The Early Orphan Makes -What do you have?

[pkhammer]

I do like Franklins!!!

[oldcarfudd]

Here's my current orphan.  There's a reason they don't make them any more!

[wayne sheldon]

1 hour ago, Laura S said:

My 1931 Franklin model 151 4 door and my 1927 Franklin model 11b sport coupe boat tail.

 

 

I recall, many many years ago, there being a couple Franklin coupes painted that color! I wonder, was that a color Franklin offered on the coupes?

 

Beautiful car regardless!

[wayne sheldon]

The split page quote post fooled me!

Edited November 1, 2021 by wayne sheldon
Didn't want to waste server space w/ doubled post error. (see edit history)

[PFindlay]

My dad was interested in all vintage cars but he had a particular like for orphan makes.  After he passed I ended up with three of his orphans.

 

Dad bought my 1927 Auburn in 1961.  The original owner drove it until 1934 but was out of work by then and couldn't afford tires.  He put the car up on blocks in the garage and it sat there until dad managed to persuade him to sell it.  Since then it's been the family car for tours, weddings, community events and quite a few movies and TV shows.  It appeared a few weeks ago in "DC Legends of Tomorrow" (season 7).

 

 

In 1980, dad found a 1912 REO at the Portland, OR, swap meet.  He knew it was identical to the first car that ever drove across Canada so he bought it and began planning for the day he'd do the same.  That came in 1997 when he, mom, and I drove it from Halifax to Victoria, following the route and calendar of the 1912 trip as closely as possible.  

 

Our REO was sold new to John McKee in Amity, Oregon.  I have recently managed to contact family members to get the whole story, including photos.  The car was put in the barn in 1925 and remained there until the early 1970s.  However, John McKee Jr. always cared for it, cleaning it off and firing it up regularly through those years.  It's a great car and will also show up in DC Legends of Tomorrow later this season.

 

 

The third orphan I got from dad was a 1935 DeSoto Airflow.  I sold it last year and ended up getting a 1940 Oldsmobile (another orphan) as a COVID project.  Once it was on the road I sold it and moved on to a very obscure orphan - a Russell.  More about that in the next post.

Edited November 3, 2021 by PFindlay (see edit history)

[PFindlay]

I have two Russell cars.  The first is a 1910 Russell-Knight and the other is a 1915 Russell.  Russells were made in Toronto by Canada Cycle & Motor Co (CCM) until 1911, when they formed the Russell Motor Car Company.  Although their production numbers were small they were a successful Canadian car company, building luxury cars that were favoured by many wealthy businessmen and politicians.  The last Russells were produced in 1916.  At that time, Willys bought the company and their factories in order to get their Knight licence and produce Willys-Knights in Canada.

 

My 1910 Russell has a Daimler Knight engine in it.  It was originally purchased by Mr. Peter McLaren of Perth, Ontario for $3500.  McLaren was a very wealthy lumber baron and a Canadian Senator.  The car ended up in a barn, probably in the early 1920s, and stayed there until it was purchased by three cousins in 1948.  The price was $100.  In the 1950s it ended up in the San Diego area and was owned by E.R. Bourne, then Hayden Taliaferro, before coming back to Canada in 2001.

 

This is the only known 1910 Russell-Knight in existence. They made about 100.  It's a spectacular car and a great runner.  It received new paint and top in 1960 but is otherwise original.

 

 

My 1915 Russell represents one of the final models the company made.  By this time they were trying to get into the mid-price market with this car selling for $1750.  It has a six cylinder Continental 6N engine with Bijur and Connecticut electrics.  With Canada's involvement in WW1, Russell switched over to arms production and that's when Willys came knocking.  A small number of 1916 models was the end of the line.  Like my 1910, this car may be the last remaining example of its model.  I have seen references to another but have not been able to determine its status.  My car came from Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, and was restored in the 1980s.

 

 

For more information on Russell cars, visit my website:  https://russellcars.ca

 

 

 

 

[PFindlay]

And I wouldn't want to neglect my orphan motorcycle - a 1913 Henderson.  

 

Tom and Will Henderson began building motorcycles in Detroit in 1912.  The brothers had excellent heritage and training - their grandfather was Alexander Winton and their father was a Winton company president.  When they decided to build a motorcycle they built it like a two wheeled car - 4 cylinder F-head engine, Bosch DU4 magneto, Schebler carb, crank start,  and chain drive (instead of a belt).   NOTE: There is no connection between Henderson motorcycles and Henderson cars of the same era.

 

Hendersons have a legendary history in the motorcycle world.  In 1913 a Henderson became the first motorcycle to circle the globe.  In 1917 the company was bought by the Schwinn company of Chicago, makers of Excelsior motorcycles.  Through the 1920s four cylinder Hendersons were much sought after for their speed and smoothness.  Many saw service with police forces around the country.

 

One day in 1931, Ignaz Schwinn announced that motorcycle production would cease immediately and that was the end for both Henderson and Excelsior.  The company would continue to produce bicycles.

 

Edited November 3, 2021 by PFindlay (see edit history)

[Laura S]

8 hours ago, pkhammer said:

I do like Franklins!!!

Me too !

[Laura S]

7 hours ago, wayne sheldon said:

 

 

I recall, many many years ago, there being a couple Franklin coupes painted that color! I wonder, was that a color Franklin offered on the coupes?

 

Beautiful car regardless!

Yes that is the original color. It is called cream. It was restored by Tom Hubbard for Harrah In 1966. 

[wayne sheldon]

I believe that car was pictured on the front cover of I think "Antique Automobile" magazine about 1970. At some point, somewhere, I saw a photo of two Franklin coupes, at least one being a boat-tail coupe. But that was a long time ago. 

Beautiful car! 

[Mark Wetherbee]

I shared this car a few days ago, but does anyone else have the compulsion to stop in front of old gas stations and take a picture? This Pure Oil gas station is in Wilmington NC but it is a tattoo business now…

[Walt G]

That cream color on the boat tail series 11 coupe was found primarily on the boat tail body style. You would not have seen it on a sedan of any capacity, victoria brougham or even a touring car when new. It came to be in that point in automotive history that the black fender color that 99% of all cars had was challenged to receive body color to get the whole image of the car to harmonize as a unit, not have a body sit on top of a platform look. This was promoted especially by J. Frank deCausse the designer of the series 11 cars who was a highly regarded auto stylist with ties to Europe , and he was an independent designer who for many years worked for Locomobile . Look at the styling of the Locomobile touring cars regarding body and hood flow ,windshield etc and compare to the 1925-27 series 11 Franklin.  Same school of thought from the same designer. That is a whole story in itself . I did a biography on de Cause decades ago that was published in Automobile Quarterly magazine.

The harmony between body and fender color really started to emerge by mid 1931 for the 1932 cars introduced in the Fall of 1931 at the annual auto shows , Graham and Reo were pioneers to do that for production vehicles.  Will stop here, this is turning into an article/story , so much more to the development of that how color and styling evolved at the same time.

Walt

Edited November 1, 2021 by Walt G (see edit history)

[Robert G. Smits]

11 hours ago, PFindlay said:

And I wouldn't want to neglect my orphan motorcycle - a 1913 Henderson.

Thank you for sharing your orphans.  What a wonderful collection.  

[Chris Paulsen]

We've got a few orphans in the family collection. Here are our 1910 Auburn and 1911 Paige-Detroit. The Auburn photo is from a couple years ago, when we first acquired it. We're now getting close to completing the restoration. The P-D is a great original, unrestored car which runs well. 

 

[Chris Paulsen]

And one more… here’s our 1904 Sommer. 

[Laura S]

10 hours ago, wayne sheldon said:

I believe that car was pictured on the front cover of I think "Antique Automobile" magazine about 1970. At some point, somewhere, I saw a photo of two Franklin coupes, at least one being a boat-tail coupe. But that was a long time ago. 

Beautiful car! 

Yes that is correct. A little while after that Harrah found wire wheels and installed them. The other car sits in the Franklin automobile collection in Arizona. There are only 4 sport coupes left. There are many roadsters left .

[Laura S]

10 hours ago, wayne sheldon said:

I believe that car was pictured on the front cover of I think "Antique Automobile" magazine about 1970. At some point, somewhere, I saw a photo of two Franklin coupes, at least one being a boat-tail coupe. But that was a long time ago. 

Beautiful car! 

Thank you 

[wayne sheldon]

7 hours ago, Walt G said:

The harmony between body and fender color really started to emerge by mid 1931 for the 1932 cars introduced in the Fall of 1931 at the annual auto shows , Graham and Reo were pioneers to do that for production vehicles.  Will stop here, this is turning into an article/story , so much more to the development of that how color and styling evolved at the same time.

 

The 1929 Reo Master coupe I had many years ago, and even drove to high school, had been repainted all blue probably during the 1950s. However, visible in numerous places underneath that blue, the body, imitation leather top, and fenders were all green! The previous owner had had Harrah's Research Library copy original sales literature which confirmed that the green body and fenders were correct for that model coupe when it was new.

That particular 1929 model car was manufactured late in calendar year 1928. Not very many significant number production cars had a singular color that early. Other than all black of course.

[KLF]

I've had my 1912 Oakland 40 since 1979. It was a difficult restoration that was finished in 1987. Since then I've toured it for over 20,000 miles. It's a good reliable runner that has only once let me down on tour.

 

 

 

My other orphan car is a 1914 Premier Z2 Touring. It's a 6 cyl 415 cu.in. T head that I've had for the last 4 years. Not too many Premiers around. I have only found one other 1914. Great car to drive with lots of power.

Ken

 

 

 

[Billy Kingsley]

I don't have an orphan car but this is one of my favorite threads I've read since joining this forum. 

I love the obscure and oddball stuff and have made it a lifelong quest to see and photograph as many different brands as possible. I'm at over 200 brands already despite only shooting pictures since 2003. There are several posted here in this thread that I've not only never seen in person, I didn't even know existed!  

 

Just wanted to share my appreciation.

[8E45E]

I've always owned a Studebaker, but none are 'early' enough to be posted here.

 

One early orphan of interest to me is the Russell, which was a 100% Canadian car manufacturer with its own engineering, design, and manufacturing departments, although they did build the Knight sleeve-valve engine under licence for use in some of their cars.

 

https://forum.studebakerdriversclub.com/forum/your-studebaker-forum/stove-huggers-the-non-studebaker-forum/53073-orphan-of-the-day-06-06-1907-russell-touring

 

https://forum.studebakerdriversclub.com/forum/your-studebaker-forum/stove-huggers-the-non-studebaker-forum/55191-orphan-of-the-day-08-22-1913-russell-knight

 

Craig

[ericmac]

I have owned several including three Nashes, a 46, and a 47 600, and a 54 Ambassador. I've had two 1929 Franklin 137s, a 1972 AMC Matador,  a 1967 Checker Marathon and a 1977 Pontiac Ventura. Currently I don't have any but I'm working on it!

[nzcarnerd]

It depends on your interpretation of 'early' but Pontiac is now an orphan and 1926 was their first year. This 1926 Pontiac was one of about 200 imported to NZ - and one of only handful of survivors.  It is one of a pair of bare chassis I bought in the 1980s with the thought of turning it into a speedster. One is a very early one which the chassis plate tells me was imported as a complete car - the body is long gone but some rusty panels are with it. The one in the photo was locally assembled  - the chassis plate is hand stamped - number begins XPH*** -  but only the mechanicals have survived.

 

In 2011 my boys wanted something to drive around the farm so we dragged the Pontiac out and got it running. It has since been used most years for off-road trials and grass gymkhana events.   All of its internals are factory original as far as we can tell. It is getting tired now and will need rings soon.

 

This was taken a couple of months ago, son driving at the trial, losing control on the downhill and knocking over a marker peg. Later in the day the car 'failed to proceed' and it was found to have a broken axle. Inspection showed the axle to be an aftermarket replacement. We have a spare one, just have to fit it in time for next year's event.

 

 

The other is me at the gymkhana in 2016 - about the only year it has been dusty.

[Michigan Farmer]

An unrestored 1933 Graham. An Amos Northup design.

[8E45E]

Nice barn find!  

 

Appears it MUST have been stored inside since it was parked.  No sign of roof leaks, and it does have those rather rare vent wings.

 

Craig

[Fargoguy]

On 10/31/2021 at 9:41 PM, PFindlay said:

I have two Russell cars.  The first is a 1910 Russell-Knight and the other is a 1915 Russell.  Russells were made in Toronto by Canada Cycle & Motor Co (CCM) until 1911, when they formed the Russell Motor Car Company.  Although their production numbers were small they were a successful Canadian car company, building luxury cars that were favoured by many wealthy businessmen and politicians.  The last Russells were produced in 1916.  At that time, Willys bought the company and their factories in order to get their Knight licence and produce Willys-Knights in Canada.

 

My 1910 Russell has a Daimler Knight engine in it.  It was originally purchased by Mr. Peter McLaren of Perth, Ontario for $3500.  McLaren was a very wealthy lumber baron and a Canadian Senator.  The car ended up in a barn, probably in the early 1920s, and stayed there until it was purchased by three cousins in 1948.  The price was $100.  In the 1950s it ended up in the San Diego area and was owned by E.R. Bourne, then Hayden Taliaferro, before coming back to Canada in 2001.

 

This is the only known 1910 Russell-Knight in existence. They made about 100.  It's a spectacular car and a great runner.  It received new paint and top in 1960 but is otherwise original.

 

 

My 1915 Russell represents one of the final models the company made.  By this time they were trying to get into the mid-price market with this car selling for $1750.  It has a six cylinder Continental 6N engine with Bijur and Connecticut electrics.  With Canada's involvement in WW1, Russell switched over to arms production and that's when Willys came knocking.  A small number of 1916 models was the end of the line.  Like my 1910, this car may be the last remaining example of its model.  I have seen references to another but have not been able to determine its status.  My car came from Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, and was restored in the 1980s.

 

 

For more information on Russell cars, visit my website:  https://russellcars.ca

 

 

 

 

I played in that Russell touring as a kid!! Glad to see it in the road!

[Fargoguy]

Does my 1929 Sterling count? Also a couple of other orphan trucks in the family:

 

[hook]

My 1931 Franklin 153 Club Sedan

[Tim Crowder]

Being a native Virginian, my favorite orphan automobile has to be the 1918 Kline Kar that I owned and rebuilt over a ten year period. This car is now being completed and prepared for a permanent display at the Virginia Museum of History and Culture in Richmond.
Preserving the history of these automobiles is just as important as preserving the vehicles themselves. I’m working on a book to document the history of the Kline Kar Company and the Kline Motor Car Company from its beginnings in Pennsylvania to its final days in Richmond. I’ve got a large collection of Kline memorabilia, factory photos, catalogs, personal items from James Kline, etc. many of which came from the Kline family.

[hook]

My un-restored 1957 Austin Healey 100-6

[31nash880]

Found a 1931 Nash 880 last year in an old garage. Had neen there 20 years. Had moved from California to North Carolina in 1971. Hard to find info. Finding strange things that do not match others. Has 6 bolt wheels on 6 inch pattern . Cannot find where Nash used this. Also is short wheel based at 121 inches. Looks to have been a blue car with black femders but got painted army green at one point. Straight 8 twin ignition with down draft carb. May have original interior. Is it rare? Does it have value?

[John_S_in_Penna]

On 11/11/2021 at 4:11 PM, 31nash880 said:

Found a 1931 Nash 880...Is it rare?  Does it have value?

 

If you start a new, separate topic about your Nash,

you will probably get some good answers.  Use the

main "General Discussion" category, where it will be noticed.

 

Your title should be something specific, such as,

"Bought a 1931 Nash 880.  Is it rare?  Does it have value?"

 

All the best to you in enjoying your new old car!

 

Edited November 14, 2021 by John_S_in_Penna (see edit history)