EXPLORE SPARROW
History
Stories and images from the Sparrow archive, preserved in their original historical context.
The Sparrow in Austin Powers in Goldmember
A gallery note on the Sparrow's screen appearances around 2000, including its cameo in the Austin Powers film Goldmember.
Steve Wozniak and His Sparrow
A gallery note recalling Steve Wozniak driving a Sparrow around the Bay Area during the Corbin Motors years and a memorable lunch with him.
Quicksilver: Mike Corbin's Electric Land Speed Motorcycle
A history note on Quicksilver, the silver-zinc electric motorcycle Mike Corbin ran at Bonneville in 1974, and the record run the archive records.
Cycle World Cover, 1974
A gallery note on a 1974 issue of Cycle World, found in Mike Corbin's personal archive, featuring the Corbin electric motorcycle on the cover.
SF Auto Show 1996
Quite honestly we didn’t know what to expect when we took the prototype Sparrow EV to it’s first big auto show in 1996. Not only was it quite unique visually, it was like
Merlin Roadster
Back around the turn of the millennium Corbin Motors was developing this fine piece of garage jewelry. Whereas the Sparrow is designed for fun and functionality, the Merl
A Late-1990s Sparrow Photographed Outside the Unfinished AT&T Park in San Francisco
An archive photo of an early Corbin Sparrow parked in front of the Giants' new ballpark while it was still under construction, taken after the San Francisco Auto Show.
Mike Corbin Recharging an Electric Motorcycle by Windmill on Mount Washington in the 1970s
A 1970s National Geographic photograph shows Mike Corbin recharging a Corbin electric motorcycle from a windmill at the summit of the Mount Washington auto road.
Sparrow #100 Climbs Mount Washington at the Revived Electric Vehicle Regatta
Mike Corbin took original Sparrow #100, converted to an AC drivetrain, back East to climb Mount Washington during a revival of the Electric Vehicle Regatta.
Alpha Sparrow
The very first proof of concept