Wildguzzi.com
General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: cliffrod on July 08, 2021, 07:33:55 AM
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Not actually a motorcycle, but whole lots cooler than a rascal even if price is at BaT level....
https://greenville.craigslist.org/for/d/caroleen-golf-cart-1959-sears-lectracar/7347555521.html (https://greenville.craigslist.org/for/d/caroleen-golf-cart-1959-sears-lectracar/7347555521.html)
(https://i.ibb.co/tQrPPG8/image.jpg) (https://ibb.co/tQrPPG8)
(https://i.ibb.co/nCpbS6b/image.jpg) (https://ibb.co/nCpbS6b)
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Not sure, but quick looking online shows this IS actually a rascal-ish electric wheelchair, not a golf cart.
(https://i.ibb.co/qRBkJC7/image.jpg) (https://ibb.co/qRBkJC7)
There were also references to Diplomat and Canada, which may be relevant to actual manufacturer.
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The print ad above has some specs, including a range of "about 20 miles".
Around 76-77 when I was a kid in VT, a "big kid" neighbor just out of high school was paralyzed in a motorcycle accident, basically quadriplegic. He eventually got the first electric wheelchair any of had ever seen or known. Will went everywhere, pushed it to the limits, up & down hills, dirt roads, got stuck, ran out of juice & brought home by whomever was passing, everything. Just another part of the town experience. He's had the beer and now only store in town (Will's in Chelsea VT) for 30+ yrs. he talks about how much better the modern equipment is than the old ones.
(https://i.ibb.co/nwqfGVY/image.jpg) (https://ibb.co/nwqfGVY)
He talks about how much better the modern equipment is compared to the old stuff. Pretty sure he'd look at that electracar and say "Eyup, that's quite the rig there. but I think I'll pass and keep what I got." He's a great guy.
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Does anyone else have information on this thing ?
A bit of searching shows that the Sears Lectracar name was used on a number of golf carts and similar vehicles. There's not a lot out there, but the one mentioned by the OP seems to be a scaled down model; the original was the Lectracar Diplomat (later the Diplomat II) manufactured from somewhere around 1955 or so until the early 60s. The Diplomat was a 2-person golf cart (one was used by Eisenhower at some point), the Solo was apparently sold both as a golf cart and as a wheelchair at various times. While Sears sold many other machines that were made for them or re-badged as Allstate or Sears models, the Lectracar brand appears to have specifically been made by Sears Lectracar - I haven't been able to find anything saying it was by anyone else, and one historical website says they were the actual manufacturer (https://www.searsallstateriders.com/model/808.15560.html (https://www.searsallstateriders.com/model/808.15560.html)). That site has a photo showing a manufacturer's plate listing 'Baldor Electric', but they were just the manufacturer of the electric motor used.
Sears was early into the vehicle game, having made a motor buggy as far back as 1908 or so (http://searsmotorbuggy.com (http://searsmotorbuggy.com)).