1916 Rauch and Lang Electric Brougham

The 1916 Rauch and Lang Electric car is an all black vehicle with yellow wheel spokes
The 1916 Rauch and Lang Electric car 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 vertical metal contraption with numerous wires coming off of it, all connecting to a tall lightbulb looking object
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.

A metal label that has electrical diagrams on it, in large text it reads "General Electric Co. Schenectady, N.Y., U.S.A.
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 drawing of women driving in and looking at a Rauch and Lang electric car. The car has a yellow upper body, a black lower body, and white wheels and spokes.
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.

An ad for Rauch and Lang electric cars that features a painting of a colonial-era horse and buggy, along with an illustration of a Rauch and Lang car
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 inches
in 1916;
today's equivalent: 60,967

Comparison Chart

ModelCar TypePassenger CapacityEngine (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
1901
17000
1902 Stanley Stick-Seat Runabout
Steam
4
6
900
70
1902
18108
1905 Stanley Runabout Model CX
Steam
4
8
1000
78
1905
16900
1907 Stanley Semi-Racer Model K
Steam
3
30
1850
108
1907
47368
1908 Stanley Gentleman’s Speedy Roadster H-5
Steam
2
20
1350
100
1908
35526
1908 Stanley Model EX
Steam
4
10
1200
90
1908
20400
1910 Stanley Touring Model 71
Steam
4
20
2200
115
1910
35000
1912 Stanley Touring Model 87
Steam
7
30
4200
134
1912
57100
1913 Stanley Roadster Model 78
Steam
2
20
2500
115
1913
36700
1913 Stanley Touring Model 76
Steam
5
20
2800
120
1913
38000
1914 Ford Model T
Gas
5
20
1200
100
1914
12000
1914 Stanley Model 607
Steam
4
10
2200
112
1914
34414
1915 Stanley Mountain Wagon Model 820
Steam
15
30
5000
136
1915
54635
1916 Rauch and Lang Electric Brougham
Electric
5
90
3500
92
1916
60967
1916 Stanley Touring Model 725
Steam
5
20
3400
130
1916
43004
1918 Stanley Touring Model 735
Steam
7
20
3850
130
1918
40866
1922 Stanley Touring Model 740
Steam
7
20
4200
130
1922
40866
1924 Stanley Model 750
Steam
7
20
4200
130
1924
36086
1932 Packard Phaeton Model 905
Gas
4
160
5450
142
1932
82288
1937 Packard Model 1508
Gas
7
175
6000
144
1937
74168