1925 Julian Sport Coupe

Like many automobile manufacturing companies, the Julian company was named after its founder, but unlike most, it was the first name rather than the surname that was used. Julain S. Brown was born into a wealthy family and at an early age, inherited approximately $2.5 million (USD). This money would allow Mr. Brown to live a comfortable life and establish several businesses of various nature. He was married four times, made several attempts to enter the automobile manufacturing business, and experimented with an electric boat project. His first venture into the world of automobiles was with a large-displacement inline 6-cylinder engine which he planned on selling to luxury carmakers. This project failed to enter production, perhaps due to company advertising which proudly proclaimed it 'America's Most Expensive Engine.'

In the post-World War I era, Julian was once again inspired to dabble in the automotive marketplace, this time with a complete automobile. A unique roadster body design was selected and its power source was equally unique - a 'Twin Three' V6 engine. By combining two straight-4-cylinder engines, they would use a common crankcase to form a straight-8. It is unknown if any examples or prototypes were actually built.

The war in Europe resulted in economic growth in the United States, but as the war ended, the global economy declined. The U.S. had a mild recovery in the second part of 1919 before a more severe recession hit in 1920 and 1921. The Spanish flu pandemic of 1918 had an adverse impact on the economy and was partly responsible for the sharp decline of the global economy during the early 1920s.

It was during this period of history that Julian decided to make another attempt at automobile production and rather than follow conventional practices, he took the road less traveled with a unique design and drivetrain layout. Based in Syracuse, New York, and aided by a team of engineers, machinists, and designers, they worked for three years to create a Sport Coupe.

The Julian Sport Coupe of 1925 used a rear-mounted, air-cooled engine for propulsion, with power being sent to the rear wheels via U-joints connected to swing axles. The radial, 268 cubic-inch (4.4 liters) flat six-cylinder engine had pistons installed horizontally and while this layout was common to airplanes, it was unheard of in an automobile. The cast aluminum crankcase was cast in two banks of three and placed above the other. It used a remote oil sump, hemispherical combustion chambers, and a high compression ratio. It developed a respectable sixty horsepower and its rearward mounting location meant that less horsepower was consumed via the traditional drivetrain loss and more power was spent on motivating the wheels down the road. Additionally, its placement at the rear meant there was less engine aroma and noise entering the cabin.

The engine was paired with a three-speed transaxle and a wet cone clutch contained in an aluminum case. Four shoe drum brakes were located at the rear as Julian and his engineers correctly believed that with most of the weight at the back, this would be the most effective placement.

The design of the body was created by Julian and its creation was handled by U.S. coachbuilder Fleetwood. The chassis and running gear were sent to Fleetwood in Pennsylvania, where the body was formed from lightweight aluminum. The rear of the body that enclosed the engine was rounded, giving the impression of a boattail (perhaps inspired by Julian's early earlier experimentation with the electric boat) but without the pointed end. The front had a traditional hood and radiator, the fenders flowed gracefully to the running boards, and the windshield had a unique front-opening design. The interior had the driver positioned in the middle, with two seats behind him (on either side of the center seat). There were two fold-out jump seats on either side of the center seat, and when in use, the occupant's back would be up against the dashboard. Brown described the seating arrangement of these seats as a 'Reverse Cloverleaf.'

The company's advertisement stated the Julian Sport Coupe would be priced at approximately $2,500. Before production could move passed the prototype stage, the company declared bankruptcy. Its demise may have resulted from the steep $2,500 price tag, the costs associated with building the prototype, the economic hardships of the early 1920s, or its radical designs and unconventional mechanical setup.

The prototype was placed in storage where it would reside for several decades. In 1966, it was acquired by William Harrah's Collection, where it was given a restoration and brought to operation. It currently resides in the National Automobile Museum in Reno, Nevada, and wears a dark green and black paint scheme with matching disc wheels.

by Daniel Vaughan | Sep 2022