1980 Vanguard Comuta-Car - Vestige of The Gas Price Shocked 1970's

During my recent search for an inexpensive car to replace our "old" Camaro, I came across this thing for sale on Craigslst over on Cleveland's east side. Asking price, $1,000. That part of town is deep inside what is referred to as the "Snow Belt", if we get 5 inches over here on the west side they'll get 10, and I first thought it to be some sort of far out snow mobile. While something as off beat as that wouldn't seem out of place in the garage of one of the old money homes out there, what this is is quite possibly even stranger. Behold a vestige of the 1970's gas crunches, a 1980 Vanguard Comuta-Car.

I had never heard of these things before let alone seen one. Growing up on Long Island a stone's throw from some of the toniest and wealthiest communities in America during the two gas crunches of the 1970's, to say nothing of growing as close as I did to Manhattan, I would think that I would have seen some well-heeled trendsetter who had money to blow on such whimsy scooting around in their "Comuta-Car". I never did until now. And in Cleveland, Ohio of all places. 

In response to the first gas crisis of 1973-74, The Vanguard Comuta-Car began life in 1974 when Sebring-Vanguard, a small company in Sebring, Florida  began manufacture of small, enclosed, wedge shaped electric "cars". Originally known as "CitiCar", they were little more than a golf cart with a plastic covered safety cage. When the hysteria over $5 a gallon gas died down as gas prices stabilized in the mid to late '70's, understandably, interest in the "CitiCar" waned. Sebring-Vanguard's sold the design to a company known as "Commuter Vehicles" in 1979 and the vehicle's name was changed to Vanguard Comuta-Car. 

Originally powered by six, six volt lead-acid batteries connected to a 3 1/2 horsepower electric motor. weighing as much as 1,300 pounds, performance of the "CitiCar" was "relaxed"; some would say dangerously slow. Two more batteries and a jump to a 9 horsepower electric motor improved performance enough to the point that a top speed of 45 miles per hour was theoretically possible. Ample for around town or in the "citi". At just 8 feet long, and that includes the massive bumpers fore and aft that also house the batteries, these tiny things make today's "Smart Car" appear out and out gigantic.



The Comuta-Car was never meant to replace your regular car but was intended to save your regular car for more important tasks. And save the precious fuel in its tank. I know. It makes absolutely no sense but keep in mind we're talking about something from the gas priced shocked 1970's. 



I get what the gist is or was of these things only because I grew up in those times of never before seen gas hikes and 8 mile per gallon Buicks and Cadillacs, However, I can't imagine anyone really commuting anywhere in a CitiCar or Comuta-Car and not many people did. Approximately 4,440 Comuta-Cars were sold. A impressive number when you think about it. Tough to find sales info on sales of the original "CitiCar"

We know people who live in Lake front homes here in Cleveland that are set far off the main road. Some of them do have golf carts to help them traipse around their property and during winter, one of these would be nice respite from the cold weather. That Saturday morning jaunt to the mailbox can get pretty chilly this time of the year, this wimp of winter not with standing of course. Watch out for that chipmunk.

The listing is gone so perhaps someone swooped in an picked this thing up. Ad said that it literally had to be "picked up" since the batteries were dead and it hadn't run in years. Note the dollies. Someone either bought it or the owner gave up trying to sell it. I'll keep a lookout if you're interested. And if I see it "commuting" around town I'll be sore to grab my cell phone and snap more pictures.