This superb and rare 1927 Franklin sedan, featuring an air-cooled six cylinder engine and largely aluminium bodywork is one of the highlight vehicles of Shannons next Sydney auction on Monday May 15

A very rare 1927 Franklin 11B ‘De Causse’ Sedan in ‘mint’ condition is one of the highlight vehicles of Shannons next Sydney auction on Monday May 15.

One of just three such vehicles known to be in Australia, the American-made Franklin is an engineering marvel for its time, featuring an air-cooled six cylinder engine with a Porsche-like fan cowl and mostly aluminium body panels.

Tracing its origins to New York in 1900, the Franklin Manufacturing Company began building its unique air-cooled cars in 1902. In 1904 a 20HP model successfully made an uninterrupted 7,200 km journey from New York to San Francisco to prove the reliability of its cooling system.

In 1920, a Franklin Magfarian fitted with a six cylinder, 9-litre air-cooled engine returned an amazing 6 litres/100km in a New York-Montreal economy run.

The Franklin Series II featured a stately sedan body by the company’s resident stylist Franck de Causse and had many technical features drawn from the Franklin company’s close association with the aircraft industry.

In 1927, Franklin supported Charles Lindbergh in his project to fly New York-Paris non-stop to further promote the benefits of air-cooling and a chromed replica of the ‘Spirit of St Louis’ became an optional radiator cap adornment on Franklin cars.

The Franklin being auctioned by Shannons was located in Phoenix, Arizona after 34 years in storage. It was driven to California and shortly afterwards was shipped to Australia in 1998.

It was then the subject of a full and meticulous restoration carried out in NSW and completed in 2001. This included a full body restoration, complete re-trimming and a total rebuild of its engine, suspension and brakes.

Since its restoration, the Franklin has been club registered and has been used reliably on numerous club runs and rallies.

Shannons National Auction Manager Christophe Boribon expects the Franklin to sell in the range of $40,000-$55,000 because of its outstanding condition and rarity.

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