Vehicle Description
Like a number of automobile companies that sprang up at the turn of
the twentieth century, Waverley of Indianapolis, Indiana began as a
manufacturer of bicycles. In its earliest form, the company built
bikes under several different names (including Indiana Bicycle
Company and American Bicycle Company) before turning to horseless
carriages as part Colonel Albert Augustus Pope's manufacturing
empire. Pope had already owned Indiana Bicycle Company when he
purchased the American Electric Vehicle Co. of Chicago and
transferred the works to his Indianapolis-based bicycle company
where he began production of the Waverley Electric. The earliest of
these cars were light, simple runabouts the truest sense of the
"horseless carriage", but by 1902 Waverley began to offer more
substantial four-seater bodies and larger chassis. From 1904 to
1908, the cars were known as "Pope-Waverley" and the range had
expanded to include ten different models. At the bottom of the
range lay the $850, 2-seat Road Wagon delivery vehicle, and at the
top was a luxurious $2,250 Coupe complete with a special Edison
battery. By 1908, A.A. Pope's vast business empire was beginning to
falter and he sold off a great number of his interests, including
Pope-Waverley Electric. A group of Indianapolis businessmen
purchased the business and continued production as Waverley Co.
They offered much of the same range, soon adding a model with a
faux bonnet to resemble a petrol-powered car. Production lasted
until about 1916, coinciding with the time electrics fell out of
favor with consumers thanks to competition from self-starting
petrol cars, which offered greater range and performance as well as
ease of refueling. But Waverley's legacy lives on in today's
high-tech full electric and plug-in hybrids, as we see electric
cars coming full circle, well over a century later. This charming
Waverley Electric runabout is a very early example from the first
known year of Waverley motorcar production in 1901. Starting with a
complete and very sound original example, it has recently been
treated to a careful cosmetic restoration and now presents in
beautiful condition with fresh Brewster Green paint on the body,
chassis, wings and wheels, with hand-painted coach stripes in
contrasting red. It is the most basic of early automobiles, with
simple tiller controls, and room for two atop a carriage chassis
with the electric motor mounted centrally below the body. Now well
over a century old, this lovely motorcar is beautifully presented
with glossy paint and freshly polished nickel plating on the tiller
controls, coach lamps, and wheel hubs. Wood features heavily in the
construction of the body, all of which was remarkably sound prior
to restoration and now presents in excellent condition. It has been
mechanically (and electrically) sorted and is quite enjoyable to
drive while perched atop the freshly upholstered seat. At first
glance the Waverley is a humble, simple little horseless carriage,
yet it represents much more than its simple appearance. This is a
historically significant and influential machine, particularly as
we witness the resurgent role electric automobiles are playing in
the new car market. With luxurious new electrics from firms like
Tesla, and more and more major auto manufacturers offering pure
electrics, it is important to look back at the history of the
electric car and credit companies such as Waverley for their
pioneering work in the field. Looking back, it seems that this
little runabout was vastly ahead of its time.
