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Picture: David Welton/Fb Market
Launched in 1959, the Trident was a fully-fledged microcar at solely 84 inches (2.1 meters) lengthy and 42 inches (1.06 meters) extensive. However not like European microcars just like the Messerschmitt KR200, BMW Isetta, and Peel P50, the Trident relied on battery energy to maneuver about. That includes a fiberglass physique and a metal body, the Trident weighed 730 kilos (331 kg).
The 24-volt motor offered a spread of lower than 15 miles, pushing the cart towards a high pace of 16 mph (26 kph). Removed from spectacular by fashionable requirements, however not unhealthy for a Fifties automobile described as a “procuring automotive.”
Outfitted with headlamps, taillights, and switch alerts, the two-seater was totally road-legal on the time. Taylor-Dunn produced the Trident till 1963. And whereas some did not make it to 2024, just a few examples have survived in excellent situation. This 1961 instance is certainly one of them. And in case you’re seeking to stroll across the neighborhood in a single, it is obtainable in Lengthy Seaside, California.
The EV appears to be like too good to be a fully-fledged survivor, so it is secure to say it was restored in some unspecified time in the future. The advert would not present a lot data, however the Trident seems to be full. The reverse swap wants “a small repair,” however all the things else works because it ought to. It is not a storage automobile both, because the Trident has been used “a number of occasions every week on cruises to the park and round city.”
If electrical microcars with a persona are your factor, this Taylor-Dunn Trident will swap houses for $7,000. It is not precisely low-cost for a distinct segment cart, however these Tridents are uncommon, and I’ve seen them go for greater than that.
If you happen to’re unfamiliar with Taylor-Dunn, the corporate was established in Anaheim, California, in 1949 by a farmer named R. D. Taylor Sr. He initially constructed hand carts to make use of whereas feeding his chickens. In 1951, he constructed his first electrical truck. That is when Fred A. Dunn joined the agency, which grew to become Taylor-Dunn Manufacturing Firm in 1952.
In 1992, the corporate launched the Electruck and reached annual gross sales of $25 million. It was bought by Polaris in 2016 after which grew to become a part of Waev Inc. Taylor-Dunn remains to be headquartered in Anaheim and produces quite a lot of electrical utility autos, together with burden carriers, inventory chasers, and personnel carriers.
