It is extremely rare to find any of the pioneering Detroit Electrics in a style other than the famous, phone booth-like Brougham, so loved by wealthy society women of the 1910s. Yet the factory did build other designs, including some rakish open roadsters and convertibles. Among the latter was the Model 62 Cabriolet, which featured railroad-style windows and a fully insulated convertible top.

Significantly, this body was somewhat lighter than the larger Brougham coachwork, resulting in what amounted to a factory hot rod of sorts, albeit with modern steel fenders and “worm bevel” hypoid ring and pinion gears. Top speed was described as 23 mph, although reportedly a Model 62 could achieve 30 mph and had a range of 65 to 100 miles on a charge. Accordingly, the Model 62 was one of the first electrics aimed at male drivers and, indeed, owners included aviation pioneer Glenn Curtiss.

The Model 62A offered here is one of two known surviving examples. Per historian Galen Handy, it was shipped on 10 October 1916 as a 1917 model to the New York City dealer for customer W.H. Downey, believed to have been William H. Downey, chief engineer of a New York power plant. Reportedly, it was later discovered in a shed next to a New Jersey gas station in the late 1980s and was traded to Mark Sterner of Riverside, California. It next passed in 2006 to Eric Luebben of Brea, who undertook the restoration.

The car was well-finished in an appropriate formal black with a matching top and a button-tufted blue broadcloth interior, surrounding the correct Weston 240 voltmeter. Charmingly, it still retains some of the details of the other Detroit Electric models, namely the folding occasional seat below the dashboard, appropriate for carrying a footman, maid, or chaperone while on the road. Well-restored painted lamps and wire wheels finish off the attractive presentation, accented by a polished wood windshield frame and cowling.

Among the most sought-after vintage electric cars, an open Detroit Electric is a rare beast indeed. The chance to acquire this one should not be missed by the devout connoisseur of turn-of-the-century alternative power, or simply the enthusiast who seeks something just a little different to accompany his or her Tesla.