Vehicle Description
Long before William "Billy" Durant founded General Motors, Col.
Albert Augustus Pope built America's first multi-tier automobile
manufacturing empire. Pope amassed a considerable fortune in the
years immediately following the Civil War, in which he proudly
served the Union Army. The Pope Manufacturing Company got its start
building patented items for other companies, and its first foray
into wheeled transport came with a deal to import English bicycles.
The popularity of bicycles exploded in the late 1800s, and Pope was
poised to meet demand. He set up a partnership with the Weed Sewing
Machine Company to manufacture bikes sold under the Columbia brand
name- which still exists today. Partnerships with numerous
manufacturers followed, and in 1899 he created the American Bicycle
Company, providing manufacturing and marketing services for some 45
different bike brands, making Col. Pope a very wealthy man in the
process and laying the foundation for his future endeavors. As
motorized transport took over from the bicycle craze, Pope was at
the forefront of this new frontier. One of the earliest automobiles
from Pope was initially sold as the Waverly, starting in 1898. The
small electric runabout was the result of a partnership between the
American Electric Vehicle Company of Chicago and the Indiana
Bicycle Company, of Indianapolis. Later, the two firms would be
consolidated to become Pope-Waverley from 1904 onward. A rapid
expansion of Pope's automobile range followed, with the mighty,
$6,000 Pope-Toledo sitting at the top, followed closely by the
Pope-Hartford. At the opposite end of the spectrum was the $600
Pope-Tribune, with the electric-only Pope-Waverley starting at
$850. Each brand encompassed a dizzying array of models,
Pope-Waverley alone had thirteen different models to choose from in
1907. This unchecked growth would eventually prove to be Pope's
undoing. The market for cars hadn't reached the level that Pope
expected, and the cost of offering so many models began to weigh
heavily on the company. After a brief period as America's first big
automotive conglomerate, the receivers came knocking. Pope-Waverley
had closed by 1908, with only Pope-Hartford soldiering on until
1914. This charming Pope-Waverley Model 36B Speed Road Wagon is one
of eight different models offered by Waverley for 1906. Riding on a
72-inch wheelbase chassis, the Speed Road Wagon is a basic,
two-seat runabout roadster with a surrey top and a flat rear deck.
This lovely example benefits from a recent cosmetic freshening with
new paintwork and restored nickel plating. The excellent wood body
is finished in gloss black, accented by a dark green chassis, dark
green wheels and an understated combination of green pinstripes on
the body and dark red on the wheels and chassis. Beautiful
nickel-plated fittings, patent leather mudguards, and white
natural-rubber tires give the car a crisp and elegant presentation.
The green button-tufted leather bench allows room for two
passengers. Steering is by a centrally mounted tiller, with foot
controls for the brake and throttle. Battery life is monitored via
a combination amp/volt meter which proudly carried the
Pope-Waverley and Electric Vehicle Company names. The green carpet
is in fine condition, and the nickel plating on the controls and
tiller is recently restored to a high standard. Complementing the
leather and carpet is a green-lined leather surrey top which is
also in excellent condition. The beauty of early electric cars lays
in their remarkably mechanical simplicity. The electric motor is
directly affixed to the rear axle, fed by a series of modern
lead-acid batteries mounted in the trunk. Mechanical rear drum
brakes aid in the stopping and suspension is by buggy-style
elliptical springs. There's very little to go wrong, and the modern
batteries are easy to maintain and vastly improve range and
performance. Once you master the tiller steering, it's a
delightfully simple machine to drive - and quite fun considering
100% of the torque is available instantly. With the increased
attention on electric power for our modern vehicles, early examples
such as this Pope-Waverley are as relevant as ever in automotive
history, and today's collectors appreciate electric horseless
carriages for many of the same reasons as the original buyers did.
Uncomplicated, easily serviced, and a breeze to drive, this rare
and beautifully finished Pope-Waverley provide a fascinating look
back to the alternative-fuel motorcars of our past.
