Description
Through the early 1900s Franklin automobiles were well known for their six-cylinder engines and wooden chassis frames. They had managed to build a reputation for being reliable and rugged vehicles however, their conservative design appeared to be impacting sales. In order to combat this, Franklin hired a young, New York designer by the name of J. Frank de Causse to head their new design department which in turn helped boost sales through the mid-1920s.
Here in the UK this 1927 Franklin is incredibly rare making it quite special. Franklin cars in general are more unusual due to their air cooled engines and this one has a 6 cylinder version which is unique to this make. Having benefited from mechanical restoration in recent years it is as powerful as it looks and sounds. It is very smooth to drive and easy to maintain and, for a 1927 vehicle, the gear change is amazing - very direct and easy to change with no need to double the clutch. The wooden wheels are in fantastic order and benefit from new tyres and inner tubes.
In fantastic oily rag condition, the body work has amazing original patina and, in terms of originality, it doesn’t appear to have received much restoration work (not that it needs it!). It appears that all woodwork is sound and it would be a shame to carry out anything other than a sympathetic oily rag restoration. The interior is also in original condition and, although now a little moth eaten, is in very usable condition and has some lovely features making it feel quite up-market for its time.
Unfortunately we don’t know a huge amount about its history. We purchased it around 3 years ago in the US where it had previously undergone some restoration work, specifically to the running gear.
We finally imported the car in March 2023 and it is now UK Road Registered. It is ULEZ compliant as well as MOT and TAX exempt.
Please feel free to contact us for further information or to arrange a viewing.
We are happy to consider part exchange. Nationwide delivery available.
