With the start of the 2020-2021 school year just days away, students and teachers are preparing for a very different and unique school year. That said, educators are always adapting and evolving to ensure the students of today are prepared for the world of tomorrow. This year, The North Bergen Historical Society will be partnering with North Bergen High School's Social Studies Department and STEM Program to do something extraordinary for participating students and the town of North Bergen. Together, we will attempt to recreate an mostly unknown piece of town history: The Auto Red Bug.
"The Red Bug is everybody's car!"
Courtesy of Lane Motor Museum
Much to our surprise and hopefully yours, we have recently discovered that an electric roadster was made right here in North Bergen. After World War I, the roadster was being produced by the Automotive Electric Service Corporation, which would later become Automotive Standards Incorporated. They originally purchased the design from the A. O. Smith Company of Milwaukee which produced the vehicle for a few years before scrapping the design. But it was in North Bergen that we saw The Red Bug come back to life. The buckboard style "flyer," was produced at 3709 Liberty Avenue.
"Here's a car you can drive now!"
Courtesy of Alden Jewell
The Red Bug was truly a vehicle for everybody. The Guinness Book of Records claims it is the least expensive car of all time with an MSRP of $125 in 1922, which would be about $1856.75 today. The cars inexpensiveness attracted all buyers. Now, just to put the price into context, the Ford Model T cost $265 in the same year. The Red Bug was used by everyone but it was
really used by the wealthier members of society. It was not strange to see the North Bergen vehicle at exclusive resorts or on a manicured estate and we even found a few "
Red Bug Tracks" at amusement parks across the US. The most famous owner of a Red Bug was Ettore Bugatti of
Bugatti Motors.
Ettore Bugatti driving King Leopold III of Belgium
The .5 horsepower 12 volt battery driven car wasn't sold direct to consumers. The North Bergen car was sold exclusively through iconic retail institutions like F.A.O. Schwarz and Abercrombie & Fitch's New York City locations. The car was never really used as a daily driver, for example you would have never seen one rolling down Bergenline Avenue. Instead the car was used by the super wealthy on their private estates. Another main use of the vehicle took place in vacation resorts such as the famously known Jekyll Island, Georgia. In fact, the legacy of the Red Bug is still alive and well on the island. Today there is
Red Bug Motors, a company that specializes in the rental of electric vehicles to get around the island. You can also grab a slice of pizza at
Red Bug Motors Pizza as well if you ever happen to visit Jekyll Island.
Jekyll Island Club member Helen Hartley Jenkins shares a Red Bug with Dr. Donald MacEachern
So what happened? The car was popular with buyers and had a low retail cost but unfortunately, the Red Bug was squashed in 1929 with the collapse of the stock market. Yet today the Bug is showing signs of life at North Bergen High School. Still in its infancy of production, a group of ambitious students and dedicated educators look to literally put the rubber to the road. Students will be reproducing the vehicle. A fully functioning and as true to the original Red Bug design as they can get. This Red Bug will be the first one produced in North Bergen in 90 years! Both the Social Studies Department and STEM Program are excited to start this project, revive a piece of town history and give students a chance to display their skills and abilities.
Courtesy of Hemmings
If you are interested in this project and helping it come to completion please reach out to us here at the Historical Society! Or directly email Michael Maring at mmaring@northbergen.k12.nj.us
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