1959 Sears Roebuck Lectracar

[cliffrod]

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

[cliffrod]

Not sure, but quick looking online shows this IS actually a rascal-ish electric wheelchair, not a golf cart.





There were also references to Diplomat and Canada, which may be relevant to actual manufacturer.

[cliffrod]

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.





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.

[ITSec]

 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). 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).