1918 Detroit Electric Model 74A

The Detroit Electric was an electric vehicle manufactured by the Anderson Electric Car Company, located in Detroit, Michigan. Between the years 1907 and 1939, the company produced a total of 13,000 electric cars. The electric automobile's greatest appeal was its operating simplicity and silence. Even Henry Ford acquired two successive Detroit Electrics for his wife, Clara.

Anderson Electric began as the Anderson Carriage Company, originally based in Port Huron, Michigan. Founded in 1884, they were builders of carriages and wagons. In 1895, the company's founder, William C. Anderson, moved his company to Detroit and, in 1907, began manufacturing electric vehicles under the name Detroit Electric.

The Detroit Electric automobile was a solidly constructed, durable, and finely trimmed means of transportation, especially after the 1909 acquisition of Elwell-Parker, maker of the Detroit Electric's electric motor and its controller. The company's tall,four-seat brougham was one of (if not the first) to use curved glass in an automobile body. The 'Brougham' was an elegant closed carriage with a weather-tight body and a high roofline which accommodated the large hats popular at the time.

The 1918 Detroit Electric was offered in four- and five-passenger Broughams with a 100-inch wheelbase and prices that ranged from $2,000 to $3,040. The Model 74A Brougham was priced at $3,040 and was a dual-control model, with separate sets of steering and power controls allowing it to be driven from either the main seat or one of the front jump seats. Thus, the vehicle could be driven by either its owner or by a chauffeur.

by Daniel Vaughan | Feb 2025