The 1920s Electric Car That Sold For $5,000 On American Pickers
Mike Wolfe on "American Pickers" loves anything and everything he can make a profit on. But he's always held a soft spot for vintage vehicles that are reminiscent of bygone eras.
Wolfe has come across plenty of cars throughout his picking adventures. The guys once made a deal on a hodgepodge of Ford parts that basically amounted to a frame and set of wheels to the tune of $3,000. The picker was even willing to shell out over $1,000 for a toy car in a different episode. If it has wheels, Mike Wolfe is interested, and those examples barely scratch the surface of what the show has doled out.
In Season 20's "Presidential Picks," Wolfe and Danielle Colby stumble upon a vintage electric vehicle from the 1920s. It's an extremely rare find and something that Wolfe practically drools over when he first sees it. Naturally, he was willing to whip out the big guns to get his hands on this.
Mike Wolfe got the most bang for his buck with this purchase
Many people consider electric vehicles to be a relatively recent innovation. However, companies have tinkered with the technology for almost a century now, and you can see that in the 1920s Red Bug featured on "American Pickers." It wasn't a car you could take on the road, but it made for a fun toy for getting around a private property or even an amusement park. They're scarce, and when you have a rare vehicle of any sort around, Mike Wolfe's going to want to make a deal.
He offers $5,000 for the vehicle, and he decides to bundle it together with a vintage sign and grill. All in, he spends $9,700 for the three items, which the seller is more than happy to accept.
Wolfe should be able to sell the Red Bug for a pretty penny. Various models have sold at auction over the years, including one that sold for $24,800 (via Classic Promenade). It's unclear how much Wolfe could get for this particular car in its condition, but he knew the value of such an item immediately just by looking at it.