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Here are some vintage car ads from the early part of the twentieth century. These are all from the teens.
As you can see, car manufacturers marketed electric cars toward women. They were stylish, didn't smell, and could get up a hill, just like our Mini E.
More pictures after the jump...
Donna DeRosa, Managing Editor
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cwmoo740 says:
03:52 PM, 01/11/10
Yawn. No wonder electric cars didn't survive.
Meanwhile in 1914 Mercedes was working on a 115 hp grand prix car, and someone set the land speed record of 141 mph in a Benz. Much more exciting, and it seems that men had most of the money at that time.
tomm250 says:
04:30 PM, 01/11/10
Flash to Edmunds Inside line January 2050. Pictures of ads for a 2004 Hummer and various other huge SUV's. The first post reads:
"Yawn. No wonder the internal combustion engine didn't survive"
Just sayin'
firstwagon says:
04:33 PM, 01/11/10
Just show a picture of the brown sky over most cities and you can easily say...
"Yawn. No wonder the internal combustion engine didn't survive"
hybris says:
07:09 PM, 01/11/10
I wonder what the range was on these early EV's?
I'm guessing 10 miles max.
firstwagon says:
08:54 PM, 01/11/10
About the same distance gasoline cars of the day would go without breaking down.
throwback says:
09:43 AM, 01/12/10
"As you can see, car manufacturers marketed electric cars toward women."
Same as today.
colorado kid says:
10:35 AM, 01/12/10
hybris wondered waht the range was . . . allegedly 80 miles at 20 MPH. There was a Detroit Electric driven by Mrs. Callahan, "the richest old lady in town" in my hometown until about 1970 - will the Mini-E be in working order in 55 years? An Aside - there was a turntable in Mrs. Callahan's garage, so she didn't need to back down the winding driveway. The dimensions of the turntable matched the tall, but not long, Detroit Electric, which is why she never replaced it.
dderosa says:
12:03 PM, 01/12/10
What a great story. I have to find out more about Mrs. Callahan. -- Donna