By Antti Kautonen
“In case you thought you were a true enviro-buff, driving your useless hybrid trinket, ooh take a look at this – our storage dude has driven this electric runabout for 50 years.”
Those are the convincing words of the seller, who has put this 1964 Electra King up for sale. It’s difficult to perfectly capture the belligerent Finnish in the ad, but I’ll do my best.
Despite being situated in Houston, the electric car is for sale at the Finnish classified ad site. Apparently the Texas-based business selling it has someone Finnish in their rank, and said someone will happily ship the Electra King to Finland. The price (3900 eur) includes shipping, and I’m sure that accounts for 3000 of that.
The Californian-built cart runs, is registered, and should be all in order to get it registered over here as well. Does anybody in our reader base have any experience of these things?
Check the ad here (partly in Finnish)
[Source: Nettiauto]
Jeff Glucker
You'd have to be a true individual to drive that in Houston.
Even the US website doesn't have a description in English.
http://www.texasredneckranch.com/en/1964-electra-…
What an odd website – the english is somewhat poorly translated from something else. Makes me wonder if they really are based in Houston, or if their specialty isn't exporting to Scandinavia.
Their address matches a vacant lot for sale at the end of an airport runway. The Google street view does not look anything like the background in the pictures.
http://www.loopnet.com/Listing/16359899/9000-Tele…
The phone number has a +358 country code, which is Finland.
The Electra King looks like it has a California black plate.
The plate suggests it may be a veteran of Catalina Island
http://autoette.blogspot.com/2010/05/twenty-six-m…
perhaps like the Autoette I mentioned below.
<img src="http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4071/4464788827_f00b8699e2.jpg" width="300">
If you look next to the vacant lot you see the pole barn and other stuff that is in the pictures: https://maps.google.com/maps?q=9000+Telephone+Rd….
Also appear to be a bunch of old cars in the back and a shipping container coming in.
That still doesn't match the pictures with the article, though.
Did you happen to notice the partial airplane fuselage laying on the ground just south of the building, or the overturned buses about 500 yards due east?
It matches with most of the other pictures on the website though. Some appear to be taken in a residential area too.
That has a "Radiator Springs" vibe going .
I was thinking more about Mr. Incredible's car.
<img src="http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ0XFOeswIu1qjPd9K-wHShA4OjuTlvmgQ7MdkpoOMO5jAa5ZXBjw" width=400>
"Does anybody in our reader base have any experience of these things?"
Only secondhand. I've exchanged a few emails with Larry Fisher of The Autoette Project, mostly concerning an Autoette I once spotted in Grass Valley, Oregon:
<img src="http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4067/4464788675_f3952567df.jpg" width="450">
He's also interested in B&Z cars, however, particularly as they relate to Autoettes:
http://autoette.blogspot.com/2011/01/electra-king…
I know a couple of other people who own Electra Kings, too, but I've never had an opportunity to drive or ride in one.
You know you want the B&Z.
Close, but maybe not that one. Full doors would be handier in the Pacific Northwest.
<img src="http://roadsidenut.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/blog43.jpg" width="400">
I have a red B&Z just like the one in Larry Fisher's blog. Pls contact me if you have or had one.
thecabesa(at)gmail(dot)com
I hace one without the original eléctric Prats, but the body ira in greal condition.
ri**********@***il.com
I see that the Autoette in your photo is on the optional 'comfort' suspension settings, perhaps to offset the firmer 'sports' seating with the reduced firmer padding? : )
i have two b&z's a hard top and a roadster. Both roadworthy and in daily use.
check out "u of u vs byu car race choose the red" on u tube!
al*****@*ol.com
i have two b&z's a hard top and a roadster. Both roadworthy and in daily use.
" U of U Vs BYU" on U tube
Hi, Al. Pls contact me at
thecabesa(at)gmail(dot)com
I just got a red B&Z like the one at Petersen Museum
Looks like a "Flintstones" prob. Incredibly environment-friendly.
It's like a cartoon come to life. . . .
<img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-elC0cEpo_n8/TqZMWgEHo-I/AAAAAAAAI5U/Y-Ki_Kwac7k/s1600/street.jpg" width=500>
Three letters: SBC.
According to my copy of the 'Standard Catalog of American Cars', they started production in 1961. The book, which covers nothing after 1975, shows them still in production at that time. Little appears to have changed in that time period, other than slight modifications in their fiberglass bodies. Perhaps Geoff Hacker could shed some light on the company's fate.
Unfortunately, there's nothing about the independent makes in the 1976-1999 Standard Catalog. I also have the 1976-1986 edition, but it's in a box in the garage right now (thanks to some renovation work we've been doing on our house).
OK, so I might be able to add something to the conversation.
B&Z were one of many makers of electric runabouts in Southern California. B&Z were in Long Beach (my hometown) and downtown Long Beach in the 1960s and 1970s was lousy with old people in the things.
Based on what my grandparents had to say about those old people (my grandmother owned a shop in Long Beach), I think the Electra King occupied a sort of middle ground between today's cheap small cars and scooters such as the Lark in that they were cheap to buy, easy to park and ideally suited to elderly drivers.
<img src="http://www.mclellansautomotive.com/newsletter/articles/2008/sep/03/images/b16881.jpg">
Check out u of u vs byu car race on utube