1914 Detroit Electric Model 47 Brougham, Personal Car of Clara Ford
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Artifact Overview
Clara Ford, wife of Henry Ford, drove this Detroit Electric. In the years before World War I many women chose electric cars because they started instantly without hand cranking and had no difficult-to-shift transmission. The superintendent of the Detroit Electric factory employed his daughter, Lillian Reynolds, to sell to women -- including Clara Ford, who drove this car into the 1930s.
Artifact Details
Artifact
Automobile
Date Made
1914
Creators
Place of Creation
Creator Notes
The Detroit Electric brand was made by Anderson Electric Car Company, Detroit, Michigan.
Location
at Henry Ford Museum in Driving America
Object ID
38.372.2
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Henry and Clara Ford
Material
Metal
Glass (Material)
Rubber (Material)
Color
Green
Black (Color)
Yellow (Color)
Dimensions
Height: 84.5 in
Width: 72 in
Length: 142.5 in
Weight: 2466 lbs (batteries=1170, total with batteries = 3636)
Inscriptions
Running boards: THE / DETROIT/ ELECTRIC
Hub caps: ANDERSON ELECTRIC CAR CO. / DETROIT MICH./DETROIT
Plate on front: ANDERSON ELECTRIC CAR CO. / DETROIT, MICH. U.S.A./PATENTED / Dec. 22, 1903 to Sept. 30, 1913 No. 44, 698.
Specifications
Make & Model: 1914 Detroit Electric Model 47 brougham
Maker: Anderson Electric Car Company, Detroit, Michigan
Motor type: DC
Batteries: 54 cells, 108 volts
Height: 84.5 inches
Wheelbase: 100 inches
Width: 72 inches
Overall length: 142.5 inches
Horsepower: unknown
Weight: 3636 pounds
Price: $3,730 as outfitted
Average 1914 wage: $627 per year
Time you'd work to buy this car: about 5 years, 11 months
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