1901 Riker Torpedo Race Car
Add to SetSummary
Andrew Riker, an early believer in the electric car, designed this battery-powered racer in 1901. He raced it at Coney Island, New York, that November and, at 57.1 miles per hour, set a world speed record for electric cars. It was a triumph for electricity, but Riker soon lost faith. He joined Locomobile the next year and started designing gasoline-powered automobiles.
Andrew Riker, an early believer in the electric car, designed this battery-powered racer in 1901. He raced it at Coney Island, New York, that November and, at 57.1 miles per hour, set a world speed record for electric cars. It was a triumph for electricity, but Riker soon lost faith. He joined Locomobile the next year and started designing gasoline-powered automobiles.
Artifact
Racing car
Date Made
1901
Creators
Place of Creation
Keywords
United States, Massachusetts, Boston
Location
Not on exhibit to the public.
Object ID
30.328.2
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Andrew L. Riker.
Material
Metal
Steel (Alloy)
Rubber (Material)
Wood (Plant material)
Color
Black (Color)
Dimensions
Height: 35 in
Width: 55.5 in
Length: 127 in
Inscriptions
Rear hubs marked: RIKER ELECTRIC VEHICLE CO. Front hubs marked: RIKER MOTOR VEHICLE CO. U.S.A. ELIZABETHPORT, N.J. Plates on each motor marked: RIKER MOTOR VEHICLE CO. / ELIZABETHPORT, N.J. U.S.A. / (Patents from June 5, 1888 to Oct. 28, 1898 / OTHER PATENTS PENDING
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