Detroit Electric Model 47 Brougham

Detroit Electric Model 47 Brougham

The Detroit Electric, produced by the Anderson Electric Car Company from 1907 to 1939, was the most commercially successful electric car of the early automotive era. At a time when gasoline, steam, and electric power all competed for automotive supremacy, Detroit Electric carved a profitable niche by marketing its vehicles to wealthy, progressive urban customers who valued silence, cleanliness, and ease of operation over speed and range.

The Detroit Electric's appeal was centered on its refinement. The electric motor provided smooth, silent power with no vibration, exhaust fumes, or the hand-cranking required to start gasoline engines. The car was controlled with a simple tiller or steering wheel and a controller that varied the motor speed. There was no clutch, gearbox, or complex mechanical linkage to master, making the Detroit Electric the easiest car of its era to drive.

The typical Detroit Electric used a DC motor powered by lead-acid batteries, providing a range of approximately 80 miles on a single charge under ideal conditions. This was more than adequate for urban use, which was the car's intended market. Charging was done overnight from household current, a practice that would not become mainstream again until Tesla arrived nearly a century later.

The Model 47, one of the most popular Detroit Electric models, was offered in the Brougham body style, a formal enclosed body that provided weather protection and privacy. The tall, dignified design may look antiquated today, but it was the height of elegance for urban transportation in the 1910s and 1920s. The interior featured plush upholstery, interior lighting, and a flower vase, amenities that reflected the car's luxury positioning.

Detroit Electric's customer list was remarkable. Thomas Edison, who championed electric vehicles and developed nickel-iron batteries specifically for them, was a devoted customer. Clara Ford, wife of Henry Ford, preferred her Detroit Electric to any of her husband's gasoline-powered products. John D. Rockefeller, Mamie Eisenhower, and numerous other prominent Americans owned Detroit Electrics.

The company's marketing deliberately targeted women, who at the time were often reluctant to operate gasoline cars due to the physical effort of hand-cranking and the complexity of manual transmissions. Detroit Electric's advertising showed well-dressed women driving confidently through city streets, a progressive approach that connected the brand with female empowerment.

Production peaked at around 1,000 units per year in the early 1910s and gradually declined as gasoline cars became more reliable and the electric starter eliminated the hand-crank issue. The company continued building cars in diminishing numbers through the 1930s, with the last Detroit Electrics sold in 1939.

Today, Detroit Electrics are prized by collectors as fascinating technological artifacts and beautiful examples of early automotive design. They represent the road not taken in automotive history, a reminder that electric cars were viable transportation options more than a century ago.