This is a CitiCar from 1980, it’s an electric car that was developed after the 1973 Oil Crisis, and it became the best-selling electric car in the United States since the end of WWII. It would hold this title until it was eventually surpassed by the Nissan Leaf in 2011.
The electric drivetrain, wedge-shaped profile, and minimalist interior of the vehicle were long considered the reasons for it being an evolutionary dead end. That is, until the Cybertruck was unveiled in 2019, bringing these three criteria back into production in a single vehicle and enjoying significant commercial success.
Fast Facts – The Electric CitiCar
- The CitiCar, developed by Sebring-Vanguard after the 1973 Oil Crisis, became the best-selling electric car in the USA post-WWII until surpassed by the Nissan Leaf in 2011. It featured a lightweight design, a lead-acid battery array, and a top speed under 45 mph, ideal for local commuting.
- Designed by Jim Muir, the CitiCar was built with a tubular aluminum frame, ABS plastic body panels, and flat glass windows. It was powered by an electric motor producing up to 12 bhp in later models and was the basis for its successor, the Comuta-Car, which was on sale until 1982.
- By 1976, Sebring-Vanguard had become the sixth-largest automaker in the U.S., highlighting the impact of the CitiCar during the oil crisis. In total, approximately 4,500 CitiCar and Comuta-Car units were produced, making them a significant milestone in electric vehicle history.
- This 1980 CitiCar, likely a Comuta-Car model, is a project vehicle with $9,000 USD invested, including a new motor, rebuilt brakes, and new batteries. Currently listed on eBay from Cape Coral, Florida, it offers a unique opportunity for collectors of historic electric vehicles.
The Oil Crisis And An Electric Renaissance
The 1973 Oil Crisis was caused by the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC) launching an oil embargo against the nations that had supported Israel during the 1973 Yom Kippur War – a conflict that began when Egypt and Syria launched a surprise attack that ultimately proved unsuccessful.
The fact that the CitiCar was electric and required no gasoline was a huge selling point in the mid-1970s, with the 1973 Oil Crisis still fresh in the minds of many. Image courtesy of Sebring Vanguard, Inc.
This embargo caused oil prices around the world to spike to previously unheard of levels, with many gas stations regularly running out of gasoline altogether, and long queues forming when gas was delivered.
The effect that this had on the automotive industry was immense, many high-performance cars suffered terminal sales declines and left production, and a number of automakers went out of business altogether.
A handful of enterprising new companies sprang up building small, simple electric cars. These vehicles were nothing like the sleek, fast electric cars of the modern age, they were powered by small electric motors often sourced from golf carts, they used lead acid car batteries, resulting in a top speed (typically) of under 45 mph and a range of perhaps 50 miles on a good day.
For those who needed to commute locally, these electric cars were appealing. These cars also meant no more paying for fuel or queuing at gas stations, which for many was enough incentive to flip open the checkbook.
Sebring-Vanguard And The CitiCar
One of the companies that launched to take advantage of the surging interest in electric cars after the oil crisis was Sebring-Vanguard, Inc. of Sebring, Florida.
The company released the Vanguard EV Coupe in 1974 but it didn’t sell particularly well, so later that same year they released the CitiCar, designed by Jim Muir.
The Comuta-Car was directly based on the earlier CitiCar and included a slew of upgrades including more range, a higher top speed, and better DOT safety compliance. Image courtesy of Commuter Vehicles, Inc.
The CitiCar was designed from the outset to be exceedingly fast and cheap to build, with the lowest curb weight possible. It was built around a tubular aluminum frame and fitted with a Cycolac (ABS plastic) body, with flat glass windows on all four sides.
Power was initially provided by a 2.5 bhp electric motor and a 36V lead acid battery pack. This was soon upgraded to a 3.5 bhp motor and a 48 volt battery pack, with later models having power increased all the way up to a heady 12 bhp.
Interestingly, by 1976, Sebring-Vanguard had become the 6th largest automaker in the United States behind General Motors, Ford, Chrysler, AMC, and Checker Motors – sitting ahead of the likes of Excalibur and Avanti.
Sebring-Vanguard would be sold to Commuter Vehicles, Inc. after 1977, the new company then modified the design of the CitiCar, renamed it the Comuta-Car, and put it into production in 1979.
It’s believed that almost 4,500 examples of the CitiCar and the later Comuta-Car would be produced across all variants, with the last rolling off the production line in 1982.
The 1980 CitiCar Shown Here
The car you see here is being offered for sale on eBay, it’s listed as a CitiCar however given the design and the year it was built it seems likely that it’s one of the later Comuta-Car models.
The seller describes it as a project vehicle, but notes that over $9,000 USD has been invested into it so far and that it comes with a binder documenting $6,000 USD in receipts for new parts. It has a new Motenergy ME-1004 10 bhp motor fitted, along with rebuilt brakes, new shock absorbers, eight new 6V deep cycle batteries, one new 12V deep cycle battery, and a new 48V charger.
The wedge profile was very much in fashion in the 1970s, thanks to the work of designers like Marcello Gandini, Giorgetto Giugiaro, and Ray Cannara of course.
It will doubtless make a fascinating project for the right person, and with a starting bid of $5,999 USD it’s certainly a lot more affordable than your average modern electric car.
This CitiCar/Comuta-Car is now being sold on eBay out of Cape Coral, Florida and you can visit the listing here if you’d like to read more about it or place a bid.
Images courtesy of Treasure House Collectibles
Articles that Ben has written have been covered on CNN, Popular Mechanics, Smithsonian Magazine, Road & Track Magazine, the official Pinterest blog, the official eBay Motors blog, BuzzFeed, Autoweek Magazine, Wired Magazine, Autoblog, Gear Patrol, Jalopnik, The Verge, and many more.
Silodrome was founded by Ben back in 2010, in the years since the site has grown to become a world leader in the alternative and vintage motoring sector, with well over a million monthly readers from around the world and many hundreds of thousands of followers on social media.
