Marketeer - Westinghouse - Nordskog History

                              A Brief History of Marketeer

     The "Marketeer Company" was founded by Merle Williams of Long Beach California during World War II. During this period of gas rationing he built a small electric vehicle for his wife to go to the market. As others saw his creation as a solution to their short distance transportation needs too, he received requests to build additional vehicles. He later moved his company to Redlands California and shortly there after added electric invalid vehicles to his line of two wheeled electric bicycles. Vehicles for industrial applications soon followed. In early 1951 the first electric car designed specifically for playing golf was introduced. The beige cart in the upper left is most likely a mid sixties model 425. The earlier model 419 looked similar but the front trim was wider and the Marketeer logo was above the trim. From this early beginning a full line of industrial vehicles and golf carts evolved. In 1965 Merle and Peggy Williams sold their "Marketeer Company" to Westinghouse.

          A Brief History of Westinghouse & Nordskog Carts

     Westinghouse continued building electric powered golf carts, industrial and specialty vehicles. They started off with the model 433 three wheel and 434 four wheel carts. Around 1967 they came out with the model 436 series four wheelers and 437 three wheelers. Note the blue 436 pictured above. In 1976 Westinghouse revised their overall corporate strategy and the electric vehicle division was sold. Under its new owners "HMK Marketeer" they produced the models 438 and 439 which looked very similar to the models 436 and 437. The company soon faltered as a result of management inefficiency and lack of capitol. After just a few months Westinghouse took the operation back and began looking for a strong and resourceful buyer that could restore the operation to its proper stature. In 1978 they found a buyer and the company was sold to Nordskog Industries, Inc. Note the white model 450 Nordco Marketeer "4-Runner" above. The "4-Runner" was manufactured from 1978 until 1982. After the death of Bob Nordskog in 1993 the company was sold to U.S. Electricar. In 1996 Legend Electric Vehicles of Redlands acquired the company from the failing U.S. Electricar. In 1999 Columbia Par Car, who had earlier bought Harley Davidson Golf Cars in 1982, purchased Legend.