Photo: Barnfinds.com Classified Private Seller
A couple of years ago, a delightful YouTube channel by the name of Aging Wheels reviewed a long-forgotten prototype EV called the Electrek Uncar panel van. With a brushed-DC electric motor with regen braking, a totally custom controller unit, and 16 lead acid batteries on offer, it's almost like someone took the blueprints for a modern Tesla and scaled back the technology to what was available back in the 1980s. Well, it turns out that Declan, the man who facilitated Aging Wheels acquiring the car for review, has another Electrek Uncar in his fleet. Now, it's for sale.
Of course, what Aging Wheels reviewed years ago was the Electrek Uncar's panel van configuration. This time around, Declan's flaunting one of only 13 Electrek Uncar 2+2s made for the entire planet. Manufactured in Denver, Colorado, America at large essentially ignored this admittedly substantial advancement in EV technology, as the price of gasoline had leveled out somewhat by the mid-1980s. With this in mind, it makes perfect sense why only between 35 and 50 of these little EVs ever saw the light of day before the company went bankrupt. The General Electric brushed DC motor's paltry 32 hp is likely another reason why the general appeal was so low.
Another downside was the four-speed manual transmission from a Volkswagen Fox, which needed herculean strength to change gear while on the move. As was the hodge-podge of various components from companies like Volkswagen, Ford, and GM that all found their way onto this vehicle somehow. But hey, a lowly EV startup company didn't have all that many resources to work with back in the 80s. If anything, it only adds to the novelty of what's on display here. As per Declan's sale literature, this particular Uncar 2+2 was bought by an Arizona-based company called AmFab Conversions, where it was a company car until it was sold to one of Unique Mobility's old engineers in the 1990s.
At some point, the car was gifted to one of the engineer's friends before its battery pack died and was put in long-term storage for as long as 25 years. Only in 2019 did Declan purchase the car right out of storage and begin the painstaking process of restoring this EV jalopy to a state that was more or less drivable again. From the fiberglass body to the trademark white paint with blue pinstriping, everything had to be cleaned off, mechanically reworked, and generally freshened up before the car could be sold as it is today. If you're wondering, the front defroster is literally just a blow dryer attached to some plastic tubing, and yes, it's fully functional. To the right EV enthusiast, an asking price of $40,000 might not be all that unreasonable.
Another downside was the four-speed manual transmission from a Volkswagen Fox, which needed herculean strength to change gear while on the move. As was the hodge-podge of various components from companies like Volkswagen, Ford, and GM that all found their way onto this vehicle somehow. But hey, a lowly EV startup company didn't have all that many resources to work with back in the 80s. If anything, it only adds to the novelty of what's on display here. As per Declan's sale literature, this particular Uncar 2+2 was bought by an Arizona-based company called AmFab Conversions, where it was a company car until it was sold to one of Unique Mobility's old engineers in the 1990s.
At some point, the car was gifted to one of the engineer's friends before its battery pack died and was put in long-term storage for as long as 25 years. Only in 2019 did Declan purchase the car right out of storage and begin the painstaking process of restoring this EV jalopy to a state that was more or less drivable again. From the fiberglass body to the trademark white paint with blue pinstriping, everything had to be cleaned off, mechanically reworked, and generally freshened up before the car could be sold as it is today. If you're wondering, the front defroster is literally just a blow dryer attached to some plastic tubing, and yes, it's fully functional. To the right EV enthusiast, an asking price of $40,000 might not be all that unreasonable.
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