Tafel Autoette

Here we have an interesting picture from 1940 in a quiet Santa Barbara California neighborhood. William Brown Pinkerton and his wife Agnes Ellen Gurney are sitting in their brand new Tafel Autoette.

The Tafel Autoette was a recent creation made in Long Beach, California. That is about 2 hours south of Santa Barbara.

According to website Golf Cart Tips, “[Autoette Electric Car Company was] started by Robert Tafel in the late 1930s. Tafel purchased one of the Custer Invalid Chairs that were popular with disabled World War I vets, and disassembled, then re-engineered it. His design was a three-wheeled, 2 seat 24-volt electric vehicle. The Tafel family discussions came up with the name Autoette.”

It is interesting to learn that southern California for about 50 years or so starting in the late 19th century was a hub of innovation and new technology. Detroit is well known as the center for car engineering, but southern California was quite the auto rival, at least for a time.

Source: A History Of Golf Carts – The Men And Their Machines – Golf Cart Tips

Thanks for reading.

Jenny Findsen