Company overview
Columbia was an American automobile brand produced by several companies. These included the Pope Manufacturing Company, the Electric Vehicle Company, and a brief entity in 1899 known as the Columbia Automobile Company. In 1908, the company became the Columbia Motor Car Company and was later acquired by United States Motor Company in 1910. A different Columbia Motors existed from 1917 to 1924. The company manufactured a range of electric vehicles, including runabouts, taxis, police cars, and buses. These models utilized twin electric motors and varied in price from $750 for a basic runabout to $5,000 for touring cars. Early models featured a tiller steering system and used Exide batteries. Columbia vehicles were particularly popular in urban areas due to the availability of electrical recharging infrastructure and the quiet operation of electric motors. Some models, such as the 1904 ‘Columbia Brougham,’ offered a tonneau seating four passengers. In 1912 and 1913, Columbia introduced Knight sleeve valve powered models with a straight-4 engine.
