Columbia Automobile Company
The Columbia Automobile Company was a leading American manufacturer of automobiles, especially of electric cars from Hartford ( Connecticut ). Founded as the Columbia Automobile Company in 1899 as a joint subsidiary of the car department of Colonel Albert A. Pope Pope Manufacturing Company, Hartford (Connecticut), and the Electric Vehicle Company which had been briefly previously bought from William Collins Whitney. A collaboration between Pope and Whitney with the aim in all major U.S. cities, a taxi - monopoly failed to build. There was a new focus on automobiles, initially with electric drive, later, with an ever greater share of gasoline vehicles in the program.
Around the turn of the century the company every year sold under the brand name Pope's Columbia hundreds of electric cars, while manufacturers of cars with internal combustion engines, it then took only a few dozens every year. 1908, the company was renamed Columbia Motor Car Co. in 1910 and bought by the United States Motor Company.
Electric cars
The Columbia Brougham of 1904 was a Brougham, a car design. Equipped with a folding top, he offered four passengers and was, for 3500 - sold dollars. Two electric motors driven by the rear wheels. At the same time the Coupé Coupe Columbia and Columbia Hansom were produced and sold at the same price. The car reached a speed of 13 mph (21 km / h). The Columbia Victoria Phaeton, Phaeton type ( body shape ), which was based on the same design, was, for 3000 - sold dollars.
The bodies of the models Columbia Columbia Surrey and Victoria were similar to traditional horse-drawn carriage, but used the same drive system as the larger models. They were much cheaper, for less than 1500, - sold dollars - or $ 1600.
The smallest model was the Columbia Runabout, a small open two-seater that for a price of 750, - was sold dollars. He was only equipped with an electric motor, a battery of Exide and feathers of Concord.
Columbia's base model was typical of the time, it looked like the horse-drawn carriage and was controlled with a tiller. It was for 850, - sold dollars, 200, - dollars more than the contemporary model of competition Oldsmobile Curved Dash. Had the 544 kg heavy vehicle with a bench seat with a wheelbase of 162 cm and drove on wooden spoke wheels of 76 cm diameter with leather fenders. The drive concept had its roots in Pope's Bicycle Shop: The rear axle was driven by a chain, which was responsible for the only sound while driving. Between the motor and chain drive gearing was connected with three forward and two reverse gears. Twenty batteries manufacturer Exide, one associated with the electric vehicle Company Company, were placed over the two axles to make up the weight. The brakes on the two rear wheels were connected to a bell that rang at full braking. The top speed was 15 mph (24 km / h).
Overall, Columbia offered about 20 different electric cars to electric buses, taxis and police cars. The cars were very popular in cities with relatively good roads, where its quiet and smooth running electric motors playing off their superiority over the cars with internal combustion engines. In the cities also numerous opportunities to recharge the batteries were available. The range was 40 miles (64 km). 1903 drove a Columbia the 250 miles (400 km) from Boston to New York City in 23 hours. The Columbia was sold as a luxury car, eg with sales rooms opposite the Metropolitan Opera House in New York.
Cars with internal combustion engines
The Columbia Touring Car was a completely different car. Under a canopy he had room for six passengers. The prices of 4500 - to 5000, - dollars selling model featured a front vertically mounted four-cylinder engine with 24 hp ( 17.9 kW) and a four-speed transmission. The car weighed 1361 kg.
1912 and 1913, a model was also produced with a stronger valve engine.