United States · Exact Clara Ford museum car · 1914

Detroit Electric Model 47 Brougham

An electric family car was already quiet, clean at the curb and easy to start more than a century ago.

Electric pioneers

Period 1914-model-year Detroit Electric advertisement; the pictured body is not identified as Model 47, so this is representative period imagery rather than an exact Model 47 photograph.

Exterior · Photo shows Period 1914-model-year Detroit Electric advertisement; the pictured body is not identified as Model 47, so this is representative period imagery rather than an exact Model 47 photograph.. Period 1914-model-year Detroit Electric advertisement; the pictured body is not identified as Model 47, so this is representative period imagery rather than an exact Model 47 photograph.
1914 model-year Detroit Electric advertisement · Various contributors to Sunset Magazine · Public domain

Auction-based estimated value

Research pending

A matching completed auction sale has not been verified for this exact year, body, trim, engine, transmission and market.

Joyride shows this gap instead of substituting an asking price, unsold bid or mismatched special vehicle.

A place in vehicle history

More than a set of wheels.

Detroit Electric built enclosed city cars for wealthy buyers who valued calm, simple travel. Clara Ford—Henry Ford's wife—drove this Model 47 into the 1930s. The Henry Ford museum dates the exact car to 1914, not 1915, and preserves unusually complete measurements, battery details and price information.

Look a little closer.

Its batteries alone weighed 1,170 lb—nearly one third of the museum car's 3,636 lb total.

Photos show an example of the model or generation. The pictured vehicle’s year, equipment, or modifications can differ from the specification described here.

Why this profile says 1914

The proposed queue label said 1915, but The Henry Ford identifies Clara Ford's preserved Model 47 as a 1914 car and its 1914 sales catalog lists the Model 47 family. A separate historical timeline says Detroit Electric reorganized its chassis choices in 1915, so those later details are not blended into this exact museum profile.

Source: The Henry Ford · Clara Ford's 1914 Detroit Electric Model 47 ↗

Ease mattered as much as electricity

Before the First World War, starting a petrol car could mean turning a hand crank and learning a difficult gearbox. The museum explains that many women chose electrics because they started instantly and did not require difficult shifting. The tall, enclosed brougham also protected passengers from city weather.

Source: The Henry Ford · Electric cars for well-to-do women ↗

Where these facts come from

Selected facts checked for this edition. Some source pages link to broader model families. Last reviewed September 30, 2026.

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