Our family was recently contacted by Larry Fisher, an automotive historian from Rhode Island. He was performing research work on a type of small electric car known as the Autoette. Larry's work with the Society of Automotive Historians found documentation that stated Robert E. Tafel of Tafel Engineering, located in Long Beach, California, was manufacturing and selling the Autoette in 1940.

Larry contacted our family through the family website contacts. Within a day, Beth Tafel Shuster had Larry connected with Jean Tafel Scrim. Jean is the daughter of Robert E. Tafel. Robert E. Tafel is part of the Christian branch of the family. He was the son of Herman C. Tafel (1860 - 1914). Robert moved his family from Louisville, Kentucky to Long Beach, California in 1936. In Long Beach, Robert created, manufactured, and sold the Autoette. Robert passed away in 1983.

Larry provided the photos on the left. The top photo is a picture of the Autoette control panel with the Tafel Engineering name. Notice the 'on/off' switch located on the lower right hand corner of the control panel. The lower photo is an example of what the Autoette looked like when it finished the manufacturing process at Tafel Engineering of Long Beach, California.

Thanks, Larry, for this interesting information about the Tafel family history and our connection with the Autoette.

For more information on "The Autoette Project" visit the following site: http://autoette.blogspot.com

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