J. Frank De Causse- Franklin custom coachwork 1926

[Walt G]

James Frank de Causse was a stylist/designer based in NY City who worked for Locomobile ( he designed the first dual cowl phaeton) and Franklin. I did a in depth story on his life for Automobile Quarterly some years ago but thought he was worth a mention again here. ( no room in AACA magazine nor ACN) "Frank" de Causse ( you never called him James) was of French decent  and was well respected by the younger designers in the 1920s like Tom Hibbard and Ray Dietrich. I was told by Tom Hibbard that de Causse was not the type you asked to have a beer with at the local saloon with after work- huge class difference then , when young guys would not dare talk to older guys unless the older gents spoke first in starting a conversation about their common trade. The 1926 NY custom body salons were held every year in November and in 1926 de Causse took the half page ad you see here and Franklin in the same souvenir program took a page ad of his latest design. The Tandem Sport sedan had a really low roof line compared to any other car on the market and the front windshield and door pillars were very slim as well when compared to the other cars. The Tandem sedan also saw at least one go to Europe and I have a period photo of one in England. Very unusual to see a custom bodied Franklin be shipped to Europe for publicity and eventual sale.

[Terry Harper]

Thank you Walt.  I couldn't resit finding some photos of a surviving Tandem Sport - t least I think its a Tandem Sport -  but it has rear quarter windows where as the illustration above does not? Anyway, that low and seemingly delicate roof structure really is wonderful as well as the use of light color to frame the windows to keep the impression of light and openness and reinforce the low appearance. As you have stated before - styled by one man from bumper to bumper. What I don't see in this example is the pin striping and of course dark fenders as opposed to light - still wonderful!

 

 

Edited November 27, 2022 by Terry Harper (see edit history)

[Walt G]

The rear quarter windows were added at the request of the purchaser - when new not within the past 60 years. The series 11 Franklins had miles ( no exaggeration in using those words) of pin striping I am guessing when the car you picture was restored the cost ( and the skill to have it done correctly) was prohibitive to the current day owner.

The headlamps and hood front ( not a radiator shell) on these cars are outstanding made of brass . Also a de Causse design. Headlamp lens have a tendency to turn purple with age - even more charming! I have an original shell like you see here that I need to polish this winter ( yet another project 🙃 ) so it can  be hung on a wall to look at  . The original nickel plate is near perfect so I have to be gentle in the polishing and not be overly aggressive. Now if I can stay away from these forums for a while I can get some work done....

[Rusty_OToole]

"a car you will ache to own" Franklin's copywriter had a way with words. I recall another Franklin ad on a Western theme showing a 49er panning for gold with the caption "opening a new vein of public favor". In these safety conscious days I can't see a car ad talking about aching or opening a vein.

[1937hd45]

Walt, How was the "New Look" of Franklin received back in the day, guess the Renault style hood had served it well, and the world needed a Lyon radiator cap. 

[Rusty_OToole]

5 minutes ago, 1937hd45 said:

Walt, How was the "New Look" of Franklin received back in the day, guess the Renault style hood had served it well, and the world needed a Lyon radiator cap. 

It was controversial within the company.  Some thought the old look was obsolete and out of date, and was holding the company back when it came to sales. While engineering did not like the new look, thinking it was phony and wrong to ape the look of water cooled cars. Maybe what they needed was a new look but on distinctive lines, possibly on an aircraft theme.

[1937hd45]

Was the pinstriping applied by a team or one guy? It had to be a costly part of production, looks great when done properly today. 

[Walt G]

Bob,

the totally new series 11 Franklin was a shock to the dealers - appearance change was brought on by the largest Franklin dealer threatening to drop the make entirely if they didn't start building a conventional looking car). This was Ralph Hamlin in Ca. He had the entire state with his dealerships especially in southern Ca. He was active in seeing the auto shows/salons go on there in LA in the car dealers association ( have the period catalog on that too - maybe another topic for here!?). He raced Franklins in the desert there in the WWI era. He had Murphy coach builders design a car and Franklin in Syracuse hired  de Causse, the de Causse design won .

The totally new , bumper to bumper car designed by one person - everything - went over very very well .

I believe the pin striping was applied by one guy or perhaps one guy on each side of the car so they wouldn't get in each others way and could get the cars out the door faster. . All applied by a brush ! use of a hand rest to steady ones arm. In my art training I went out of my way to attempt pin striping by hand , one of my former students Father had a business in Richmond Hill Queens who did hand striping ( no use of striping tape) Indeed a art to put it mildly. I can pin stripe wood wheels but have not done so in a loooong time.

Walt

[Terry Harper]

21 minutes ago, Walt G said:

...He raced Franklins in the desert there in the WWI era. He had Murphy coach builders design a car and Franklin in Syracuse hired  de Causse, the de Causse design won.

 

Walt, do any photos or illustrations exist of the Murphy designed alternative?

[zepher]

Franklins were always a wonderfully designed car even after they adopted the conventional looking front end.

Especially when they used the large Orion headlights.

[Walt G]

Terry, yes one or two photos of the Murphy designed and built alternative exist, will try to look that up and  Zephyr the Ryan headlamps were used for the larger series ( wheelbase and engine) 13 Franklins in 1929 only.

Walt

[Rusty_OToole]

You can still get pinstriping done the old fashioned way. There are specialists in the custom car and hot rod world. An experienced striper can lay down lines  quickly. In fact it is easier to draw a good line quickly than slowly. Given the slow pace of Franklin production one man could easily have kept up. In the twenties and thirties even low priced cars like Chevrolet had pinstripes although, they were a single line running from front to back that did not take long to do.

 

In this video we see a striper lay down a line the full length of a Rolls Royce, about 20 feet, in a little over 30 seconds.

 

 

Edited November 28, 2022 by Rusty_OToole (see edit history)

[Dave39MD]

2 hours ago, Rusty_OToole said:

low priced cars like Chevrolet had pinstripes although, they were a single line running from front to back

My 31 Chevrolet has double pinstriping and many other Chevies of that time period had it as well.

[1937hd45]

9 hours ago, Rusty_OToole said:

 

 

In this video we see a striper lay down a line the full length of a Rolls Royce, about 20 feet, in a little over 30 seconds.

 

 

Only took him a lifetime to perfect his skill, hope they paid him and didn't bitch about it. Bob 

[alsancle]

Just now, 1937hd45 said:

Only took him a lifetime to perfect his skill, hope they paid him and didn't bitch about it. Bob 

 

The guy we had for decades was actually an alcoholic.  The only time his hands didn't shake was when he was laying a pinstripe down.  It was unbelievable.

[1937hd45]

22 minutes ago, alsancle said:

 

The guy we had for decades was actually an alcoholic.  The only time his hands didn't shake was when he was laying a pinstripe down.  It was unbelievable.

Wow! You knew Von Dutch?

[TAKerry]

There was a young lady at the AACA show this past summer demonstrating striping techniques. She did a great job. Yes I have seen people do it 'live' and for the most part it is a fairly quick process.

 

AJ, I knew a brick mason just like that. He was fine and did phenomenal work whilst sauced or partly so. When he started to dry out he got the shakes and had to leave work. Usually early in the afternoon. 

 

Not sure if it was on this forum but I saw a post about a 70's era Caddy being pinstriped by hand. There was a large wooden template that hung along the side of the car that the artist followed. A guy on each side. 

[Larry Schramm]

29 minutes ago, TAKerry said:

Not sure if it was on this forum but I saw a post about a 70's era Caddy being pinstriped by hand. There was a large wooden template that hung along the side of the car that the artist followed. A guy on each side. 

 

That is the way pinstripes were applied in the assembly plant except it is a metal fixture.

[trimacar]

My experience with pinstripers is similar, hands shake then the line is nice.

 

They also have to get in the mood, so to speak, will spend a couple of hours in some case looking at job and thinking about it, then a fourth of that time getting it done.  A very mental exercise to make that little brush go straight.

 

The fellow who striped my Pierce-Arrow took a while to get set up, had a huge light to shine on car, and a loupe in his eye....said he was blind in one eye and had trouble with the other, and I'm not making this up...but he laid down a beautiful stripe, not perfect, but any stripe by hand shouldn't be perfect, it needs to have some VERY minor imperfections to show it's real.

 

As a side note, having owned numerous early Pierce bicycles, the stripe that was on a bike was incredible.  So thin and so perfect.....one fault of many striping jobs is making it too thick, when originally they were fine lines...

[Walt G]

Dave

Well stated everything you say is the absolute truth. The friend I had who lived a 5 minute walk away ( I taught both of his kids art) felt exactly the way you describe the guy you knew. Like all artists the mood has to be right to then focus and once you start everything else is cast aside until you are done.

Walt

[John_Mereness]

On 11/27/2022 at 11:49 AM, Walt G said:

James Frank de Causse was a stylist/designer based in NY City who worked for Locomobile ( he designed the first dual cowl phaeton) and Franklin. I did a in depth story on his life for Automobile Quarterly some years ago but thought he was worth a mention again here. ( no room in AACA magazine nor ACN) "Frank" de Causse ( you never called him James) was of French decent  and was well respected by the younger designers in the 1920s like Tom Hibbard and Ray Dietrich. I was told by Tom Hibbard that de Causse was not the type you asked to have a beer with at the local saloon with after work- huge class difference then , when young guys would not dare talk to older guys unless the older gents spoke first in starting a conversation about their common trade. The 1926 NY custom body salons were held every year in November and in 1926 de Causse took the half page ad you see here and Franklin in the same souvenir program took a page ad of his latest design. The Tandem Sport sedan had a really low roof line compared to any other car on the market and the front windshield and door pillars were very slim as well when compared to the other cars. The Tandem sedan also saw at least one go to Europe and I have a period photo of one in England. Very unusual to see a custom bodied Franklin be shipped to Europe for publicity and eventual sale.

Wickedly low and stylish sedan "Tandem Sedan" that very few people have ever seen as they are the rare of rare - everytime I see one I want a Franklin.