921-1930 |
| Similar Automakers |
| Other models by Milburn |
| Related Articles and Event Coverage |
| 19th Annual Concours d'Elegance of the Eastern United States |
