The 1916 Rauch and Lang Electric Brougham as it looks today
1916 Stanley Touring Model 725 1918 Stanley Touring Model 735
Want to see our founder Tom Marshall discuss the Electric Brougham? Check out this video from the official Marshall Steam Museum YouTube channel!
Tom Marshall: Electric Brougham
General History
Early electric cars boasted a top speed of 20–25 MPH and a range of only about 30 miles before needing to be recharged. While the cars were heavy and tiller steering was difficult, electric cars were frequently driven by women due to the ease of starting and absence of either a gasoline or steam engine to maintain.
A charger that would have been used for the Rauch & Lang Electric Brougham
The Rauch & Lang and Baker Electric cars were closely connected for many years, and through 1916, practically identical lines were sold under both names. Baker built the power plants; Rauch & Lang built the bodies. Starting in 1917, the cars were sold only as Baker Electrics.
One of the labels from the side of the battery charger
Want to learn more about how this car was powered? Check out this information from the Early Electric Car Association of Greater Washington D.C.
Early Electric Car Charging
A Rauch and Lang ad showing how they advertised to women
Our Model’s History
Purchased about 1950 by Clarence Marshall from Spencer Sharpless of Wayne, Pennsylvania, this car had been in storage. A mercury-vapor type charger came with the car, but the vapor bulb had lost its vacuum, and attempts to charge the batteries were unsuccessful. In the early 1950s, a motor-generator charger was donated to the Marshall collection by Frank V. du Pont. The original-type batteries remained in the car until 2002.
A Rauch and Lang ad that is marketed to a more broad audience
Restoration Work
The car stood as a static exhibit in the museum until late 2001, when members of the Marshall Steam Team took on the task of making it run again. They purchased and installed new deep-cell golf-cart-type batteries and activated the motor-generator charger. A small charger was soon installed next to the rear batteries to simplify the recharging process.
Specifications
Capacity: 5 passengers
Engine: 90 volts
Weight: 3,500 pounds
Wheelbase: 92 inches
Cost: $2,800 in 1916; 2015 equivalent: $60,967
Comparison Chart
| Model | Car Type | Passenger Capacity | Engine (Horsepower for Steam & Gas, Volts for Electric) | Weight (Pounds) | Wheelbase (Inches) | Original Cost (Year Released) | Today's Equivalent Cost (in 2015) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1901 Mobile | Steam | 4 | 4.5 | 900 | 65 | 650 | 17000 |
| 1902 Stanley Stick-Seat Runabout | Steam | 4 | 6 | 900 | 70 | 650 | 18108 |
| 1905 Stanley Runabout Model CX | Steam | 4 | 8 | 1000 | 78 | 670 | 16900 |
| 1907 Stanley Semi-Racer Model K | Steam | 3 | 30 | 1850 | 108 | 1800 | 47368 |
| 1908 Stanley Model EX | Steam | 4 | 10 | 1200 | 90 | 870 | 20400 |
| 1908 Stanley Gentleman’s Speedy Roadster H-5 | Steam | 2 | 20 | 1350 | 100 | 1350 | 35526 |
| 1910 Stanley Touring Model 71 | Steam | 4 | 20 | 2200 | 115 | 1400 | 35000 |
| 1912 Stanley Touring Model 87 | Steam | 7 | 30 | 4200 | 134 | 2500 | 57100 |
| 1913 Stanley Model 76 | Steam | 5 | 20 | 2800 | 120 | 1700 | 38000 |
| 1913 Stanley Roadster Model 78 | Steam | 2 | 20 | 2500 | 115 | 1640 | 36700 |
| 1914 Stanley Model 607 | Steam | 4 | 10 | 2200 | 112 | 1450 | 34414 |
| 1915 Stanley Mountain Wagon Model 820 | Steam | 15 | 30 | 5000 | 136 | 2350 | 54635 |
| 1916 Stanley Touring Model 725 | Steam | 5 | 20 | 3400 | 130 | 1975 | 43004 |
| 1918 Stanley Touring Model 735 | Steam | 7 | 20 | 3850 | 130 | 2600 | 40866 |
| 1922 Stanley Touring Model 740 | Steam | 7 | 20 | 4200 | 130 | 2750 | 40866 |
| 1924 Stanley Model 750 | Steam | 7 | 20 | 4200 | 130 | 2600 | 36086 |
| 1914 Ford Model T | Gas | 5 | 20 | 1200 | 100 | 500 | 12000 |
| 1932 Packard Phaeton Model 905 | Gas | 4 | 160 | 5450 | 142 | 4750 | 82288 |
| 1937 Packard Model 1508 | Gas | 7 | 175 | 6000 | 144 | 4500 | 74168 |
| 1916 Rauch and Lang Electric Brougham | Electric | 5 | 90 | 3500 | 92 | 2800 | 60967 |