American LaFrance

US, 1907 – 2014

LaFrance Manufacturing Company

American LaFrance (ALF) was an American vehicle manufacturer which focused primarily on the production of fire engines, fire aerials, and emergency apparatus such as ambulance and rescue vehicles. The company was located in Summerville, South Carolina. It was announced Friday, January 17, 2014, they would cease operations.
The American LaFrance Fire Engine Company was one of the oldest fire apparatus manufacturers in the United States. With roots that go back to approximately 1832, the companies that went on to become American LaFrance built hand-drawn, horse-drawn, and steam-powered fire engines. Founded in 1873 by Truxton Slocum LaFrance and his partners, including Alexander S. Diven as the LaFrance Manufacturing Company selling hand powered equipment. The International Fire Engine Company, corporate predecessor of American LaFrance, built some steam power fire engines between 1903 and 1907. Apparatus built by International included horse drawn steamers, hose wagons, and hook & ladders to chemical engines, water towers and combinations. The American LaFrance Fire Engine Company was formed in 1903. Its corporate offices and manufacturing plant were in Elmira, New York. It also operated a Canadian plant in Toronto, Ontario, where it sold apparatus under the name Lafrance-Foamite, until 1971. American LaFrance (ALF) delivered its first motorized fire engine in 1907. Over the years, American LaFrance built thousands of fire trucks including chemical engines, combination pumpers, aerial ladder trucks, Aero Chief snorkel trucks, and airport crash trucks. The classical style of the American LaFrance apparatus is easily recognized. Some of the company's innovations led to changes in the industry, most notably the cab forward style cab.
In 1995, the company was bought by Freightliner LLC, which is a subsidiary of Daimler AG. Freightliner continued to utilize American LaFrance's original nameplates and designations including the Eagle custom chassis

Historic vehicles

• Type 1 1903-1904 Steam-powered Combination Hose & ChemicaL Wagon
• Type 3 1906-1906 Packard "N" Two-Tank ChemicaL Car - only 1 built
• Type 4 1909-1912 Simplex based chassis - 2 built (see also Technisches Museum Sinsheim site )
• Type 5 1910-1911 First complete ALF motor fire apparatus - 4 cyl.
• Type 6 1910-1914 LaFrance Commercial truck
• Type 8 1908-1910 ALF roadster type passenger car
• Type 10 1911-1920 Improved larger version of Type 5
• Type 12 1911-1925 6 cyl. 800, 900 & 1000 GPM pumper (see also in Riga Motor Museum)
• Type 14 1912-1926 City service ladder truck
• Type 15 1913-1925 1400 GPM Pump and hose car
• Type 16 1912-1916 Front drive aerial ladder truck
• Type 17 1913-1926 Tractor drawn - aerial, water tower, ladder
• Type 18 1913-1913 2-wheel front-drive steam fire engine tractor
• Type 19 1915-1928 1000 GPM Pump and hose car, 6 cyl.
• Type 25 1914-1914 Front drive, straight frame aerial ladder
• Type 28 1915-1915 Front drive service ladder truck
• Type 30 1914-1914 Front drive, bevel-gear drive water tower
• Type 31 1915-1929 2-wheel front-drive tractor
• Type 32 1915-1927 LaFrance/Model "T" Ford, Alf "F" series
• Type 33 1917-1926 Front drive straight frame service ladder truck
• Type 34 1916-1916 Centrifugal pumper
• Type 52 1922-1927 "Village Queen" Model "T" Ford trailer pump
• Type 65 19??-19?? 400 GPM Junior pumper
• Type 75 1915-1927 750 GPM 6 cyl Pumper - large number built
• Type 91 1927-1927 500 GPM Pumper - Buda-6 cycl. engine
• Type 92 1927-1927 600 GPM Pumper - Buda-6 cycl. engine
• Type 94 19??-19?? Service ladder truck, Buda-6 cycl.
• Type 96 19??-19?? Same as Type 94 but configured as a Quad
• Type 99 1927-1932 GMC Cosmopolitan, Buick 6-cyl. - see 100 series
• Type 500 1941-1946 Narrow cab and body design
• Type 600 1941-1946 Narrow cab and body design
• 100 Series 1926-1929 Metropolitan
• 200 Series 1929-1931 Master
• 300 Series 1931-1935 V-12 powered, 312A
• 400 Series 1933-1938 Junior 450/600/475 GPM
• 400 Series 1935-1940 Senior1000/1250/1500 pump-in-cowl design
• 500 Series 1938-1941 New enclosed streamlined design
• 600 Series 1941-1946 Improved 500 Series
• JO/JOX Series 1938-1946 mid-mount aerial ladder - Cab-ahead
• 700 Series 1947-1959 Cab-ahead-of-engine design
• 800 Series 1956-1958 Updated 700 Series (Pumpers only)
• 900 Series 1958-1974 New wide-cab design
• Pioneer I, II & III 1964-1978 Also Sparton I TCM flat-panel cab
• Pacemaker 1973-1976 TCM canopy cab-forward
• 1000 Series 1970-1974 Premium version of 900 Series
• Century Series 1974-1985 New wider cab
• Century 2000 1986-1994 Redesign by Kersey/ALF
• Patriot 1992-1994
• ALF Eagle 1996–2014 All-new custom chassis
• ALF Metropolitan 1999–2014 Entry-level custom chassis
• Freightliner Business Class, M2 2002–2014 Commercial chassis

Source: Wikipedia

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DeSoto

US, 1913 – 1916

DeSoto Motro Car Co, Auburn, Ind.

The DeSoto appears to have succeeded the Zimmerman. This was a large car with a 55hp, 6-cylinder engine, which was furnished with a compressed-air starter. The DeSoto model Six-55 five-seater touring car sold for $2185.

US, 1928 – 1960

Chrysler Motors Corp, Detroit, Mich.

The DeSoto was launched in 1928 as a 3.2-litre side valve six to compete with Oldsmobile, Pontiac and the cheaper Nashes. Styling and general design of the DeSoto were in line with the 1929 Chryslers, and at $885 for a DeSoto sedan 90.000 were sold in the first twelve months. A 3.4-litre straight-8 DeSoto on a 9ft 6in wheelbase was announced for 1930 as the world’s cheapest 8-cylinder car. However, DeSoto suffered badly in the Depression, and in 1932, when flexible rubber engine mountings and free wheels were made available, sales dropped to 26.000 DeSoto cars.
The DeSoto disappeared from the British market about this time, though certain ‘Chrysler’ models listed in England (the Mortlake, Croydon, and some of the Richmonds) were in fact DeSoto cars in all but name. A 6-cylinder version of Chrysler’s advanced unitary-construction Airflow, the SE-type with a 4-litre engine, was brought out in 1934, but was an unsuccessful as its bigger sister. Later DeSotos followed regular Chrysler lines closely though in later years there was a tendency for DeSoto to move into a higher price class than Dodge; by 1952 DeSotos started $300 higher than the companion make.
By 1939 the DeSoto cars for sale were being made with independent front suspension, hypoid back axles and column change. There was a choice at DeSoto of two 6-cylinder engines and three wheelbase lengths, the longest of these being reserved for seven-seater bodywork – DeSoto continued to offer a really roomy family car right up to 1954. A 4-speed semi-automatic Vacumatic transmission became an option in 1941, but DeSoto’s big post-war change of models did not take place until 1952, when the division followed Chrysler’s lead in adopting the oversquare ohv V8; the DeSoto version was of 4½-litre capcity and developed 16-bhp. With the advent of Chrysler’s ‘flight sweep’ styling in 1955, the side-valve sixes were dropped and the standard engine in a DeSoto was now a 4.8-litre eight, giving 185bhp in Firedome guise, and 200bhp in Fireflite form. Though this redesigning saved Chrysler sales generally, the slump in the medium-price class had an adverse effect on DeSoto and in 1959 the DeSoto division was merged with Plymouth. Last of the DeSotos were the 1961 models, unitary-construction cars with a choice of three engines: Plymouth’s 145bhp ohv ‘slant six’ as used in the Valiant, and V8s of 230 and 265bhp, the two former only in Canadian DeSotos. Production of DeSoto cars ceased in November 1960 after only a few had been delivered.

Source: Georgano, encyclopedia of motorcar; MCS
The information is written with the greatest of care. However, if you have any suggested amendments please contact us at office@prewarcar.com