1912 Rauch and Lang Electric Roadster

This electric roadster was originally owned by Elizabeth Cunningham, mother of race car driver Briggs Cunningham. It is a rare example of a well-preserved Rauch & Lang Roadster, advertised as 'Noiseless, Odorless, Clean.' Electric cars were deemed especially appropriate for women to go 'automobiling,' without the fuss of preparing a horse-drawn carriage. Around 1,200 of these Rauch & Lang electric cars were built in 1912, and while they were promoted as the easiest automobile on the market to operate, they were also some of the most expensive. In 1912, electric-powered cars comprised over a third of the car market, equaling sales of gasoline and steam-powered cars, but the electric roadster cost 42,250, while a Ford Model T Runabout cost around $850.

This roadster was acquired by Nick & Shelley Schorsch for the Audrain Collection and has been recently recommissioned so that it now runs and drives beautifully....and silently.