Columbia Electric Landaulet

Literally a carriage without horses. The horses have been replaced by two large electric motors that drive the rear wheels via a gear ring.

This Columbia is believed to have been used for transporting VIPs in New York City at the beginning of the 20th century. The vehicle was subsequently acquired by the owner of a plantation in South Carolina. It was put into storage a couple of years later, due to the lack of charging stations in rural America. Furthermore, by that time the electric vehicle had been ousted by the internal combustion engine, because the latter had a far greater range. The Columbia was discovered in a carriage house in 1976 and completely restored. It is believed to be the last remaining car of this type. At the end of the nineteenth century the Pope Manufacturing Company of Hartford, Connecticut was the largest bicycle manufacturer in the United States. When Colonel Albert Pope started the manufacture of automobiles, he sold them under the name of Columbia, Pope’s bicycle brand. The company lasted until 1913.