Electra King or Sports Rider?

When I first found my Kelsen Electric Sports Rider I didn't know who had made it. In my blog entry in October I discussed the Kelsen cars and my eventual confirmation of the make and model. It can be confusing to tell these cars apart so, in response to one of the readers of this blog, I will try to point out a few of the features that distinguish the metal-bodied Kelsen Electric Sports Rider from the B&Z Electra King of the same era and style.

Perhaps the most notable feature is the Electra King's signature diagonal seam where the hood overlaps the front fenders.

Note that on the Sports Rider the hood meets the fender in a straight seam and, the front of the hood lacks the overhang that is so prominent on the Electra King.

From the side view above you can also see a couple of other key differences. First, the angle of the bottom of the front fender is much more exaggerated on the Electra King than on the Electric Sports Rider. and,as the photo below illustrates, the door profile is also different. The Electra King body has a curve from the top of the fender to the door jamb while the Electric Sports Rider has a simpler diagonal line.

Other, less obvious differences in the bodies include the bumpers, the trunk lid (narrow on the Electra King and full width on the Electric Sports Rider), the application of trim, and the variations in lighting. Lighting is perhaps one of the least reliable details as these changed over the years on both cars and may, or may not, have included turn signals since they were an option on earlier cars.

Last but not least of course is the badges or logos. Like the Autoette, some cars were delivered with, and others without, badges. Case in point is my own car which has a hood ornament but no telltale holes or marks that would suggest it ever had the badge. The badges, and in the case of the Electra King, hood ornaments, were also cast from "pot metal" a mix of zinc, copper, aluminum, lead, tin and other metals that was inexpensive, had a low melting point, and was easy to use. The choice of pot metal also made these parts subject to breakage and fast corrosion so they are often missing or damaged. Here's a photo of the Electra King badge.

And here is a photo of the Electric Sports Rider badge.



You can see the hood ornament above, and here's a photo of the ornament on my car.



So why are there so many similarities otherwise?

At one time the founders of both companies worked for Royce Seevers building Autoettes. When the business started to become successful and these gentlemen decided to strike out on their own, Royce Seevers recognized an opportunity in supplying parts and components to these new builders. As a result, both B&Z and Kelsen purchased many components for their cars from Autoette. For example, the speed control, motors, resistance coils, wheels and tires, tiller steering components, front suspension, and even the fiberglass tops were at times purchased direct from Royce. My own Electric Sports Rider is a good example as it has the original motor which still bears an Autoette Co. tag on it among other Autoette Co. manufactured parts.

While there are more differences in wiring and other design features, those above really distinguish the cars from each other. Additionally, engineering changes such as brake systems, electrical systems, and component parts changed over the years and were changed by owners making these features more difficult to describe or use to identify a particular car.

Watch for an upcoming post on a very special autoette event being planned for March 2011 in California!