Franklins "in the era" period photographs

[Walt G]

Hopefully some of you Franklin folk will dig through your stuff and find some period Franklin photos and share them with us here or even better also submit to the great  HHFC Air Cooled News magazine Editors Jeryl and Alex. The 1929 series 137 touring photo was taken outside of the USA, the 1931 Derham bodied brougham series 153 was taken in 1956, and the series 153 partial view I believe was taken in Syracuse. Lets get a photo thread going here like I did under the General Discussion topic on this AACA Forums  for "Period Photographs to relieve some of the stress" in March of this year. Had a few people look at that and help out by also contributing period photographs. Go look see.

Walt

[Olympic33]

There have been many many period pictures posted on the Facebook group "Franklin Automobile Enthusiasts".  I would encourage anyone interested in Franklin Automobiles and the Franklin company to join.

[3makes]

Not everyone wants to join the "Franklin Automobile Enthusiasts" group, but they still enjoy Franklin automobiles and the pictures should be posted here regardless.

[Walt G]

Olympic33 - I feel the more the merrier, period images should not be restricted to one venue for the public to see, many non Franklin collectors, enthusiasts view the AACA Forums and perhaps would be inspired to learn more about the cars and their history and uniqueness by seeing this here for a vast audience. I state this from my viewpoint as a former Franklin Club Director, Trek chairman, decades long contributor to the Air Cooled News and one of the group of friends when the Franklin company factory was being demolished decades ago was there to salvage ( with permission) a good quantity of the porcelain faced bricks from the outer factory walls to then bring back to sell at the Franklin club trek to raise $ for the club.

[Walt G]

[Walt G]

[PFitz]

A Town Sedan that never was. Also interesting that it lacks the typical landau bars of many Town Sedans.  At a first quick glance I thought it was a Club Sedan.

 

Paul

[BillDC]

I could create a 'Period Photos' section on the club website if folks could send me enough images of interest. Problem with FB is that the images are kind of a one time viewing option as they roll down and out of sight in relatively short time. The club website would be easier to browse. If you have a caption or story, even better. Send photos to the Gmail address: Rivendellracing or message me from this forum.

Cheers,

Bill Eby

[alsancle]

On 9/25/2020 at 5:39 PM, Olympic33 said:

There have been many many period pictures posted on the Facebook group "Franklin Automobile Enthusiasts".  I would encourage anyone interested in Franklin Automobiles and the Franklin company to join.

 

Facebook is a great format for blogging and showing off what you did yesterday but is horrible for the sort of conversational encyclopedia this forum creates.    I do not have a facebook account and never will, but will admit to rarely using my wife's to access some piece of information that was unfortunately only posted there.

[alsancle]

Hey Walt,

 

Franklin is one of the few makers where the drawings actually are pretty close to the actual cars.

[edinmass]

1 hour ago, alsancle said:

Hey Walt,

 

Franklin is one of the few makers where the drawings actually are pretty close to the actual cars.

I agree.....but the question is.........was it a good idea from a marketing standpoint. It’s a shame we don’t see more of them on the road and at the meets......they are a great car and not well understood.

Edited September 27, 2020 by edinmass (see edit history)

[alsancle]

[alsancle]

[Walt G]

Because it was a small company compared to many other "classic" era cars and also because the efficiency of air cooling ( no radiator) was not really appreciated even when new that is why you have never seen many. Aviators of the 1920s-30s loved them - owned them ( or several of them) . Lindbergh had two of them ( one he owned and one was a loaner from the Franklin company- he was a frequent sight at the Franklin Dealer on Columbus Circle in NY City driving his car to visit the dealer William Pase there - lots more first person details ( recollections of people that were there ! that I knew)  to that story but not to waste space here.  The 1930-34 era cars I can attest to can travel at 55mph+ all day long in 80+ degree heat for 6 plus hours or more up and down long grades with no issue. I drove my 1931 ( see the b & w photo taken in 1956 of that car above before I owned it) for nearly 50,000 miles. Great ride, very very easy to steer. In WWII era were of great value for scrap drives - huge amount of aluminum in the engine.

[Walt G]

[alsancle]

Walt, sort of like railroad guys buying a Stanley?

[Walt G]

A.J. YES! One of the fellows I met years /decades ago that became a good friend was a wonderful, nice, kinda quiet guy who lived in Ct. or Mass.  He had a 1926 Franklin series 11 , His name was Ed Granville. great to talk to , he mentioned he liked the Franklins and was around when they were new etc etc. He and his brothers built a few airplanes in the 1930s - The Granville Brothers - it dawned on me - Yikes - the Gee Bee racing airplanes! We had some very very interesting conversations - most people at the Franklin trek didn't get the connection of who he was. I wish I had a tape recorder with me in retrospect to get down what he told me. He never bragged about this so most people didn't know to be able to hear him tell of the airplanes. But he wanted and bought a Franklin ( for its connection to air cooling and airplanes of the pre war era) and went to the Franklin Club annual meet. He was truly inspiring - It was like I was in a "you are there" path to history when he told me he knew Charles Lindbergh, Frank Hawks etc. ( go watch the movie The Rocketeer to see what a Gee Bee racing plane was) I have to many memories of people I have encountered that became friends 40-50 years ago when I was in my youth and they were in their 70s, guess I should write this all down , or maybe I am here on the forums............................

WG

Edited September 27, 2020 by Walt G
proper spelling of name (see edit history)

[alsancle]

Cross posted from this thread:

 

[Walt G]

1931 series 153 Franklin Airman, body by Dietrich. Hard to tell but may be the convertible speedster where the top folds down. Car has a 132 inch wheelbase.

[PFitz]

1 hour ago, alsancle said:

Cross posted from this thread:

 

Captain Hawks on the left and his '31 Dietrich convertible Speedster. He  was another early aviation record setting pioneer. He and that car also appeared in other Franklin advertising pictures. 

 

And lets not forget that Amelia Earhart had two Franklins. A '31 Series 153 Convertible Coupe- also used in Franklin ads, and later a V-12 Sedan. 

 

Paul

[PFitz]

May not  be a picture of Amelia's, but the same model as her '31 Series 153 Convertible Coupe. Note the Autogyro as a nod to one of her early records. 

Edited September 27, 2020 by PFitz (see edit history)

[PFitz]

Two '30 Series 147 Roadsters. Maybe Walt knows the details of where they are ?

 

One with the Motor Wheel Corp. demountable wood wheels in what is likely "natural" varnished finish. The other with Motor Wheel wire wheels. 

 

Both appear to be later '30, after the change to the smaller fender parking lights about 1/4 way through production.

 

Paul

Edited September 27, 2020 by PFitz (see edit history)

[Walt G]

I will have to do further research but I believe ( from memory) that the wood wheel equipped car was photographed in California, perhaps San Francisco.

the wire wheel version was without doubt photographed in Europe, perhaps at the Paris Salon ( annual motor show) . Note just behind the roadster's  rear tail a Deauville sedan which was a custom body offering that started in 1929. This roadster has Marchal headlamps on it as well, and tires of European manufacture. On display behind the hood of the car is a "show" display engine, has all kinds of plated and highly polished parts.

[f147pu]

8 hours ago, Walt G said:

A.J. YES! One of the fellows I met years /decades ago that became a good friend was a wonderful, nice, kinda quiet guy who lived in Ct. or Mass.  He had a 1926 Franklin series 11 , His name was Ed Granville. great to talk to , he mentioned he liked the Franklins and was around when they were new etc etc. He and his brothers built a few airplanes in the 1930s - The Granville Brothers - it dawned on me - Yikes - the Gee Bee racing airplanes! We had some very very interesting conversations - most people at the Franklin trek didn't get the connection of who he was. I wish I had a tape recorder with me in retrospect to get down what he told me. He never bragged about this so most people didn't know to be able to hear him tell of the airplanes. But he wanted and bought a Franklin ( for its connection to air cooling and airplanes of the pre war era) and went to the Franklin Club annual meet. He was truly inspiring - It was like I was in a "you are there" path to history when he told me he knew Charles Lindbergh, Frank Hawks etc. ( go watch the movie The Rocketeer to see what a Gee Bee racing plane was) I have to many memories of people I have encountered that became friends 40-50 years ago when I was in my youth and they were in their 70s, guess I should write this all down , or maybe I am here on the forums............................

WG

Ed Granville lived in Vernon CT, where I live and go by his home frequently as it is  about a mile from mine.  Decades ago I bought something at a tag sale there not knowing at the time who was holding it and of course now don't remember what it was.  He is listed in the '73 Roster and his car, an 11-B coupe, was yellow with black roof and is now in Oregon.

[Walt G]

Thanks for the information/comment Gordon, I remember he had the 11-B coupe at the Trek at least once. Ed Granville was a super nice guy as I mentioned, very soft spoken, low key etc.

[hook]

Walt, this isn't a period photo back in the day, if were talking 1930's. But it does show a still working Franklin in the 1960's. Don't ya just love those headlights? This is the 1931 153 Club Sedan that Frank Hantak restored, before he got it. My car now.

Bill

[PFitz]

Bill, If there was ever a Franklin that could look like it just saw a ghost,... those headlights do it. 😆

 

Paul

[Walt G]

Hummmmm most interesting, never saw that photo before - I believe I sold Frank an original  headlamp glass for his 153 when he was restoring it and delivered it to him at the trek because we didn't want it broken in shipment!

Walt

[hook]

What I found most interesting is the cowl lights..................what cowl lights? I thought all 153's came with cowl lights. Of course Frank installed a pair.

[Bob Cornman]

This is a photo of my '08 Model G prior to restoration in the late 1950's.  I believe the photo was taken at Wendlings Restoration Shop in Macungie, Pa.

[Olympic33]

Isn't that interesting...this is my Olympic coupe being restored at Wendling's also.

[hook]

I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings. But, Franklins were neat to raise hell in also. This picture was taken on a maze of dirt roads near the Nanticoke river in 1973. I had just brought it to Delaware from Beaver Falls, PA. I met George Boyer shortly after that and he let me use his green Olympic. I never told him how I treated my Franklin.

[hook]

Reply to Bob & Olympic33. Looks like by the window and conduits on the wall that the 08 and Olympic were in the approximate same place in the garage. Of course a new door was added. and a few years past by. 

[Walt G]

I believe it was the Wendlings that in the late 1940s "restored" the series 153 Derham bodied brougham I later owned and did a frame up restoration on. The first "restoration" was an enamel paint job and a plastic roof covering to replace the dried out original one. The Wendlings also restored George Boyer's 1935 Packard std 8 phaeton.

[John_Mereness]

On 9/26/2020 at 9:57 AM, Walt G said:

 

Interesting, a little long in the tail - not sure they ever made such a thing. 

[pughs]

Here are some interesting photos that I believe were personal photos of Ralph Hamlin. They are about 11 x 14 so my scanner might not have gotten it all.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited September 29, 2020 by pughs (see edit history)

[f147pu]

6 hours ago, John_Mereness said:

Interesting, a little long in the tail - not sure they ever made such a thing. 

There is one in The Register

[PFitz]

12 hours ago, f147pu said:

There is one in The Register

I've looked in the two most recent Registers and can't find a listing of any Series 153  "Town Sedan". The only Town Sedans are Series 151. And, the Series 15 Operators manual does not list a "Town Sedan" in Series 153 either, so can't search by body code number.  Just some  as "Town Cars" - typically a division window limo with a Chauffeur top like Tom Hubbard's. 

 

Since the artist drawing Walt posted does not have the typical Town Sedan landau bars, I wonder if the title could be a typo ???? 

 

Paul 

Edited September 30, 2020 by PFitz (see edit history)

[mikewest]

My dad bought this Franklin in 1958 at the Watkins Glen Concurs D Elegance during the Grand Prix race week for $350.00 with 6 good tires and a new Duco Black Cherry paint job. He sold the car in 1968 to a local electrician in our home town. I was always after him to buy the car back but it was always NFS. I opened  a beer joint  in 1981 in Livonia and Buck was a good customer.  Still not for sale even though the ca=r sat in a warehouse with flat tires and dirty. In March of 1983 he walked in , ordered a Bud and said "Michael- today is the day!" We agreed quickly on the price and it was all history after that. I married in 1983 , my new wife had a Chevrolet  with a GMAC loan 127.00 a month. We drove the car to Florida and when we got back I took it to a wholesale auction house for dealers only and sold the car. It netted  enough cash to pay off the loan. I had a Ford F250 truck and the new Mrs West drove the Franklin daily  for her only transportation for 4 months. Thats our first baby girl strapped in the jump seat in the rear. 

I still own the Franklin and I am still married to Mrs West. Both are keepers....

[mikewest]

This is a 1932 Franklin convertible I bought about 20 or so years ago and still own.  The car was at one of the first Treks if not the first. It was owned by a past Franklin employee secretary and employee of Air Cooled Motors. Hank Manwell told me when he was a young man walking to school he would see the car parked  in front of the ladys home. Its most interesting owner was Pat Ballard . He was a song writer and composer , a promotional man ..... His uncle said Pat was a gambler , drinker and  a womanizer,  His  daddy owned  2 jewelry  stores in Penn.  Pat would use the car with the lady  singers call the Chordettes. The big song that gave Pat fame and fortune was "Mr Sandman" released in 1954. Pat owned this Franklin then and shows him beside it in a letter to Tom Hubbard. 

Sadly , all the booze,gambling and chasing ladies killed him prematurely.