Electric-Powered 1907 Columbia Mark XIX Surrey

A very rare dark green 1907 Columbia Mark XIX Park Surrey arriving at and leaving the 2022 San Marino Motor Classic at Lacy Park. This car cost $1,900 new and was powered by two GE series-wound electric motors producing three to five horsepower each with a driving range of 64 kilometers. It was formerly in possession of the Henry Ford Museum and is believed to be the only Mark XIX Surrey in existence. The car underwent a comprehensive restoration in 1990 and is in fully functioning condition. It was displayed at the 2022 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, where it won First in Class (Unorthodox Propulsion).

Many people today assume electric cars are a modern invention. Well, take a look at what we have here - a 116-year-old EV! In fact, in 1907 about a third of cars on the road were electric. Electric cars eventually fell out of favor due to high prices compared to gas-powered cars - a similar issue today's EV makers wrestle with.

In the early 20th century, cars were basically self-propelled versions of horse-drawn carriages. If you put a few horses in front of this Columbia today, you could easily fool people into thinking it doesn't have its own power source. It doesn't have a frontal engine compartment area like most later cars, and as with many horse-drawn carriages, its top only extended far enough to cover the rear seating area. As one privileged enough to actually own a car, your aristocratic head deserved to be kept out of the elements while you watched your chauffeur get soaked in rain just a couple feet up front. There was no need for doors or a windshield (which was only a primitive idea at the time), since this car didn't exactly come with Tesla-rivaling performance.

It's rare to get to see any vehicle from this decade today, not to mention one that stands as the only existing example of its kind. It's even more rare to get to see such a car moving on its own power and sharing the road with modern vehicles as if it travelled through time to get here. As electric cars become increasingly popular on today's roads, let's not forget that what we have now is the result of over a century of technological advancement.

Would you drive this century-old EV on public roads or leave it in a museum? Leave a comment on YouTube and let me know!