1914 Detroit Electric Model 46 Cape Top Roadster

From 1907 to 1939, 13,000 Detroit Electric cars were produced by the Anderson Electric Car Company - a record-breaking number for electric car sales in the 20th century. Clara Ford, the wife of Henry Ford, drove Detroit Electrics, as did Mamie Eisenhower, Thomas Edison, and John D. Rockefeller, Jr.

This sporty 1914 Model 46 Cape Top Roadster was purchased by Robert Liddle for $2,400 and shipped to Pasadena, California, passing through several more owners before spending some time in the Imperial Palace Collection, where the current restoration took place. It originally had a blue body as opposed to its present black and maroon. Its current restoration is completely fresh.

The last Detroit Electric was shipped on February 23, 1939. There are only two other Model 46 Detroit Electric roadsters extant, and both are housed in museum collections. Today, the brand has been revived and is headquartered in the Fisher Building in Detroit. Their first commercial offering is the SP:01, a 'limited edition, two-seat pure-electric sports car.'

The Detroit Electric Company of Detroit, Michigan, was an automobile producer of electric vehicles. The Anderson Carriage Company had been established in Port Huron, Michigan in 1884 and moved to Detroit in 1895. In 1907, the company began producing automobiles under the name Detroit Electric and carried a design by George M. Bacon. About 125 were built that first year, followed by 400 the following year. For 1910, production rose to 1,500 vehicles.

Electric vehicles were a popular option due to their ease of use and quiet operation. At the dawn of the automobile age, steam, internal combustion, and electricity vied for popularity. Internal combustion won out over steam when gasoline engines became reliable and convenient to operate. Electric cars suffered from limited range and lack of infrastructure, for homes without electricity lacked the means to recharge batteries.

Thus the golden age of the electric car did not begin until 1910 when electric mains had reached a significant portion of the US population.

This 1914 Detroit Electric Model 46 was shipped to the California Electric Garage on November 20th, 1914. It had been ordered by Robert Liddle of Pasadena at a cost of $2,400. It was finished in blue with '#53 cloth' upholstery. Later, the car was owned by the Norris Claberg family of Oxnard, California. Mrs. Claberg sold it to William Harrah in the mid-1960s after the death of her husband. When Mr. Harrah's collection was dispersed in the 1980s, it joined the Imperial Palace Collection when the current restoration was performed. It was shown at the Blackhawk Exposition at Pebble Beach in 2000 and was later acquired by collector John McMullen in Michigan, who passed it on to James Cousens for his Cedar Crossing Collection. Mr. John O'Quinn purchased the car from Mr. Cousens.

This Detroit Electric is finished in ivory with red moldings and chassis. The artillery wheels are highlighted by varnished wood spokes, and the interior features grey cloth with beige carpet. There is Nickel trim, principally on the lights, and aluminum running boards with a cast diamond pattern.

It is believed there are only two other Model 46 Detroit Electric roadsters still in existence. One is on permanent display at Kykuit, the Rockefeller Estate in Tarrytown, New York. The other example is at the National Automobile Museum in Reno, Nevada.

This example has a 4.3 horsepower, 48-volt DC motor with a five-speed controller.

In 2012, the car was offered for sale at the St. Johns sale presented by RM Auctions. It was estimated to sell for $75,000 - $125,000. As bidding came to a close, the car had been sold for the sum of $99,000, inclusive of the buyer's premium.

By Daniel Vaughan | Oct 2012