Description
Runabout body
French registration certificate
4‑cylinder engine, 20 horsepower and 3. 0 litres
Excellent used condition
Headlamp coverings and upholstery for transporting the car on a trailer
Same owner for more than 15 years
Would be the only car from the marque identified in Europe
More rare and runs stronger than a Ford Model T
- details above
This model is important not for its racing victories, but for its role in democratising the automobile in America, as a direct rival to the famous Ford Model T.
The Flanders Twenty (or Flanders 20): The counter-attack to the Model T
The Flanders Twenty is above all the fruit of the career of one of the pioneers of automobile manufacture: Walter E. Flanders.
Historical context and creation
Walter E. Flanders: He is a key figure, who was previously Henry Ford's production director and who played a major role in establishing mass production methods (which would lead to the assembly line of the Ford Model T).
The E-M-F Company: In 1908, Flanders co-founded the Everitt-Metzger-Flanders Company (E-M-F). The company initially produced the E-M-F 30, but Walter Flanders left the firm and returned to create the Flanders Automobile Company in 1910, with the explicit aim of competing with the phenomenal success of the Ford Model T.
The objective: to sell a car that is reliable, simple and above all affordable.
Popularity and characteristics
The Flanders Twenty was launched at a highly competitive price (initially around $750), often undercutting the Ford Model T at its launch.
Production period 1910–1912/ 1913
Typical bodystyle Runabout (two-seat open)
Engine 4-cylinder inline
Fiscal/ Actual power rated at 20 horsepower (hence the name “Twenty”).
Displacement approximately 3 litres.
In 1911, the E-M-F (including the Flanders Twenty) was the second-largest producer by volume in the United States, behind Ford. About 31, 500 units were produced during its short life.
Although popular, it struggled to keep price below the Ford Model T, as Henry Ford regularly cut the Model T’s prices.
The Flanders Automobile Company quickly became tightly linked with Studebaker. Studebaker, the giant of horse-drawn carriage manufacture, was the sole distributor of E-M-F and Flanders cars. Studebaker would ultimately acquire both companies in 1912 and market the Flanders 20 under the name Studebaker 20 until 1913, before using its own name for all models.
The Flanders Twenty represents a pivotal step in automotive history, where the market shifted from luxury cars to mass-produced vehicles.
