Hinckley: Franklin – story of an innovator

 Air-cooled engines and, in the early years, lightness and responsiveness, were hallmarks.

HERBERT H. Franklin was a visionary who knew his stuff.

Even though the company he established was never a leading automobile manufacturer, it was a technological pioneer. It also was the benefactor of fierce brand loyalty from customers.

As an interesting historic footnote, more than a decade after the last Franklin rolled from the factory the company was linked to one of the most controversial automobiles of the post WWII era – Tucker.

In 1901, after participating in several successful business ventures including development and manufacture of the Underwood typewriter, Herbert H. Franklin focused his interest and resources on the development of an automobile. After careful evaluation, a trait that Franklin was known for, he entered a limited partnership with engineer John Wilkinson that had been developing a revolutionary air-cooled engine.  

Wilkinson had an unshakable focus on experimentation. Eager for a return on their investment, investors soon tired of his myopia. And so, they were eager to sell their share of the moribund New York Automobile Company to Franklin.

 The enterprise was reorganised as the Franklin Automobile Company. As a testimony to Franklin’s business acumen the first Franklin automobile was sold in 1902, less than a year after establishing the company. Marketing was masterfully designed with a focus on the benefits of air cooling.

The very first car had been sold to S. G. Averell, cousin of Governor W. Averell Harriman. It had a chain drive and transverse mounted engine. The four-cylinder engine weighed a mere 230 pounds, one-fourth the weight of the car.

This model would be manufactured as the first mass produced four-cylinder air cooled automobile in the United States. Innovative features were numerous. The car had jump spark ignition, splash lubrication and an enclosed planetary transmission. The gear ratio was 12 to one for low and four to one for high and there was reverse gear as well as the two forward gears. The steering gear was on the right, with wheel control while most cars were still manoeuvered with a tiller.

The cars proved popular with rural physicians and others that needed dependable winter transportation. Averell and these satisfied customers were eager to give glowing testimonials, and that fueled sales.

In 1903, Dr. Horatio Nelson Jackson, lately of Burlington, Vermont, and his driver, Sewell K. Crocke piloted a Winton from coast to coast. It took 63 days, but they were the first to make a transcontinental drive in an automobile.

The following year C. S. Carris and L.L. Whitman, representing Franklin, stunned the automotive world. Driving a stock four-cylinder Franklin they drove from coast to coast in just 32 days, 23 hours, and 20 minutes. Franklin’s reputation for durability was now firmly established. But this was just the beginning.

In 1906, shortly after the great earthquake, the team drove through the rubble strewn streets and set out for New York City. With the new six-cylinder air cooled Franklin a transcontinental record was established - 4100 miles in 15 days, two hours and 12 minutes.

In Pennsylvania, the team had been involved in accident that sent the Franklin down an embankment and into a creek. Still, within 24 hours of arrival in New York, the team set out for Chicago and set another record - 56 hours, more than two hours off the best previous time.

Franklin built automobiles had proven durability. In the years to follow the company would also garner a reputation for technological innovation. Franklin built the first successful four-, six-, and eight-cylinder air cooled engines. In 1905 the company introduced suspension that used leaf springs and hydraulic shock absorbers. In 1907 the company became the first manufacturer to use automatic spark advance.

To ensure the cars remained lightweight, Franklin pioneered extensive use of aluminum. Wooden frames would be used into the late 1920s.

By WWI, the company was producing vehicles with aluminum transmission cases, crankcases, dashboards, and body panels. Aluminum pistons were introduced in 1915. In 1913 the company became a leader in the manufacture of closed body sedans. Franklin was also the first automobile manufacturer to use electric carburetor priming to speed up cold weather starting in 1921.

Endurance runs, races, and publicity stunts consistently demonstrated the prowess of Franklin built automobiles. In a highly publicized test of a new carburetor, in 1915 a Franklin was driven the length of California. A top speed of 65 miles per hour was obtained and the vehicle averaged an astounding 32 miles per US gallon.

The proven durability of Franklin’s air-cooled engines was not limited to use in automobiles. In 1918 the company was contracted by the United States government to develop aircraft engines and components. To fulfil obligation the company invested $US1,000,000 in new machinery and added 5000 added employees.

The contract was terminated with the Armistice. This resulted in a substantial financial loss for Franklin. Resultant of this and the post war recession, the company never fully recovered.

Still, Franklin soldiered on. Sales remained consistent through the 1920s with production averaging 8000 vehicles per year. And the company’s zenith occurred in 1929 with the production of 14,000 cars.

The final chapter for the company, but not the end of the story, was written in the first years of the 1930s. In the first year of that decade, Franklin introduced a new 100 horsepower aluminum engine. In 1932, the company unveiled an air cooled 12-cylinder engine that was a mechanical masterpiece wrapped in a body that represented fine art styling. Only 200 V12 Franklins were manufactured. Then, in 1934, with little fanfare Franklin Automobile Company declared bankruptcy.

A consortium of employees pooled their resources purchased the company and reorganized it as Aircooled Motors in 1937. But the limited production of air-cooled truck and industrial engines were marketed under the Franklin name.

During World War II, Aircooled Motors prospered with government contracts to manufacture air cooled aircraft engines and components. In mid-1945, the contract was modified to include development and manufacture of helicopter engines.

Before the end of that year, Republic Aviation Company negotiated the purchase of the company for the manufacture of engines to be used in the Republic Seabee light amphibious aircraft. Shortly after the sale, military contracts were suspended and as a result the company was pushed to the brink of receivership.

Then in 1947 the company was purchased for the price of $1.8 million by the Tucker Car Corporation. After its acquisition Tucker cancelled all of the company's aircraft contracts so that its resources could be focused on making automotive engines for the Tucker automobile.

After the collapse of the Tucker automobile manufacturing company, the Tucker family again turned to the manufacture of aircraft engines. They owned the company until 1961. It was then sold to Aero Industries, a company that began manufacturing air-cooled engines using the Franklin Engine Company name.

In 1975 the government of Poland purchased the company and moved it to Rzeszów, and operated the company first under the name PZL-Franklin and later simply PZL-F. The company is now called Franklin Aircraft Engines.  

Written by Jim Hinckley of jimhinckleysamerica.com