1897 Anthony

edited by David Barth, 26 February 2009.
Courtesy The Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, California, USA.
Photos were taken in January 2009.

The 1897 Anthony was one of the first cars built in Los Angeles. This spindly vehicle was constructed by 17-year old Earle C. Anthony using lumber, wheelchair gears, bicycle forks, and other available components. Though young, Anthony was a competent electrical engineer who also designed and built the 1.5 horsepower electric motor that powered the car. This example is believed to be a reconstruction, which was crafted in the early 1920s using the original metal parts attached to a new wooden framework.