Yeah, all that other stuff is nice, but the most important thing is that it has fins!! Woohoo!

This was as close as I could find for any more detail on this neat little electric.
Not sure if it is the same company but it was from Long Beach as far back as 1961, sadly the electric car shown doesn’t have the sleek futuristic design of the one above
http://www.3wheelers.co…
T
There’s also a link to a surviving (if you can call it that) car at the bottom of the page

That’s a painting, not a photograph, isn’t it? Did they ever actually build any?

Thirty whole miles?! Boy!

There was a Science Fiction story from the 50s of a distopia where the Proles toiled to be consumers that supported the economy.

Some cube dweller was driving home in his car… a dressed up golf cart.

“Little Black Bag”?

The time frame seems about right.

Those are ‘energy fins’, they make the batteries last longer.

Honest.

I love “Little Black Bag”! there was a TV edition (Night Gallery maybe?) too. It has some very interesting points to make, one being that the only people who support and participate in Zero Population Growth are those of above-average IQ and education while the rest keep spitting them out like sunflower seed shells.
The end result being a world where the elite must hide their brains and let the morons think they control what goes on.
(thank goodness nothing like that could happen in real life, eh?)

Soundl like “Idiocracy”, except in that, the smart people die out entirely…

Stannous
That’s right, starring Burgess Meredith. (As a present day unemployed and unemployable doctor.)
“The Little Black Bag” and “The Marching Morons” were both by C.M. Kornbluth.

Oops!: Rereading TLBB, no Golf Cart Car. Some other story. Sorry.

There’s a great documentary called Who Killed The Electric Car?. It’s about short production life of the GM EV1 electric car produced in the mid 1990′s. Everyone who leased it (only way it was available)thought it was great. Eventually the cars were all recalled and destroyed. It seems oil companies had little interest in the EV1′s success.

Telsa Motors is creating a high end electric sports car. The price will be in the $95,000 plus range.
http://www.teslamotors….

The problem with electric cars is they tend to cost a lot more than gasoline cars of similar capabilities, and because they’re only good for short trips you never drive them far enough to make up the difference in fuel savings.

Downtown Long Beach used to be lousy with these slow moving deathtraps (early 1970s).

Invariably, they were being piloted by people old enough to have been Civil War veterans.

What I remember best though is how bad the paint was on all of them.

I do remember seeing both the kind featured in the ad here and the Electras in the link in another comment.

I own the electric shopper, it is now called the mouse rod because it is to small to be a rat rod. However it looks like a rat rod now. Built in 1959, this was a street legal electric car for urban use. Customized in Rat Rod style black suede paint. 50′s pin-striping, 59 cadillac tail-lights, wide whitewall tires, moon disc caps, tuck and roll interior, pistol grip steering, billet grille, custom windshield, coil over rear shocks and an Am Fm Cd radio. It has gone an extensive frame off restoration of the highest workmanship. Every piece has been polished, painted or replaced. Truly a one of a kind. Thanks you Ed Tozer

Cute… I want one of those. Not one of the ugly modern electric cars.

there was a recent car show, in june 2008, called peggy sue’s cruise in santa rosa ca, and someone had a kustomized one… http://www.rodsandwheel…

they called it the mouse rod because it was too small to be a rat rod.

looks really clean and kool

I actually have one of these. It has been in the family for about 20 years. I guess these things came with an army surplus sherman tank turret motor. I am currently converting mine to be a hybrid vehical. You will drive with the electric motor till the batteries are almost discharged. Than switch to a 6.5 hp Techumseh engine (like a 600% increase in hp since the electric motor is rated at 1.5 hp) then the electric motor will act as a generator until the batteries are restored. Charging will be regulated with a 24 volt solid state D.C. regulator. It is a really nice car. Is everyone else cars fiberglass? I know they built some with steel bodies.

Here is a good sorce of info on electric cars of the past.
http://www.econogics.co…

i have a electric shopper for sale. its not like the one in the first picture,its a convertable, steel body, two seater,3 wheeler 6 volt,has a trunk,headlight,turn signals, brake lights, , has org batt, and charger. its org factory red with white top. needs restored or cleaned up and cruz. asking 1500.00 253-584-1821, don. tacoma washington. i have some pics to send. happy new year to everyone.

I have the more conventional 1957 model. Here’s a pic:

http://s206.photobucket…

I have a 1962 167 model which is red. My grandfather bought it from his neighbor for $25 in 1990. I will have some pictures when I am finished.

http://www.3wheelers.co…

What I belive to be an Electric Shopper, year unknown sitting outside in Cedar Key FL.
Rented a golfcart from the owner to bop around. Do not know if its for sale…
This is a link to the photo on myspace.

http://viewmorepics.mys…

The illustration in the article looks a bit like one of Bruce McCall’s Bulgemobiles, writ small.

i have a car like this will send some pictures

i have an electric shopper also in los angeles california style:fj4565 mines has a complete different look but the same mechanism,mines is red black convertable top and is rounded off,

I just purchased an Electric Shopper exactly as pictured in the ad above on EBay.
Got it home put some batteries in cleaned up some wireing and went for a spin.
What a kick! Does anyone have more info on these. How many built? A manual or parts list? Wiring diagram? Would pay if the literature is correct for this car.
I intend to strip it down and completely restore so anything might help.
Thanks Ross

Just bought some new batteries for my model 167. I spent memorial day painting it olive drab in honor of the ww2 vets who built them.

Just started on my 167 and mounting w/w tires on it to get it to roll around first.

John – got pix?

Does anyone know of a 167 for sale?? Does not have to be perfect or run but more complete is better. Thanks

I use to work for Electric Shopper in 1961. I remember they had trouble selling them.
They even took in cars as trades for them. I got an 1949 Hudson that was taken in
as a trade. I think one of there best sellers was a flat bed truck with a steel diamond
plate bed. At that time they all were built with 6 volt Trojan batteries and simple car
starter solenoids for speed regulation. Brakes were cast aluminum drum. We did build
one that did 60 mile per. hour. I never did drive it but was told it was scary. Hard to
steer, impossible to stop and very short battery life. It was build just for the fun of it, not
for resale. I left in 1961. They had no money to pay wages. grant

Grant – nice to hear from someone with a connection to the story. In a way, the Shopper was the grandfather of today’s mobility carts, more-so than electric cars, anyway.

Things don’t have to be very high tech to be useful to a lot of people. It’s a shame the Shopper didn’t take off: if cities had accommodated them then, we’d probably be better off today.

I have a photo of shop were they were built in Long Beach with one on a trailer ready
for delivery. The same one you have the ad for. This one is light blue with a white top.
It was one of my jobs to deliver them. grant

Hey Grant!
Very cool to hear from someone with first hand knowledge.
I would love to see the photo of the car being delivered.
Do you remember if there was an owners manual or any documentation?
Also were they all the powder blue with white top or were there other “options”?

Thanks, Ross

As far as the colors I do not remember much of a choice, if any. More on that later. I
would be happy to share the photo but need help on sending it. How would I do it?
I have it scanned in. grant

Electric Shopper also built a tram. It could carry 5 passengers plus driver. It had a streering
wheel with two wheels up front to steer with. Had a canvas top with a fringe. I found the
color negatives of this from 1961. There were taken to be used for a brochure. I do not
know if the brochure was ever printed. Fun picture with a Market that was giving Green
Stamps in the back ground. grant

Grant: You can’t post photos here as far as I know, but you can post a link to a photo-sharing web site. Beyond that, I’ll defer to Google, as I’m out of date on such things.

Thanks For the info. Toronto. Well I personaly have the photos. They are not on a web site.
I have more info on the companys. There were two separate Companys.
“The Electric Car Company of California Inc.” And “Electric Shopper Sales and Service Inc.”
The latter was at 417 Alamitos Ave. Long Beach, Ca. President of both Companys was
Mr. B.T. Cline, Vice Persident Mr. B.G. DuPont, Secretary Treasurer Mr. Thomas R. Walker.
This would be the Principals of the companys on Feb. 1962. No, I do not have that good of
of a memory. I wish I did. I am getting this from paper work from the company that I saved.
If some one would like the photo or more History of when I worked there let me know. grant

I have pic’s of fully restored Electric Shopper.

after 50 years the car i have like this stills runs

My husband just purchased one of these. Also looks just like the picture. Blue body, white top. We’d LOVE anymore info that anyone can provide. Manual? What it’s worth now? etc… Thank you Grant, all the history that you’ve provided is awesome! If you’re able to email me any pics, I’d love that too!
[email protected]

Sorry Mrs. Smith. I was able to send to your email. Would not work. grant

Currently restoring a vehicle identical to the one here (top photo) referred to as the B & Z model 167:

http://www.3wheelers.co…

Is this an Electric Shopper? Grant, I would be very interested in contacting you as this restoration is going into the Peterson Museum in about 3 weeks, and want to get facts straight. Thanks.