Electric, but always and before
12/03/2021
There is a heated debate among classic car enthusiasts as to whether it is "okay" to convert an old car with a combustion engine to electric drive. Well, here is an example where this is not only unnecessary, but has actually been a reality since the very beginning.
The Detroit Electric Model 99C pictured was built with an electric drive in 1937. This was at a time when this manufacturer was only producing small quantities after the stock market crash and was able to respond to individual customer requests.
This is probably how this "Special" was created, which is hardly reminiscent of an electric car from the 1920s, especially not one of the typical Detroit Electricvariants , which looked more like motorized carriages.
Chassis 193705 was given a coupé body by Willys and a front end by Dodge. If you take a closer look, you will of course still recognize certain elements that you would normally find in a Detroit Electric. And at the latest when you opened the hood or the doors, the differences to the combustion engine vehicle became apparent. The car is not steered by a steering wheel, but by a kind of tiller, from the "back seat".
The car pictured is currently being auctioned online by RMand is said to be worth between USD 60,000 and 70,000. It is claimed to be operational, even if the photos cast doubt on this. After all, the batteries are new. This special "hybrid" is certainly unusual and presumably future-proof ...
