Century Electric

Century Electric identifies the Detroit electric automobile made from 1911 through 1915, initially by Century Motor Company and later under Century Electric Motor Car Company/Century Electric Car Company wording. Sources disagree about the precise legal-name change—some place it in 1913, while a separate corporate summary says John Gillespie Inc. formed Century Electric Motor Car Company in May 1912—but agree on a single continuous Detroit product rather than unrelated successor cars. Century pursued the less expensive end of a market dominated by costly enclosed electrics. Its long steel chassis was underslung below the axles, lowering the center of gravity. Steering was by tiller. Customers could choose solid or pneumatic tires, and an electrical controller provided six speed positions. A series-wound Westinghouse motor was geared directly to the rear axle, avoiding a conventional multi-ratio transmission and propeller shaft. Two body families are documented. The open two-passenger Roadster was advertised in 1912; one period-advertisement index gives $1,750 while a Detroit electric-car history reports $1,250, so the database preserves the conflict rather than selecting a false exact price. The enclosed Brougham used a tall opera-coach-like body for weather protection. Surviving summaries do not provide dependable motor output, battery voltage/capacity, maximum speed, range, dimensions, brougham price, annual changes or production totals for either body. The catalog therefore uses the 1911–15 company envelope for both and does not invent yearly generations. Century's low-cost strategy was rational but arrived as gasoline cars became easier to start and operate; the company disappeared in 1915. Two rows account for the complete recoverable open/closed range. This Detroit Century is distinct from the 1899–1903 Century Motor Vehicle Company of Syracuse, New York, which built electric, steam and briefly gasoline cars; the British Century marque; Century Steamer; Crow-Elkhart's later Century Motor Company corporate owner; Toyota Century; Buick Century; and unrelated modern companies.

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