1923 Franklin Model 10

The H.H. Franklin Manufacturing Company marque built America's longest-lived and most successful air-cooled automobile. The Syracuse, New York firm produced cars from 1902 through 1934. It was founded by an Upstate New York industrialist named Herbert H. Franklin and a Cornell-educated engineer named John Wilkinson. A fanatic about weight, Wilkinson's designs dispensed with cooling water and employed the lightest suspension components possible, like tubular axles and flexible, full-elliptic springs. Most marques had abandoned full-elliptic springs by 1910 in favor of semi-elliptical and 3/4 elliptical springing that provided more accurate wheel and axle locations. Franklin's use of the full-elliptical springs was due to the soft and comfortable ride it offered and was reputed to be easy on tires. Franklin used more aluminum in their vehicles, including the bodies, than any other domestic automaker. The engine block, transmission, and rear end were made from cast aluminum. Single cylinders were cast iron and bolted to the block. The drive train was carried by a three-ply ash frame over a laminated ash framework. The use of wooden frames was compared to wooden skis and tennis racquets which flexed to absorb shock and irregularities.

Wilkinson was a firm believer that beauty stemmed from functionality, not ornamentation. The Franklin automobiles adopted a 'barrel-front' hood in 1904 which had a simple screen at the front to allow cooling air to flow to the engine. Later, a Renault-style 'scuttle' hood was added, and still later, a 'horse-collar' grille. Automatic spark advance was added in 1907, pressure feed lubrication in 1912, aluminum pistons in 1915, and aluminum connecting rods in 1922. From 1904 through 1927, Franklin automobiles utilized a service brake on the transmission which slowed the drive shaft when applied. There was also a hand brake that activated the rear wheel brakes.

In production for over three decades, the company never made a water-cooled machine and sold more than 150,000 cars in all. As late as 1927, Franklin was still producing a car chassis with wooden side members and full-elliptic springs. Like many other automakers and businesses, Franklin was a victim of the Depression and ceased automobile production in 1934. Franklin's engine patents were taken over by the Air-Cooled Motor Corp. whose Syracuse factory specialized in light horizontally-opposed aircraft engines. In 1948, the Tucker automobile was powered by a six-cylinder Franklin helicopter engine, converted to water cooling.

The 1923 Franklin Series 10
The 1923 Franklin Series 10 was a six-cylinder model that rested on a 115-inch wheelbase platform. Since Franklins were air-cooled, they had no need for radiators. Yet the Series 10 was given a conventional front end with a raked-back ovoid grille opening to allow air into the engine compartment. The entire hood assembly ahead of the firewall tilts forward as a single unit for easy access to the 25-horsepower, 199 cubic-inch inline six-cylinder engine.

Series 10 body styles included a five-passenger tourer, a touring limousine, a sedan, a coupe, a roadster, a brougham, and Demi Sedan. Prices ranged from $1,900 for the roadster to $3,150 for the five-passenger touring limousine.

Although the Franklins had their own unique design, they did successfully combine quality, durability, dependability, and lightweight construction.

by Daniel Vaughan | Oct 2022