CITICAR and COMUTACAR HISTORY

CITICAR and COMUTACAR HISTORY

By Frank Didik

Copyright 1993

According to what I have been able to piece together, the Vanguard CitiCar was started in 1974 by a man from Connecticut who set up a factory in Florida. About 3500 VANGUARD CitiCarswere built from 1974 to 1976, most being built in 1975. The selling price in 1975 was about $4500. This was considerably more then the average gas powered car at that time.

In 1977 the company is believed to have gone Bankrupt and was sold piecemeal at auction. The principal buyer at the auction was a mobile home manufacturer from New Jersey named Frank Flowers. He purchased most of the company in-tact but he did not purchase the trade name "Vanguard CitiCar". In 1978 he proceeded to build a new version of the car using both new and existing parts from the Vanguard. He did not have an adequate supply of older 3.8HP GE motors and axles and he wanted the new car to be better then the old CitiCar so he incorporated a higher HP GE motor (5HP) as well as a number of electrical improvements.

The required safety and bumper crash standards had increased since 1974, he had to redesign the bumper and other safety systems on the car in order to be certified by the National Transportation Safety Board. Though the overall shape of the new car looked like a CitiCar, there were many innovations and improvements in comfort including roll downwindows, a hatch back, better seats, a better heater, and, in most cases, an electronic control system. Since he did not have the copyright for the original name, he called the new car the Comuta-Car.

As luck would have it, in 1978, America had the second major oil shortage of the decade which resulted in an immediate desire to have more efficient cars. The 1978 Comuta-Car was an instant success and sold over 4,000 vehicles. The price for the Comuta-Car varied depending on what size motor and other options it had, but the average price was $6,500. This again was somewhat higher then the average price of cars in 1978.

By 1980, several things had changed. People were no longer as interested in fuel economy and, perhaps more importantly, the National Transportation Safety Board had increased the requirements for certification. Though the Comuta-Car could have probably passed the higher standards that all cars in America must pass, the cost for testing and certifying the vehicle line (from $150,000 to 2,000,000) plus the cost of insuring the manufacturer (from $150,000 to $300,000 plus about $1500 per car sold), proved to be the final death blow.

The Comuta-Car company continued to sell used Comuta-Cars, parts and new cars (for non-road uses such as airports, warehouses and prisons). I had the opportunity to speak with Mr. Flowers a number of times between 1986 and 1988, the year he passed away.

In 1986 or 87 he offered to sell the Comuta-Car company for $150,000 plus various other provisions. Sebring auto-cycle purchased the company and started to build a new three wheel vehicle called the Zipper which did not require such strict certification as four wheeled vehicles. I understand that this vehicle had only limited success. In May 1992, a golf cart company in conjunction with several electric car enthusiasts purchased most of the remaining parts of the defunct Comuta-Car.

• NOTE: A book entitled "The Lost Cord" was published several years ago which covers the period of time between 1973 and 1976. Mr. Robert Beaumont, the founder of the Vanguard Company (builders of the CitiCar), gives a complete and detailed history of the vehicle from his perspective. It is an excellent book and should be read by all electric vehicles enthusiasts. February 1999 Frank Didik.

The Comuta-Car was built in Seabring Florida from 1978 till 1981. The Comuta-Car was produced at the original CitiCar factory using many of the same body and mechanical parts of the Vanguard CitiCar. The CitiCar was produced from 1974 till 1976. A complete history of the CitiCar can be obtained by reading the excellent book "The Lost Cord" which describes how the founder of the CitiCar Company, Robert Beaumont designed and produced the car.

After the CitiCar ceased production (in 1976), the factory was sold off piece by piece at an auction in 1977 and Mr. Frank Flowers of New Jersey purchased most of the production line and parts of the factory. In 1978, using the same factory, Mr. Flowers started to produce the Comuta-Car. The car sold very well since America was just getting over the second major oil crises caused by the political situation in the Mid East. Mr. Flowers also was known as the producer of mobile homes and was the founder of Electric Mobility, which was/is a well known company producing electric wheel chairs.

In 1986, Mr. Flowers decided to sell the Comuta-Car Company and ran an ad for such in the New York Times. His asking price, at the time was $200,000(US). His major concern was that the employees of the company be taken care of. I had the pleasure of talking with him a number of times between 1986 and 1987.

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