Eric Minoff
Vice President, Head of Department - US
LOT 21 ¤
1917 Franklin Series 9-A Sedan Chassis no. 50202 Engine no. E36804
Sold for US$61,600 inc. premiumLot to be sold without reserve
Lot 21¤
1917 Franklin Series 9-A Sedan
1917 Franklin Series 9-A Sedan
Chassis no. 50202
Engine no. E36804
Chassis no. 50202
Engine no. E36804
199.1ci Air-Cooled Overhead Valve Inline Six-Cylinder
Single Franklin Carburetor
30bhp
3-Speed Manual Transmission
Live Axles with Full Elliptical Leaf Springs
Mechanical Band Transmission Brake, Rear Wheel Contracting Band Rear Emergency Brake
* A long time Harrah's and National Automobile resident
* Restored by Harrah's some fifty years ago
* Elegant style with distinctive vee windshield and Renault-style hood
* Air-cooled for reliability and simplicity
THE CAR OFFERED
Franklin was America's foremost and by far most successful air-cooled automobile. That it was based in the frozen winters of Syracuse in Upstate New York was not a surprise as no water or coolant made it ideal for the Syracuse winters.
The first Franklins were designed by John Wilkinson who got backing from Herbert H. Franklin, owner of a die casting business in Syracuse. The first Franklins had transversely mounted 4-cylinder engines, later evolving to longitudinal engines with proprietary gearboxes and shaft drive to the rear axle. In 1911 Franklin introduced its Renault type hood that proudly highlighted the absence of a radiator and in 1914 Franklin went exclusively to six-cylinder engines.
While many manufacturers focused on folding top touring cars, runabouts and roadsters Franklin, perhaps because of their location in Upstate New York, built its own series of quality sedan bodies and giving them distinctive appearance, especially apparent in the Model 9 introduced in 1917. In addition to the Renault style hood the Model 9 sedans introduced a prominent vee windshield that give excellent visibility.
Franklin engineer John Wilkinson also emphasized light weight, using aluminum alloys in the engines and gearboxes, aluminum in the body panels and in the differential case. Air cooling eliminated the weight of the cooling system (177 separate parts, according to Franklin literature) and the coolant. Franklin also stuck with wood for its frames long after most manufacturers abandoned it for steel.
This Franklin was acquired by Harrah's Automobile Collection in 1963 from H.H. Soper in Twin Falls, Idaho. It was restored in the Harrah's shop in 1971 in its present livery of olive green with black fenders and roof above the body beltline. There are body color wood spoke wheels with white 33x4½ tires, a rear-mounted spare, Legalite headlights, pulldown shades on the side windows and rear window and tie-back curtains in the quarter windows.
The body has a center door on the lefthand side accessing the rear seats and a front door on the right with a novel pivoting right seat also facilitating rear seat entry. The interior is upholstered in olive green cloth. There is a hat net on the roof creating an elegant and formal drawing room atmosphere for successful families.
The restoration has held up well over the years, attesting to the skill, research and quality of Harrah's restoration shop and technicians. The upholstery and interior trim are older, frayed and show more age and wear than the body, paint, engine and chassis. Bill Harrah's affection for air-cooled Franklins is well known, and this is a prime example of both the quality and style of Franklin automobiles and his appreciation for them.
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| ¤ | No Reserve |
| Unless indicated by the ¤ symbol next to the lot number (or bearing an explicit statement such as "No Reserve" or "Without Reserve"), which denotes no reserve, all lots in the catalog are subject to a reserve. The reserve is the minimum hammer price that the seller is willing to accept for a lot. This amount is confidential and does not exceed the low estimate value. |
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