A Southern California company, Taylor-Dunn Manufacturing Company, have been making light-duty, short range electric vehicles since 1950s – way before electric vehicle became the buzzwords.
The example you see here is a 1960 Taylor-Dunn Trident Runabout, which I believe is a R model three-wheel neighborhood cart, complete with headlights, taillights and turn signals, and tiller steering.
The 1960 Taylor-Dunn Trident Runabout is, technically, the piece of EV history. Manufactured between 1959 and 1963, it was intended for zipping around the neighborhood for grocery runs and stuff.
According to Microcar Museum, under its fiberglass body is a NEMA electric DC motor that offers a very modest one horsepower. The electric motor is paired to a gearbox with 3 forward gears plus 3 reverse gears (yes, really!) which affords it a top speed of 16 miles an hour (26 km/h).
However, the details and specifications of this particular 1960 Taylor-Dunn Trident Runabout are not revealed yet. It is not clear if this is a restomod or if it is an untouched classic.
But if anyone’s interested in getting one, it will be going on the block, offered without reserve, at a sale organized by RM Sotheby’s, happening from June 23 to 30, 2021 at Prudenville, Michigan. RM Sotheby’s expect this little guy to fetch between US$15,000 and US$20,000.
Images: RM Sotheby’s.
via designboom.