Design Prototype (Catalog)

The Standard Catalog of the

Gilmore Car Museum Collection

1905 Franklin Type E Runabout 4 cyl, 3-1/4” x 3-1/4” 108 cid, cross engine, 12 hp, 72” wb Price $1,400, 1500 built Syracuse, NY, 1902-34 Donald Gilmore purchase, 1965

1

Design & Style

The Franklin had a four-cylinder engine while most cars at the time were powered by one or two cylinder power, but with its small size it still typifies the Edwardian car.

2

Innovation

Franklin is the most successful American car with an air cooled engine. It was built with a wood frame through 1928, resulting in a light, flexible automobile with good road manners. The Franklin company built six different automobile styles in 1905 that included two small two seat open cars, termed runabouts, and the difference between them is minimal. The Model B and E Runabouts are powered by four cylinder, 12 hp, air cooled, cross engine, meaning the engine is transversely mounted under the hood so that the drive shaft or power takeoff is on the side of the car rather than in the middle. This arrangement allowed a gear to be attached to the drive shaft and then connected to the rear wheels by a chain. Note that the transversely mounted engine was regarded as “revolutionary” in the 1950s. The Model E is the smaller of the two runabouts with a 72” wheelbase. Presumably this Model E was intended for city rather than country drtiving, for which the larger models were designed. The notion of different size cars for city and country driving was a typical concept at the time.

4

3

Social Impact

Horatio Jackson and Sewell Coker drove a 1903 Winton from San Francisco to New York in 64 days. A month later Tom Fetch and Marius Karup accomplished the same feat in a Packard in 61 days. Then L.L. Whitman and Eugene Hammel drove a one cylinder Oldsmobile also from San Francisco to New York in 1903, but required 74 days to do so. A year later, Whitman and C.S. Carris from the Franklin Company drove a 1904 Franklin from San Francisco to New York in just under 33 days.

5

Thematic Relevance

This Franklin is a nice example of an Edwardian car with an air cooled engine.

Exhibit Potential

The 1904 Franklin that made the transcontinental trek was powered by a four cylinder, air cooled, cross engine, but was rated at 10 hp rather than the 12 hp for the 1905 car. The company also built in 1905 a type C Runabout on a 110” wheelbase with a four cylinder engine rated at 30 hp.

1904 Frankiln versus the ubiquitous washout.

Chapter III

1

References: Kimes & Clark, Standard Catalog of American Cars, 1805-1942; Chaplin, 1904 Vintage Franklin, A Pictorial history of The Franklin Car; Sears, The Automobile in America; Bailey, The American Ca since 1775; AQ 1 #3

1905 Franklin Type E Runabout 4 cyl, 3-1/4” x 3-1/4” 108 cid, cross engine, 12 hp, 72” wb Price $1,400, 1500 built Syracuse, NY, 1902-34 Donald Gilmore purchase, 1965

1

Design & Style

The Franklin had a four-cylinder engine while most cars at the time were powered by one or two cylinder power, but with its small size it still typifies the Edwardian car.

2

Innovation

Franklin is the most successful American car with an air cooled engine. It was built with a wood frame through 1928, resulting in a light, flexible automobile with good road manners. The Franklin company built six different automobile styles in 1905 that included two small two seat open cars, termed runabouts, and the difference between them is minimal. The Model B and E Runabouts are powered by four cylinder, 12 hp, air cooled, cross engine, meaning the engine is transversely mounted under the hood so that the drive shaft or power takeoff is on the side of the car rather than in the middle. This arrangement allowed a gear to be attached to the drive shaft and then connected to the rear wheels by a chain. Note that the transversely mounted engine was regarded as “revolutionary” in the 1950s. The Model E is the smaller of the two runabouts with a 72” wheelbase. Presumably this Model E was intended for city rather than country drtiving, for which the larger models were designed. The notion of different size cars for city and country driving was a typical concept at the time.

4

3

Social Impact

Horatio Jackson and Sewell Coker drove a 1903 Winton from San Francisco to New York in 64 days. A month later Tom Fetch and Marius Karup accomplished the same feat in a Packard in 61 days. Then L.L. Whitman and Eugene Hammel drove a one cylinder Oldsmobile also from San Francisco to New York in 1903, but required 74 days to do so. A year later, Whitman and C.S. Carris from the Franklin Company drove a 1904 Franklin from San Francisco to New York in just under 33 days.

5

Thematic Relevance

This Franklin is a nice example of an Edwardian car with an air cooled engine.

Exhibit Potential

The 1904 Franklin that made the transcontinental trek was powered by a four cylinder, air cooled, cross engine, but was rated at 10 hp rather than the 12 hp for the 1905 car. The company also built in 1905 a type C Runabout on a 110” wheelbase with a four cylinder engine rated at 30 hp.

1904 Frankiln versus the ubiquitous washout.

Chapter III

1

References: Kimes & Clark, Standard Catalog of American Cars, 1805-1942; Chaplin, 1904 Vintage Franklin, A Pictorial history of The Franklin Car; Sears, The Automobile in America; Bailey, The American Ca since 1775; AQ 1 #3

1905 Franklin Type E Runabout 4 cyl, 3-1/4” x 3-1/4” 108 cid, cross engine, 12 hp, 72” wb Price $1,400, 1500 built Syracuse, NY, 1902-34 Donald Gilmore purchase, 1965

1

Design & Style

The Franklin had a four-cylinder engine while most cars at the time were powered by one or two cylinder power, but with its small size it still typifies the Edwardian car.

2

Innovation

Franklin is the most successful American car with an air cooled engine. It was built with a wood frame through 1928, resulting in a light, flexible automobile with good road manners. The Franklin company built six different automobile styles in 1905 that included two small two seat open cars, termed runabouts, and the difference between them is minimal. The Model B and E Runabouts are powered by four cylinder, 12 hp, air cooled, cross engine, meaning the engine is transversely mounted under the hood so that the drive shaft or power takeoff is on the side of the car rather than in the middle. This arrangement allowed a gear to be attached to the drive shaft and then connected to the rear wheels by a chain. Note that the transversely mounted engine was regarded as “revolutionary” in the 1950s. The Model E is the smaller of the two runabouts with a 72” wheelbase. Presumably this Model E was intended for city rather than country drtiving, for which the larger models were designed. The notion of different size cars for city and country driving was a typical concept at the time.

3

Social Impact

Horatio Jackson and Sewell Coker drove a 1903 Winton from San Francisco to New York in 64 days. A month later Tom Fetch and Marius Karup accomplished the same feat in a Packard in 61 days. Then L.L. Whitman and Eugene Hammel drove a one cylinder Oldsmobile also from San Francisco to New York in 1903, but required 74 days to do so. A year later, Whitman and C.S. Carris from the Franklin Company drove a 1904 Franklin from San Francisco to New York in just under 33 days.

5

Thematic Relevance

This Franklin is a nice example of an Edwardian car with an air cooled engine.

Exhibit Potential

The 1904 Franklin that made the transcontinental trek was powered by a four cylinder, air cooled, cross engine, but was rated at 10 hp rather than the 12 hp for the 1905 car. The company also built in 1905 a type C Runabout on a 110” wheelbase with a four cylinder engine rated at 30 hp.

1

4

1904 Frankiln versus the ubiquitous washout.

References: Kimes & Clark, Standard Catalog of American Cars, 1805-1942; Chaplin, 1904 Vintage Franklin, A Pictorial history of The Franklin Car; Sears, The Automobile in America; Bailey, The American Ca since 1775; AQ 1 #3 Chapter III

1905 Franklin Type E Runabout 4 cyl, 3-1/4” x 3-1/4” 108 cid, cross engine, 12 hp, 72” wb Price $1,400, 1500 built Syracuse, NY, 1902-34 Donald Gilmore purchase, 1965

1

Design & Style

The Franklin had a four-cylinder engine while most cars at the time were powered by one or two cylinder power, but with its small size it still typifies the Edwardian car.

2

Innovation

Franklin is the most successful American car with an air cooled engine. It was built with a wood frame through 1928, resulting in a light, flexible automobile with good road manners. The Franklin company built six different automobile styles in 1905 that included two small two seat open cars, termed runabouts, and the difference between them is minimal. The Model B and E Runabouts are powered by four cylinder, 12 hp, air cooled, cross engine, meaning the engine is transversely mounted under the hood so that the drive shaft or power takeoff is on the side of the car rather than in the middle. This arrangement allowed a gear to be attached to the drive shaft and then connected to the rear wheels by a chain. Note that the transversely mounted engine was regarded as “revolutionary” in the 1950s. The Model E is the smaller of the two runabouts with a 72” wheelbase. Presumably this Model E was intended for city rather than country drtiving, for which the larger models were designed. The notion of different size cars for city and country driving was a typical concept at the time.

3

Exhibit Potential

The 1904 Franklin that made the transcontinental trek was powered by a four cylinder, air cooled, cross engine, but was rated at 10 hp rather than the 12 hp for the 1905 car. The company also built in 1905 a type C Runabout on a 110” wheelbase with a four cylinder engine rated at 30 hp.

1

1904 Frankiln versus the ubiquitous washout.

4

Social Impact

Horatio Jackson and Sewell Coker drove a 1903 Winton from San Francisco to New York in 64 days. A month later Tom Fetch and Marius Karup accomplished the same feat in a Packard in 61 days. Then L.L. Whitman and Eugene Hammel drove a one cylinder Oldsmobile also from San Francisco to New York in 1903, but required 74 days to do so. A year later, Whitman and C.S. Carris from the Franklin Company drove a 1904 Franklin from San Francisco to New York in just under 33 days.

5

Thematic Relevance

This Franklin is a nice example of an Edwardian car with an air cooled engine.

References: Kimes & Clark, Standard Catalog of American Cars, 1805-1942; Chaplin, 1904 Vintage Franklin, A Pictorial history of The Franklin Car; Sears, The Automobile in America; Bailey, The American Ca since 1775; AQ 1 #3 Chapter III