Robert Gerald (Bob) Beaumont and his daughter Dina in 2009, attending the first C-Car Gathering in Columbia, MD.

Robert Gerald Beaumont (April 1, 1932 – October 24, 2011) was the founder of Sebring-Vanguard a Florida-based company that produced the Citicar, an electric automobile manufacturer from 1974 to 1977. He was born in Teaneck, New Jersey and attended Hartwick College after serving in the United States Air Force.[1]

Career

Beaumont was the owner of a Chrysler dealership in upstate New York. In the early 70's, he moved to Sebring, Florida, where he founded Vanguard Vehicles, later named Sebring Vanguard where the CitiCar was produced. Nearly 2,300 Citicars were built and sold, many of which are still in use today. Sebring-Vanguard closed in 1977 with most of the assets sold to Frank Flower who formed a new company called Commuter Vehicles, Inc. to continue production of his re engineered Commuter-Car version from 1979 to 1982. After the closing of Sebring-Vanguard, Beaumont moved to the Washington D.C area in order to lobby and promote electric vehicles. Later he established a used automobile dealership outside Columbia, Maryland. In the early 1990s with the California emissions regulations looming, Beaumont formed Renaissance Cars, Inc. and created the all-electric Tropica.

Death

Beaumont died October 24, 2011, at his home in Columbia, Maryland.[2]

References

  1. ^ Bunkley, Nick. "Bob Beaumont, Who Popularized Electric Cars, Dies at 79", The New York Times, October 29, 2011. Accessed October 30, 2011.
  2. ^ "Bob Beaumont, who created early mass-produced electric cars in 1970s, dies at 79", The Washington Post, October 30, 2011.

Sources

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