This 1932 Detroit Electric is said to have started its life in the late 1910s as a Type B Brougham before being remanufactured by the Alfred O. Dunk company as a Detroit Electric Model 97 that was shipped on June 15, 1932, to the M. Maybaugh Electric Car Co. in Columbus, Ohio. The car later underwent a refurbishment and was purchased by the selling dealer in 2022. Finished in burgundy and black, the car is powered by an 84-volt electric motor that provides five forward speeds and five reverse speeds to the rear wheels via a Hotchkiss-drive setup. Additional features include 14 AGM batteries, internally expanding rear drum brakes, driveline braking, 19” painted wire wheels, rear-seat controls, an electric windshield wiper, gray cloth interior upholstery, and a fold-down front seat. This Detroit Electric Model 97 Brougham is now offered with a charger and a Missouri title.

The Detroit Electric was introduced in 1907 by the Anderson Carriage Company, which was renamed the Anderson Electric Car Company in 1911 before again rebranding as the Detroit Electric Car Company in 1918. In the 1920s, the company began adding more contemporary styling cues to its designs, with revisions to its Brougham including a lower roofline, smaller wheels, a windshield wiper, and a dashboard panel. Underpinned by leftover chassis and remanufactured older models, the Model 97 remained in production for several years after the company was purchased by liquidator Alfred O. Dunk in 1929, despite a waning national market for electric cars.

This example underwent a refurbishment before current ownership and is finished in burgundy and black with gray pinstriping. Features include crown fenders, headlights with chrome bezels, a windshield visor, a fabric roof panel, running boards, and a taillamp with integrated “stop” lettering.

Black-painted wire wheels wear bright hubcaps and are wrapped in 4.75/5.00-19 Firestone tires. Stopping is handled by rear drums with internally expanding shoes that are actuated via a pedal, while pulling the control lever rearward activates externally contracting bands around a drum at the rear of the motor.

The cabin is trimmed in gray cloth and houses a rear bench that seats the driver on its left side, as well as a forward-facing single seat that folds out from beneath the upholstered dashboard panels. Additional features include color-matched carpeting, crank-operated door windows, door pockets, and a passenger-side bud vase.

Instrumentation includes a Stewart-Warner speedometer, a Phinney-Walker clock, and Roller-Smith gauges monitoring amperage and voltage. The five-digit odometer shows 10k miles, approximately 10 of which have been added under current ownership. Fold-away rear-operated controls include a steering tiller and a speed-control lever.

The 84-volt DC electric motor is positioned just ahead of the rear wheels, which it drives via a driveshaft and a spiral-bevel-gear rear axle. Suspension incorporates solid axles with semi-elliptical leaf springs.

The front and rear compartments host a combined 14 six-volt AGM batteries wired in series. A remote lockout assembly has been added allowing disconnection of the motor and accessories, and a Lester Electrical charger is included in the sale.