Electric Vehicle Company - Columbia Cars - 1900 Catalogue . . . . .

Photos of Columbia Cars being built by
Electric Vehicle Company of Hartford, Connecticut

First some information about George H. Day,
then an ad from the Hartford City Directory of 1900
and a photo taken in front of the factory.
The photos of the vehicle construction areas
are from the catalogue published in 1900,
plus images of a Gasolene (sic) Runabout
and the Tricycle Carrier
which are not found in later general catalogues.
There is a link to the booklet about the Runabout.

Then comes a photograph from 1903 of Lawrence Duffie
and others with three of the oldest vehicles made by Columbia.

Next are some magazine ads from 1898 through 1901.
Note the very generous offer! [That illustration also provides
a link to a 1902 illustrated catalogue detailing the care and
charging of the Exide battery.] Then another 1900 page,
plus a First Day Cover of a U.S. Postage Stamp
which was part of a five-stamp set issued in 1995
honoring antique automobiles.

The Electric Runabout - which was a mainstay of the company
for many years - is illustrated in its earliest versions,
and its longevity is shown in an article from 1909.

Note: Figures 4 and 8 seem to have been left out of the
original article (above). The three photos below are
from the same series, and were included in the
Columbia catalogue of 1900. Perhaps the
omitted ones are now among them...

To see a couple more photos taken from the same perspective,
within an article from 1909 about painting the cars,
click HERE.

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To see the detailed booklet about this model, plus
photos of (perhaps) the only remaining example
as found, transported, and restored,
click HERE.

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Below-right is the photo from which the drawing (above-right) was made

To see a comprehensive article about this vehicle,
with more photos and schematic drawings, plus
an article about its beginnings in 1895, click here.

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The ads above and below-left show a Dos-a-Dos model,
meaning passengers are seated back-to-back.
Driver and a passenger face forward (pointing left in the illustrations),
and two passengers face backward (pointing right).
The Phaeton, which is shown in the ad below-right, has a
removable rumble seat which also faces to the rear -
in this case, to the left since the vehicle is heading to the right.

[Note: The Stanhope was another model with back-to-back seating.
To see a 1901 article about the Electric Vehicle Company, which has
a photo of this automobile in use, along with several other shots
of various Columbia cars being driven, click here.]

The next items show more of the Electric Runabout from several different years.
First, the 1898 model, which was depicted on a U.S. postage stamp!
(A 1901 model would also be featured in that manner, and is
shown on a later webpage, along with other Columbia taxicabs.)
Then a large ad (left) from 1899, and a small ad (right) from 1901.
(Note the link to a 1902 catalogue contained in that image.)
The catalogue-listing page which follows is from the 1900 booklet.
Then come portions of two articles - one from Time Magazine,
and the other from the Cycle and Automobile Trade Journal -
separated by recent photos of restored vehicles.

[Note: A photo of the 1902 model (shot in 2000) appears on a later webpage]

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[The following item is from a Time Magazine article The History of the Electric Car dated October 11, 2007]

1903 Columbia Mark LX Electric Runabout

Photo by Brooks Brierley

Before the electric car became the transport of tomorrow, it was the horseless carriage of yesteryear.

At the turn of the 20th century, electric-powered cars were more popular than their noisy, smelly, gasoline-fired cousins,
which had to be started using a hand crank that had a tendency to backfire.
Among the best selling, and most basic, were the Columbia Runabouts, produced by the Hartford, Conn.,
alliance of Pope Manufacturing and the Electric Vehicle Company.
Aside from the Deep Space Nine-style name, the Mark LX Electric Runabout could boast a top speed of 15 mph and a range of
about 40 miles per charge — coincidentally the same distance Chevrolet's futuristic 2007 Volt can cover before requiring a refreshing plug-in.

[Note: To see more about this vehicle, including several large, close-up photos from the 2008 Chicago Auto Show,
plus a very special shot of the volts/amperes meter, click here.]

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For information and photos of the electric vehicles
from the 1903 catalogue, plus more ads and
some very special uses, click here.