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Franklin sedan
Catalog #: 321,454,
Accession #: 244,503
In collection
From the Smithsonian Collection
Henry W. Mathis of Washington, D.C., donated this 1925 Model 10-C four-door, five-passenger Franklin sedan to the museum in 1962. Mathis was the proprietor of the Southeast Cycle Shop, located at 638 Pennsylvania Ave., S.E. When he made his donation, he wrote, “I hope that this Franklin will well serve history as just one link in the chain of evolution of the automobile.” |
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Physical Description |
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This vehicle has a manufacturer's plate bearing serial number 150305-11, but there is some doubt whether the plate is the car's original one. The Franklin has a six-cylinder, air-cooled engine. It is rated at 25.35 h.p. The in-head valves are operated from the chain-driven cam shaft by means of long push-rods acting against rocker arms positioned above the cylinder heads. A force-feed lubrication system supplied oil under pressure to the crankshaft and connecting-rod bearings. The sedan's wheelbase is 115 inches and its tread 56 inches. The brake, clutch, and accelerator pedals are located in conventional positions; the hand-brake lever is to the left of the driver, the gear-change lever to the right. On the dash are a choke control, spark-adjustment lever, Waltham speedometer and clock, and electric switches for the lights, ignition, and priming mechanism. Beneath the dash is a knob for controlling the vents of a heater. A horn button and throttle lever are on the steering wheel. On the driver's side is a vacuum-operated windshield wiper, and on both sides of the forward position of the body are small ventilators that admit air under the dash. The upper half of the windshield opens outward, and above it on the outside is an adjustable sun visor.
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Details |
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Locations: |
Dist of Columbia, New York
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Credit: | Gift of Henry W. Mathis |
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History |
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Herbert H. Franklin formed the H.H. Franklin Manufacturing Co. in Syracuse, N.Y., in 1893. Originally in the machine die business, the company entered the car business in 1902. John Wilkinson of Syracuse designed Franklin's first motor car. The Franklin Co. was, at the time, the only American firm that successfully marketed an air-cooled-engine automobile. The company sold about 150,000 cars over the course of its more than 30 years in existence.
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