Detroit Electric traced its roots to the Anderson Electric Car Company, which was founded in 1884 and produced electric vehicles under the Detroit Electric name beginning in 1907. The pivotal acquisition of Elwell-Parker in 1909, renowned for producing the finest motors and controllers of the era, cemented the company’s technical reputation. By 1914, Detroit Electric confidently advertised ownership by Thomas Edison and Henry Ford, who famously purchased one for his wife, Clara, speaking volumes about the marque’s quality and sophistication. This 1917 Detroit Electric Model 68 Brougham stands as a wonderfully preserved and thoughtfully restored example. Purpose-built for comfort, the Brougham body style offered easy entry for passengers in formal attire, a defining characteristic of Detroit Electric’s genteel appeal.

Chassis 8985 tells a story of careful stewardship and factory involvement. Like many Detroit Electrics kept in service for decades, this car returned to the factory at least once for period updates, including a later dashboard with three working gauges, newer-style headlamps and running lights, and a 1926 factory windshield wiper.

Owned by the same family since the 1980s, the restoration of this car culminated in a 2025 completion. Finished today in elegant black over wooden-spoke wheels, the car features a richly trimmed interior highlighted by period-correct luxuries – making only one public appearance since restoration at the 2025 Henry Ford Old Car Festival.