Franklin

US, 1901 – 1934

(1) H.H. Franklin Mfg Co, Syracuse, N.Y., 1901 – 1917

(2) Franklin Automobile Co, Syracuse, N.Y., 1917 – 1934

Probably the world’s most successful air-cooled car before the advent of the Volkswagen, the Franklin inspired an intense make-loyalty. H.H. Franklin had founded a factory for the manufacture of die castings in 1895, and in 1901 he was introduced to John Wilkinson’s air-cooled designs by Messsrs Brown and lipe, later well known as manufacturers of proprietary transmissions. The New York Motor Co had already made three prototypes before the first Franklin car went on sale in 1902. These Franklin featured transversely-mounted 1.7-litre 4-cylinder air-cooled engines – the valves were overhead, with mechanically operated inlet valves from 1905 – float-feed carburetors, 2-speed planetary gearboxes, central change, full-elliptic suspension and the wooden frames which were to be standard on all Franklin cars up to the end of 1927. A push-on handbrake was used until 1906. Although a Franklin version with water-jacketed engine was projected, the Franklin company remained faithful to air-cooling until they closed down. Sales rose from 13 in 1902 to 184 in 1903, when wire wheels gave way to the wood artillery type, and in 1904 a Franklin broke the San Francisco-New York record. The transverse-engined Franklin cars were catalogued until the end of 1906, but from 1905 onwards new Franklin models with conventionally-located engines made their appearance. These had auxiliary exhaust valves, shaft drive, 3-speed sliding-type gearboxes and round bonnets modelled on the Delaunay-Belleville. A 4-cylinder Franklin sold for $1800, but there was also a 6-cylinder Franklin Model H with a 7-bearing crankshaft and a 9ft 6in wheelbase for $4.000: all subsequent 6-cylinder Franklin cars had seven main bearings. A straight-8 appeared without success in the 1905 Vanderbilt Cup Eliminating Trials. Franklin’s full-elliptic suspension was continued. This gave an excellent ride and resulted in tyre mileages in the region of 20.000: this is why the Franklin company was refusing to fit detachable rims as standard equipment as late as 1922. In 1907 an automatic advance-and-retard was fitted on the Franklin and in 1908 a gear-driven fan. The 1910 Franklin cars used a suction-driven sirocco fan incorporated in the flywheel. Smallest of the 1909 range was the 18hp Franklin Model G, a 2.3-litre 4-cylinder car with quadrant change sold at $1850. Selective change was used on the bigger Franklin fours and sixes which had oversquare cylinder dimensions and cost $2800 and $3750 respectively. With the 1912 Franklin models came a Renault-type bonnet and full pressure lubrication, and a 4-cylinder was still available at $2.000, or $1.500 less than the big 38.4hp 6-cylinder.

In 1914 only a 6-cylinder car, the ‘Franklin 6/30’, was offered, and Franklin fell into line with the rest of the American industry by going over to left-hand drive, central change and full electrical equipment. A year later aluminium pistons were adopted. A stunt drive by Franklin from Walla Walla, Washington, to San Francisco in bottom gear demonstrated the car’s ability to keep cool. The 1917 models had electric chokes, while imitators arose in the industry to try and cash in on Franklin’s success with air-cooling. One of these firms, Holmes, was headed by former vice-president of the Franklin Automobile Co. By the end of World War 1 a 6-cylinder Franklin could be bought for $2.050, reduced two years later to $2.000. 8.648 Franklin cars were sold in 1920. Late in 1922, came a redesigned Franklin car with a ‘horse-collar’ bonnet allegedly modelled on the Fiat, pressure air-cooling with frontal blower, unit gearbox, single dry-plate clutch, 6-volt instead of 12-volt electrics and detachable rims. Sales rose to 11.000 and the Franklin company which had pioneered series-production closed cars as early as 1913 was offering a Franklin sedan at $2.850. During 1925 the design was face-lifted once again and the De Causse-styled Franklin Series 11 introduced. Cylinder capacity remained a modest 3.3-litres, but appearance was entirely changed with a 9ft 11in wheelbase and a vertical-barred ‘radiator’. This revolutionary step so appalled John Wilkinson that he resigned from the Franklin company forthwith. Some of the semi-custom body styles – especially the boat-taled sports coupé at $3.150 – were remarkably attractive. Subsequently some excellent and expensive custom bodywork was designed for Franklin by such firms as Derham, Willoughby, Holbrook, and (especially) Dietrich. Over 13.000 Franklin Series 11s were sold between mid-1925 and the end of 1926, among those who favoured Franklins being Colonel Charles Lindbergh. Yet even the ‘Franklin 11B’ of 1927 retained the wooden frame, full-elliptic suspension and foot transmission brake. Front-wheel brakes did not arrive until the introduction of the 1928 3.9-litre Franklin Airman, which boasted internal-expanding Lockheed hydraulics at a time when the contracting type was generally favoured in America. In 1928 long-chassis models were given steel frames, standardized in 1929, and a standard sedan sold for £885 in England. All but the cheapest Franklin cars now had silent 2nd gearboxes. This was the period in which Dietrich introduced their delightful speedster (actually a 4-door convertible sedan) and a 4½-litre 6-cylinder Franklin engine actually took to the air in a Waco biplane. Prices were generally in the $2.200 - $3.500 range, with custom Franklin models running up to $7.200.

The 1930 Franklin Series 14 introduced a new radiator and side-blast cooling, an the elegant Pirate models had concealed running-boards as well. The unconventional, however, could no longer sell in America, and only 2.851 Franklin cars were delivered in 1931. In 1932 came synchromesh, free wheels and ‘Startix’ devices, as well as a magnificent Dietrich-styled 6.8-litre supercharged V12 (Franklin Series 17) on a 12ft wheelbase. Unfortunately this was re-engineered to incorporate proprietary axles and semi-elliptic suspension, and in production form it weighed nearer three tons than the two tons of the prototype. It combined elegance, 95mph, and 150bhp for $4.400, but few were sold, though a dratic price cut to $2.885 was made for 1933. The last new Franklin was the Franklin Olympic, an inexpensive 6-cylinder using a Franklin engine wedded to a REO chassis and body. The Franklin factory closed down in 1934. The patents were, however, taken over by the Air-Cooled Motors Corporation (now Franklin Engine Co.), whose Syracuse factory has specialized in light horizontally-opposed aircraft engines: a 6-cylinder Franklin helicopter engine, converted to water-cooling, powered the Tucker of 1947. 2-, 4-, and 6-cylinder untis up to 5.7 litres’ capacity were being produced in 1972.

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

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