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Reading: Historic electric car that predates Tesla by century goes on sale for £160,000
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A rare 1917 Detroit Electric Model 62A Cabriolet is up for auction at £160k. This restored vintage EV offers 100 miles per charge and timeless motoring history.
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Historic electric car that predates Tesla by century goes on sale for £160,000

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Last updated: 2025/09/02 at 12:47 PM
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1917 Detroit Electric Model 62A Cabriolet. (Jam Press/Courtesy of RM Sotheby's)
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A century-old electric car that predates Tesla is hitting the market – and it could set you back a cool £160,000.

The 1917 Detroit Electric Model 62A Cabriolet, made during World War I, is one of just two known surviving examples.

Capable of 100 miles on a single charge and topping out at 23mph, this pioneering vehicle was restored after being discovered abandoned in a shed in the 1980s, as reported by Whats The Jam.

READ MORE: Ford Escort with top speed of 150mph sells for over £81,000 – double its original price

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Its listing states: “It is extremely rare to find any of the pioneering Detroit Electrics in a style other than the famous, phone booth-like Brougham, so loved by wealthy society women of the 1910s.

A rare 1917 Detroit Electric Model 62A Cabriolet is up for auction at £160k. This restored vintage EV offers 100 miles per charge and timeless motoring history.
1917 Detroit Electric Model 62A Cabriolet. (Jam Press/Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s)

“Yet the factory did build other designs, including some rakish open roadsters and convertibles.

“Among the latter was the Model 62 Cabriolet, which featured railroad-style windows and a fully insulated convertible top.

“Significantly, this body was somewhat lighter than the larger Brougham coachwork, resulting in what amounted to a factory hot rod of sorts.”

A rare 1917 Detroit Electric Model 62A Cabriolet is up for auction at £160k. This restored vintage EV offers 100 miles per charge and timeless motoring history.
Inside the 1917 Detroit Electric Model 62A Cabriolet. (Jam Press/Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s)

The Model 62 was aimed at male drivers, with aviation pioneer Glenn Curtiss among its early owners.

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This particular Model 62A was shipped to a New York dealer in October 1916 for customer W.H. Downey, thought to be a chief engineer of a New York power plant.

It was later found tucked away next to a New Jersey gas station in the late 1980s before passing through several hands and being fully restored.

A rare 1917 Detroit Electric Model 62A Cabriolet is up for auction at £160k. This restored vintage EV offers 100 miles per charge and timeless motoring history.
1917 Detroit Electric Model 62A Cabriolet. (Jam Press/Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s)

The car is finished in formal black with a matching top and button-tufted blue interior.

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It retains charming period features, including a folding seat below the dashboard for a footman or maid, polished wood windshield frame, wire wheels and painted lamps.

The listing notes: “Among the most sought-after vintage electric cars, an open Detroit Electric is a rare beast indeed.

A rare 1917 Detroit Electric Model 62A Cabriolet is up for auction at £160k. This restored vintage EV offers 100 miles per charge and timeless motoring history.
1917 Detroit Electric Model 62A Cabriolet. (Jam Press/Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s)

“The chance to acquire this one should not be missed by the devout connoisseur of turn-of-the-century alternative power, or simply the enthusiast who seeks something just a little different to accompany his or her Tesla.”

The historic car will be auctioned by RM Sotheby’s in Hershey, Pennsylvania, this October, offering a rare opportunity to own a piece of electric motoring history.

READ MORE: Super rare Aston Martin – one of only 77 made – set to sell for £1.18m

A rare 1917 Detroit Electric Model 62A Cabriolet is up for auction at £160k. This restored vintage EV offers 100 miles per charge and timeless motoring history.
1917 Detroit Electric Model 62A Cabriolet. (Jam Press/Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s)
A rare 1917 Detroit Electric Model 62A Cabriolet is up for auction at £160k. This restored vintage EV offers 100 miles per charge and timeless motoring history.
Inside the 1917 Detroit Electric Model 62A Cabriolet. (Jam Press/Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s)
A rare 1917 Detroit Electric Model 62A Cabriolet is up for auction at £160k. This restored vintage EV offers 100 miles per charge and timeless motoring history.
1917 Detroit Electric Model 62A Cabriolet. (Jam Press/Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s)

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