Vintage golf carts are a far cry from ones rolling on municipal golf courses today.
With many adorned with doors and wooden side panels, vintage golf carts are a stark contrast from their original purpose--hauling golfers and their bags over the links. But interest in these throw-backs is growing thanks to the Internet and renewed interest from nostalgic golfers.
Vintage Defined
Vintage carts are identified by age, bright colors and styling--the latter marked by doors, fenders and side panels. Modification kits are available which allow carts to mimic classic cars or pickup trucks from a bygone era.
Golf Cart Beginnings
Golf "scooters" were reportedly introduced in the 1930s. Makers such as Cushman, E-Z-Go, Yamaha and even Harley-Davidson brought golf carts on the market in the years to follow. Early carts were battery-powered, then gravitated to gas-powered during the 1970s and 1980s.
Expensive Proposition
Achieving the means to restore or even build a vintage cart has become a cottage industry. With aid from the Internet and classified websites similar to Craigslist, some sites are dedicated exclusively to helping collectors find parts, owner's manuals, as well as ready-to-roll vintage carts--at a hefty price, for this hobby is not one for the faint of funding, and parts can be difficult to locate.
Tags: golf carts, Golf Cart, side panels
