This is an absolutely beautiful 95-year-old example of a very early "Green Car" that speaks volumes and volumes of automotive history.The Collector has spared absolutely no expense in restoring the original coachwork reupholstering the interior and rebuilding the light electric motor that powers this 4-seater. He is now troubleshooting the Controller which only recently failed and is making the necessary repairs. This very rare and collectible light electric carwas completely restored only a few years ago and made totally roadworthy with the exception of headlights and turn signals (original inoperative wiring left intact). The design of the original controller is also known to be problematic and while this car was previously running the controller recently malfunctioned and failed. Repairs are well underway (motivated by the recent auction results in Indianapolis) but the car is not presently roadworthy. The professionally rebuilt electric motor runs like a Swiss watch but the repaired controller is as yet unproven. Nevertheless this is an absolutely beautiful example of this very rare light electric automobile.

A brief history of the Milburn Light Electric Automobile

George Milburn (1820-1883) was born in Alston England (June 3 1820) from where he emigrated to Canada. After but a short residence in Canada he moved toGoshen Indiana in 1835. Soon after marrying Miss Barbara Stauffer of Goshen on April 8 1841 they located upon Bone Prairie in Kosciusko County and engaged in farming. In 1846 they moved to a farm in St. Joseph County about three miles southeast of Mishawaka Indiana. In 1847 Milburn brought his family to Mishawaka Indiana. A daughter Ann later became the wife of Clement Studebaker.

In 1848 Milburn started George Milburn Co. which owned a prosperous general store at the corner of Main and Vistula Streets. He invested money in the Mishawaka Hydraulic Co. (estab. 1867) whose incorporation was to“keep up the dam water power races banks and other matters connected with the power and to sell and dispose of water power to other manufactures”. Milburn later secured and bought a one-third interest in James Oliver’s first plow company forming the Mishawaka Wagon Works. On August 23 1869 the Milburn Wagon Company was incorporated with a capital of $100000. Milburn also owned a hotel and a city block and still had the Joseph County farm land. Another business started by George Milburn was theHollow Axle Manufacturing Company (Mar. 4 1871) incorporated along with William A. Lewis and William Moffitt.

Meanwhile in 1852 Henry and Clement Studebaker started a blacksmith shop in South Bend and in 1856 Milburn’s Mishawaka Wagon Workssubcontracted out 100 wagons to the Studebakers to complete.

In 1873 George Milburn reported the value of his company at $446.65-Million. Evidently Milburnrequested that the city of Mishawaka extend RR-tracks from the Lake Shore railway line to the Milburn Factory. The town resisted and Milburn decided to move the complete operation of the wagon company to Toledo. Milburn’s leaving Mishawaka left a large hole in a town that was already reeling from the devastation of its business district from fire. Also formed in Mishawaka was the Dodge Manufacturing Company in 1880 by Wallace H. Dodge. It is not known what relationships there were between the Mishawaka and Niles Indiana Dodges and the Dodges that were involved with the Ohio and Milburn Electric car companies.

After moving to Toledo the Milburn Wagon factory opened in the spring of 1875 and soon became the largest manufacturer of farm wagons in the world. The Milburn Wagon Works with its completely mechanized production required workers only to operate the machines.A broad variety of wagons were produced some of which survive to this day.

Before 1910 Milburn was producing bodies for the Ohio Electric car company as well as gas car company bodies. Frederick Holmes (F.H.) Dodge and his brother Henry P. (H.P.) Dodge were involved with both the Milburn Wagon Co. and Ohio Electric---F.H. Dodge becoming the President. These Toledo Dodge Brothers were not the same as the Indiana Dodge Brothers that produced gas cars. In 1910 Milburn and Ohio were in major discussions to merge and produce a single brand electric car. Those talks fell through and the Dodge Brothers fell on opposite sides of it with H. P. Dodge staying with Ohio Electric (as Gen. Mgr. until 1915) andF. H. Dodge staying withMilburn as Treasurer until GM Purchased the Milburn factory in 1923. Milburn with its vast manufacturing ability and its view that the electric car could be made lighter lower and cheaper opted to get into electric car manufacture themselves.

In late September of 1914 the Milburn Wagon Company began the manufacture of their 1915 Milburn Light Electric automobiles based on a design by Karl Probst who later designed the Bantam Jeep. During their eight years of production from 1915 to 1923 they turned out over 4000 cars.

The 1915 Milburn Light Electric Coupé (Model 15) sold for $1485 and the Roadster (Model 151) for $1285; both were built on the same chassis with a 100-inch wheelbase. The Milburn was the lowest-priced electric of the time and much lighter than its competition. The 1915 Milburn had four forward speeds and two reverse speeds. It had a range of about 50 miles on a charge and could attain a speed of about 15 MPH as a Coupé and about 19 MPH as a Roadster.

In 1916 Milburn introduced a Brougham and in 1917 added a Touring style (advertised as a Limousine or a Town Car) to the line; this style featured an open front driving position and an enclosed rear passenger compartment (also with a driving position as noted below). Also offered was a Light Delivery truck style for $985 (with various bodies for it starting at $100) discontinued after the 1918 model year.

In 1918 Milburn offered a Sedan that looked more like its gasoline-burning competition and which boasted a top speed of 30 MPH and a range of 100 miles on a charge. Also in 1918 Milburn put the batteries in wheeled boxes to facilitate rapid exchange of spent batteries for charged ones at central power exchanges.

The Coupé or Brougham driver controlled steering and speed by levers (tillers) which hinged down onto the lap of the driver from the left side. The Roadster and the Sedan had steering wheels and the Limousine had both kinds of steering a wheel up front and a tiller in the rear.

The Milburn plant was destroyed by fire in 1919 with losses totaling $900000 including 30 completed electrics and even more automobile bodies. In January 1920 production continued in a building on the grounds of Toledo University. In 1921 Milburn Wagon Company capitalization was increased to $1 million; at that time the company’s 800-man workforce was comprised of 200 men building cars and 600 building automobile bodies largely for Oldsmobile.

In 1920 Milburn produced a taxicab (Model 33). These cabs were sold in Chicago and St. Louis (several there---see pic.) and other places. In 1922 Milburn began to advertise and produce a line of electric trucks—a ½ ton chassis selling for $1585 (Model 43) and a 1 ton chassis for $1985 (Model 40). The buyer could select from a full line of cab and bed styles at various prices to complete the truck according to their needs. They also produced a ¼-ton light delivery pickup on the Model 27 chassis calling it the Model 27D.

In February 1923 General Motors purchased the Milburn Body Plant for $2 million with Milburn being retaining its right to make electric vehicles under their name. Milburn workers remained in the body plant for the two months following finishing up cars and bodies previously under contract. Fisher Body Works was to move into the Milburn Body Works building to be able to handle the expected growth in sales of Buicks and other vehicles. Evidently the extra capacity wasn’t needed as GM offered the Milburn factory for sale just months after in August of 1923. Meanwhile Milburn’s remaining operations had moved to one of their smaller locations and evidently continued to produce trucks and on demand and subject to available parts and remaining bodies their Model 27L Brougham. Only such vehicle during those days is known to still exist---a Model 27L made on aModel 27D-labeled chassis(and wheels) that has a 1921 body but with 1922 gauges and other features.

The Milburn Electrics were among the most popular and elegant cars of the time and were used by President Woodrow Wilson’s secret service men. President Wilson himself owned a 1918 Milburn Electric which he drove around the White House grounds. Disney Comics also featured Donald Duck characters driving or riding in a very similar car.

This particular 1920 Milburn Model 27Lwas purchased from the original owner in southern West Virginia then professionally restored by a well-known collector of classic cars and customs. The original tiller steering and twin bud vases were found intact but a complete frame-up rebuild was required. As much of the running gear as possible was left unmolested but the original electric motor required a complete rewinding new brushes and bearing. Today the Milburn enjoys being carted around aboard a trailer appearing at car shows and special events located throughout Appalachia.

You can learn much more about Milburn Light Electric Automobiles by visiting www.milburn.us

(As you may be aware this is a very rare and valuable collectible. On June 12 2015 Motostalgia sold at auction in Indianapolis IN a 1923 Milburn Model 27L (VIN 11-9938-3) for $165000. This Indiana auction was for an unrestored Milburn Model 27L 'barn find' while the car being auctioned here is fully restored and (until recently) completely roadworthy.