FRANKLIN AUTOMOBILE

FRANKLIN AUTOMOBILE 

If the company does not Franklin has built its cars with only air-cooled engines, insisting that it is the only technically justifiable direction, it would have long since forgotten. Surprisingly not what the company produced cars with air-cooled engines, and that the engines were so big and the company has existed for so long. From 1902 to 1934, she released more than 150 thousand cars.

 

Cars Franklin suffered from the appearance in the 1932 model Ford V8 and the severe consequences of the economic crisis. Still, the big air-cooled motors attached machines appeal. In the picture presented convertible 1931 Franklin Airman

It seems that the first model specifically opposed to other cars: wooden, not steel frame, fully elliptic leaf springs, and this is when the whole world has rejected them. First, the company offers various types of cars with air-cooled engines, but the 20-th years. all produced in Syracuse, NY, cars have six-cylinder engine with a huge fan for cooling.

The pilots were located in the aircraft for air-cooled engine, is often inclined to purchase cars Franklin, which explains the appearance in the 1927 model Airman ("Pilot"). Buyer of its very first version was Charles Lindbergh (Charles Lindberg).

Peak sales came to Franklin in 1929 (about 14 thousand units) - a year before the Great Depression. In 30-ies. presented two models: one with a new six-cylinder supercharged engine, the second with a V12 engine and the same supercharged. The economic crisis, high prices for cars obsolete design led to a sharp reduction in sales. In 1934 the company ceased production of Franklin.

Franklin Six ("Franklin Six"), 1929-1934

Despite the Great Depression, Franklin introduced a new series of cars, "140" with a traditional chassis and new engine.

Franklin Six air-cooled engine was supercharged and a large fan, elastically fixed to the front end of the crankshaft, a new grille with a thermostat controlled blinds. Cooling air is blown into the space between the cylinders and passed across the engine, rather than along it - hence sticking to it the name "motor side-blowing."

For selling cars with great difficulty, offering a wide range of bodies which had, however, the same front part. In 30-ies. machines have become easier, the prices are down, but even with the advent in 1933, a series of Olympic ("Olympic") business has not improved. For 5 years of production collected 12,090 specimens Franklin Six models with this engine.

 

Airman Six Sedan 1932 his row "Six" (4.5 liter, 100 hp), lateral flow of air cooled

Characteristics (1930)

Engine: P6, the overhead

Bore and Stroke: 88,9 x120, 65 mm

Displacement: 4494 cm3

Maximum power: 95 hp

Transmission: 3-speed manual

Chassis: the steel frame

Suspension: dependent on the leaf springs

Brakes: drum

Body: steel 4-5-bed types

Maximum speed: 129 km / h (turbo)

Options for Franklin Six Franklin Airman

Airman power six-cylinder engine for the Franklin Six was enlarged in 1931 to 100 hp Structurally similar models Airman appeared in 1932

Franklin Olympic

In 1933-34. Franklin also produces a model of Olympic, the fruit of collaboration with Reo ("Rio"): Chassis Flying Cloud ("Flying Cloud") and the motor Franklin.