1899 Waverley Electric

The 1899 Waverley Stanhope Phaeton is an outstanding example of an original pioneer Indiana automobile. It has a large graceful body supported by a beautifully detailed chassis. The Waverley reportedly was first owned by John Garrett of Baltimore, a U. S. Ambassador to Italy. No earlier Waverley Electric Phaeton of this pioneer era is known to exist. The 1899 catalog said, “The use of steam, gas, compressed air, and electricity, as motive power have all been tried with varying degrees of success, but for pleasure and light business travel, electricity, the most subtle, adaptable and elastic force known to modern engineers, has, beyond doubt, proved the ideal agent for carriage propulsion."

The Waverley was designed to move two people in quiet comfort. The original price of this vehicle was $1,500. The power for the motor came from 44 battery cells that could move the vehicle 12-14 miles per hour for 35-40 miles on a single charge. The batteries weighed 400 pounds.