Columbia (automobile)

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The Columbia Mark III Phaeton

Electric Vehicle Company was a manufacturer of electric cars between 1901 and 1909 in Hartford, Connecticut. Their line of electric cars was marketed as the Columbia. From 1903 a range of internal combustion engined models was added to the marque and these continued until 1913.

This company should not be confused with the separate company named Columbia which manufactured cars from 1917-1924.

[edit] Electric models

The 1904 Columbia Brougham was a brougham model. Equipped with a tonneau, it could seat 4 passengers and sold for US$3500. Twin electric motors were situated at the rear of the car. Similar Columbia Coupe coupes, Columbia Hansom hansoms, were also produced for the same price and could hit 13 mph (21 km/h). A Columbia Victoria Phaeton phaeton model was priced at US$3000 but was based on the same design.

The Columbia Surrey and Columbia Victoria were more traditional horseless carriages. Both used the same power system as the larger cars, with twin electric motors, but cost much less at US$1500 and US$1600, respectively.

At the bottom end of the range was the Columbia Runabout. Priced at just US$750, it used a single electric motor with an Exide battery and Concord springs.

[edit] Internal Combustion engined models

The Columbia Touring Car was an entirely different car. A touring car model, it used a tonneau, seating 6 passengers, and resembled the touring models offered by many other companies at the time. Priced at US$4500 to $5000, it used a vertically-mounted straight-4, situated at the front of the car, producing 24 hp (17.9 kW). A 4-speed sliding transmission was fitted. The car weighed 3000 lb (1361 kg). One design innovation was the "false frame" supporting the engine.

A Knight sleeve valve powered model was added to the range in 1912 and 1913.