1918 Milburn Electric Model 27 Light Electric Brougham

The Milburn Wagon Company of Toledo, Ohio, entered business in 1914. By this time, other electric car companies, such as Baker and Detroit, had been in business for over a decade, perfecting their product, marketing, and distribution. Milburn was clearly at a disadvantage. One advantage the new company had was their battery pack on rollers, allowing fresh batteries to be quickly installed, eliminating the downtime for charging. At first, sales were strong, with 1,000 cars produced in 1915 and 1,500 the next year, but by 1923, production had ceased, and the factory was sold to General Motors.

This example was part of the O'Quinn collection and was formerly owned by Edwin and Alyce Oberhaus. It is a well-preserved recipient of an older restoration. The car is painted green with a black top and fenders. There is a 76-volt General Electric DC motor and a controller with four speeds forward and two reverse. The interior is plush with cloth upholstery and fabric. The driving position is at the rear, and there is a tiller control on the left side. The odometer indicates fewer than 18,000 miles.

In 2010, the car was offered for sale at the Vintage Motor Cars of Hershey auction presented by RM Auctions. The car was estimated to sell for $30,000 - $50,000. As bidding came to a close, the car had been sold for $41,800, including the buyer's premium.

By Daniel Vaughan | Oct 2010