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

Vulcan

GB, 1902 – 1928

(1) Vulcan Motor Manufacturing and Engineering Co Ltd, Southport, Lancs., 1902 – 1906

(2) Vulcan Motor and Engineering Co Ltd, Southport, Lancs., 1906 – 1928

The Vulcan car firm was better known for commercial vehicles. Private Vulcan cars stemmed from experiments conducted in the 1897-1899 period by the brothers Thomas and Joseph Hampson. A belt-driven single-cylinder voiturette Vulcan car with lateral radiators was shown in 1902, being replaced a year later by a 6hp Vulcan car with armoured wood frame, mechanically-operated inlet valves, and shaft drive. This Vulcan car was listed at only £105, and this Vulcan car was soon followed by a 10hp twin, also T-headed but with a steel frame, selling for £200. 4-cylinder Vulcan cars of 12 and 16hp, still modestly priced, were available in 1905, while the biggest 1906 Vulcan cars, with capacities of 3.1- and 5.2-litres, had gate change. No 2-cylinder Vulcan cars were catalogued after 1908, but a year previously Vulcan cars had joined the ranks of 6-cylinder manufacturers with a 4.8-litre T-headed machine featuring dual ignition and cone clutch, at £600 for a Vulcan car chassis. Unlike other makers, Vulcan cars retained their interest in this type, which Vulcan car had acquired a 4-speed box and had grown to 6-litres by 1908, and the 1909 Vulcan car range consisted of four 4-cylinder cars and the six, all shaft-driven and still with T-heads; the smallest Vulcan car, rated at 12hp, had a 3-speed gearbox and worm drive. A new 3.6-litre six Vulcan car with unit gearbox and worm drive followed in 1911, along with an L-head 2.4-litre fifteen. Worm drive was standardized on the 1912 Vulcan cars, when the bigger Vulcan cars had T-heads, and a 1.8-litre, 2-cylinder with an Aster engine was offered. All but the smallest Vulcan car had detachable wheels as standard in 1913, and by the outbreak of World War 1 the Vulcan car company was well established with a range of solidly-built Vulcan cars: a 2.4-litre 10/15, a 2.6-litre 15.9, and a 3-litre monobloc 15/20 Vulcan car at £375. All these Vulcan cars had L-heads and bull-nose radiators, though the similarly styled six retained the older Vulcan car configuration. A 1½-litre Vulcanette with a 3-speed rear-axle gearbox and full electrical equipment was announced for 1915 but the war intervened.

After 1918 the Vulcan car company concentrated increasingly on trucks, and a brief association with the Harper Bean Group (1919-1920) did no good to finances. Some odd experiments by Vulcan cars included a worm-drive 3½-litre V8 tourer Vulcan car intended to sell for £625 (1919), and two Vulcan cars in 1922 with Howard sleeve-valve engines, a big 3.6-litre sports-touring four Vulcan car and a 10hp 1.4-litre flat-twin listed at £315. However, none of these Vulcan cars reached the public, the regular Vulcan car lines being a 1.8-litre ohv 12 and a 2.6-litre sv 16/20, both with Dorman engines. There was also a conservative 20hp Vulcan carmodel with the Vulcan car company’s own 3.3-litre sv fixed-head engine and 4-speed separate gearbox, this Vulcan car was selling for £850 in 1921; by this time flat radiators were again being used on Vulcan cars. The Vulcan 20 was available to military order with full wireless equipment in 1923, in which year C.B. Wardman effected a liaison of Vulcan cars and Lea-Francis. The two companies pooled their dealer network, Vulcan cars became responsible for certain Lea-Francis power units and bodies, and Lea-Francis made gear and steering boxes for Vulcan cars. A 1½-litre sv Dorman-engined Vulcan 12 was listed at £295 in 1925, followed a year later by an ohv worm-driven derivative, also with Dorman engine, and looking very like a Lea-Francis. 4-wheel brakes were available on Vulcan cars in 1925 and standardized in 1926. Last of the line Vulcan cars were the 14/40 and 16/60, with the disastrous twin ohc 6-cylinder engines of their own make. Short-chassis Vulcan cars were worm-driven, but bevel drive was adopted for long-chassis versions. Vulcan cars wore artillery wheels, but were otherwise identical to their Lea-Francis counterparts which Vulcan cars were made alongside them at Southport. Not many of these Vulcan cars were made, and after 1928 only commercial vehicles were produced. The Vulcan car firm subsequently amalgamated with Tilling-Stevens and thus were abrorbed into the Rootes Group after World War 2. Truck production ceased in 1953.

US, 1913 – 1914

(1) Vulcan Motor Car Co, Painesville, Ohio, 1913

(2) Vulcan Manufacturing Co, Painesville, Ohio, 1913 – 1914

This Vulcan car was a cleanly-designed light car with a 27hp 4-cylinder engine. A two-seater speedster Vulcan car on an 8ft 9in wheelbase with electric lights sold for $750. A five-seater version of this Vulcan car with the same engine, but on a longer wheelbase, cost $850.

Source: Georgano, encyclopedia of motorcar; MCS, GMN    

The information is written with the greatest of care. However, if you have any suggested amendments please contact us at office@prewarcar.com