Egger-Lohner С2, a car with the name which sounds so unusual to the contemporary ear, is more than 100 years old. However, its concept is up-to-date even by modern standards — it’s an electric car! Its specifications are rather modest — the electric motor was producing only 5 hp and its speed did not exceed 35 km/h — but nevertheless!
The new exposition was unveiled at the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart. Its showstopper is the first car built by Ferdinand Porsche, the founder of the legendary car brand. Jacob Lohner & Co became the second employers of the young Porsche who designed several revolutionary models of electric and hybrid cars.
C2 Phaeton, built in 1898, is considered to be the first among them. The vehicle travelled with the help of an electric motor which transmitted power via 12-speed gearbox. It was able to cover the range of 80 km before its battery needed a recharge.
Even the car chronologists don’t know how many С2 Phaeton vehicles were produced but the one on display at the Porsche museum might be the only survivor. This car was found quite recently in a barn where it had been kept since 1902. Porsche representatives bought out the electric car from its owner and “preserved” it — they brought the remaining details into marketable condition but did not reproduce the lost parts (seats and the soft top).
According to autovesti.ru
