Antique electric cars at Packard

Staff report

WARREN

Think electric cars are something new? Guess again. The National Packard Museum is displaying four electric cars built in the early 1900s.

The cars are six vintage vehicles built in Northeast Ohio between 1899 and 1913 in an exhibition that runs through October.

The vehicles are on loan from the Crawford Auto and Aviation Collection of the Western Reserve Historical Society in Cleveland. They join the Warren-built Packards of the museum’s permanent collection and complete a display of early Northeast Ohio Automotive History.

Two of the vehicles illustrate the Winton/Packard story, and the other four illustrate early “electric vehicle” technology.

The vehicles include an 1899 Winton Phaeton, a 1901 Packard Model C and four early electric vehicles: a 1904 Baker Imperial Runabout, 1904 Baker Newport Electric Runabout, 1906 Baker Imperial Runabout and a 1913 Baker Roadster.

These vehicles join a 1900 Packard Model B, on loan from Terry Martin of Leavittsburg, and a 1903 Packard Model F, donated to the museum by Delphi Packard Electric.

The Baker Motor Vehicle Co. produced electric-powered cars in Cleveland from 1899 until 1916, done in by its low speeds and unreliable battery design. The company then merged with Rauch & Lang and built forklifts and golf carts until 1989.