Does it actually run? Who’s the manufacturer? How old is it? I’m fascinated!
Eric Raynor
It’s a mid-1970′s “Sebring Vanguard Electric Citicar”, made during the first gas crisis. (I know because I used to own one of these cars in the mid to late 1990′s – mine was red with a black top and I used to drive it all around Rockville just for fun). About 3000 of them were made in Florida, and at one time there was a dealer who sold them on the Pike. These vehicles are street legal in Maryland (but not in all states), and it has a top speed of about 40 mph (on level ground – going uphill it slows to about 20 -25 mph), with a driving range on a full charge of about 35 miles or so, depending on how many lead acid batteries it has (early models had 6 batteries, later models had 8). The body is ABS plastic, and the frame is aluminum. 6 horsepower motor is mounted over the rear axle. The car takes about 8 hours to fully charge. It has seat belts, but absolutely no other crash protection at all other than that paper thin plastic body (on the plus side, the car will never rust). Mine was very finicky (constantly breaking down or catching on fire – yikes!) but it was fun to drive. I sold mine because I knew if I got hit by a Honda Civic I’d be dead – and I can’t imagine what would happen if you collided with an SUV. One other piece of trivia – as a selling gimmick, these cars were “included” in the price of some of the very first new homes built in the planned community of Columbia, Md. they can be found today on ebay for $1000-3000, depending on condition, and if you’re brave enough to drive it, or if you’re not very concerned about whether you will actually make it to your destination without a break down or sudden lack of battery power.
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Wow, that car is amazing! Straight out of a Sci-Fi movie or an episode of Lost (think DHARMA Initiative).Where’d you find that?
It’s my neighbor’s!
Does it actually run? Who’s the manufacturer? How old is it? I’m fascinated!
It’s a mid-1970′s “Sebring Vanguard Electric Citicar”, made during the first gas crisis. (I know because I used to own one of these cars in the mid to late 1990′s – mine was red with a black top and I used to drive it all around Rockville just for fun). About 3000 of them were made in Florida, and at one time there was a dealer who sold them on the Pike. These vehicles are street legal in Maryland (but not in all states), and it has a top speed of about 40 mph (on level ground – going uphill it slows to about 20 -25 mph), with a driving range on a full charge of about 35 miles or so, depending on how many lead acid batteries it has (early models had 6 batteries, later models had 8). The body is ABS plastic, and the frame is aluminum. 6 horsepower motor is mounted over the rear axle. The car takes about 8 hours to fully charge. It has seat belts, but absolutely no other crash protection at all other than that paper thin plastic body (on the plus side, the car will never rust). Mine was very finicky (constantly breaking down or catching on fire – yikes!) but it was fun to drive. I sold mine because I knew if I got hit by a Honda Civic I’d be dead – and I can’t imagine what would happen if you collided with an SUV. One other piece of trivia – as a selling gimmick, these cars were “included” in the price of some of the very first new homes built in the planned community of Columbia, Md. they can be found today on ebay for $1000-3000, depending on condition, and if you’re brave enough to drive it, or if you’re not very concerned about whether you will actually make it to your destination without a break down or sudden lack of battery power.