Subject: OLDS ELECTRIC
Date: Wed, 01 Aug 2001 14:32:05 -0400
From: "Stephen McDowell" <SMCDOWELL@leegov.com>
To: <bbott@ausbcomp.com>
I enjoyed your site and have some information you may be interested in.
My family owns the only known surviving Old's Electric. The one in question
was one of R.E. Olds personal vehicles and was not destroyed in the Olds
factory fire. There are indications there was one other electric that was
spared, but its
whereabouts can't be confirmed. We have pictures of our car in the 1903
Detroit parade on Bell Isle with Olds at the tiller, well after the factory
fire. When Olds left to start his own company, there were legal problems
between he and the financial backers of his original company. One letter
of correspondence from an
Attorney to Olds makes mention of two vehicles that Olds took with him when
he left that his former backers believed were the company's and not Olds'.
The letter mentions the "large electric vehicle" in possesion
by Olds that the backers wanted returned. My dad and uncle loaned the car
to Oldsmobile where it was placed on display at the Olds 100 year anniversary
in Lansing a couple of years ago. I can be reached at steviemac10@juno.com
if you would like to know more. I have an article and pictures of the car
that I would be happy to send you.
Steve McDowell
Stephen McDowell
Office Support
Human Resources
smcdowell@leegov.com
Phone: (941) 335-2254
Written by Donald and Kenneth McDowell