Milburn Light Electric

The original 1915 model was designed by Karl Probst. The Light Electric's batteries were positioned on trays beneath its front and rear hoods. 1915 models had a wheelbase measuring , and a chassis holding a 2-horsepower motor manufactured by General Electric. In 1920 Milburn began producing replaceable battery kits, with the batteries featuring rollers for ease of insertion and removal by car owners. The "town car" model was a touring car, and was also advertised as a limousine. It featured an open driver's seat and covered rear seats. The light transport model featured a cargo area behind a front row of seats, In 1920, the Model 33 taxicab variant was produced and sold to companies in Chicago and St. Louis. In 1922, two truck variants were produced: the Model 43 (with a chassis was sold for $1,585) and the Model 40 (with a chassis, sold for $1,985). ==Manufacture and sales==

dealership The first consumer Light Electrics (the 1915 models) were produced on the company's assembly line in September 1914. Milburn manufactured approximately 4,000 vehicles of the model in its Toledo, Ohio facility, with the last being produced in 1923. Most companies of the day believed that female consumers were more inclined to prefer electric cars, while male consumers were more likely to prefer gas cars, thus Milburn and other manufacturers featured well-dressed women in its advertising in order to appeal to a female target demographic. It was largely purchased by professionals and high-society members, whose daily needs could still be met by a vehicle possessing the limitations of the Milburn Light Electric. Initial year sales of the Milburn Light Electric were low, The Milburn Electric served as a presidential state car, with President Woodrow Wilson and his U.S. Secret Service detail using 1918 model year Milburn Light Electrics to travel around Washington, D.C.. Wilson personally owned a 1918 model year Milburn Light Electric, and would drive it himself around the grounds of the White House. The last Milburn Light Electric produced only two months after General Motors' purchase of the plant. After this, the company only produced trucks and on-demand vehicles. Notable individuals who purchased new Milburn Light Electrics during its production run included U.S. President Woodrow Wilson, Waldemar Jungner (Swedish inventor), Amos Alonzo Stagg (Chicago sports celebrity), and Richard H. Wright (Durham, NC, tobacco magnate). ==Surviving examples==

Few Milburn Light Electrics survive, with most examples being housed in museums and private collections. • Antique Car Museum of Iowa (1922 Model 27L Brougham) • Kamyshmash Automobtive Museum, Moscow (1922 Model 27L Brougham) • Museo Automovilistico de Malaga, Spain (1916 Model 22 Brougham) • Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago (1921 Model 27L Brougham) • Norwegian Museum of Science and Technology (1917 Model 27 Brougham) • State Historical Society of Iowa (1917 Model 27 Brougham) • Tampa Bay Automobile Museum (1922 Model 27L Brougham) • Elizabeth M. Watkins Community Museum (1921 Model 27L Brougham) ==Notes==