1927 Franklin

This 1927 Franklin Model 11-B is said to be one of 17 examples outfitted from the factory with aluminum boattail roadster bodywork designed by J. Frank de Causse. Chassis 1665222 was reportedly completed in 1928 before being purchased new by New Hampshire resident Ms. Priscilla Manning, who kept the car until 1932. It was repurchased in the 1930s by her husband John L. Sullivan, who later became US Assistant Secretary of the Treasury under Franklin D. Roosevelt and Secretary of the US Navy under Harry S. Truman. The car was relocated to Hawaii in the 1940s and underwent a refurbishment that was begun in 1980. It was moved from Hawaii to Washington State later in the decade and underwent further refurbishment work that was completed before it was purchased by the current owner in 1999. The car is finished in cream with brown fenders over brown leather upholstery, and power comes from an air-cooled inline-six paired with a three-speed manual transmission. Equipment includes four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes, 19″ painted wire-spoke wheels, a side-mount spare wheel, a polished faux radiator surround with a lion mascot, glass wind wings, a tan soft top, a rumble seat, a fold-down luggage rack, a Waltham clock, a recoiling cigar lighter, and lap belts. This Franklin 11-B boattail roadster is now offered by the seller on behalf of the current owner with spare parts, side curtains, service records, literature, and a clean Washington title in the owner’s name. The Syracuse, New York-based H.H. Franklin Manufacturing Company was founded in 1902 and manufactured air-cooled cars until the company was shuttered in 1934. Introduced for 1927, a total of 6,562 Model 11-B examples were produced across several body styles. The aluminum boattail bodywork on this example is said to have been fitted with a replacement ash wood frame in 1999 before the car was repainted in its current cream with chocolate brown fenders using urethane paint. Equipment includes a chrome radiator surround and bumpers, a lion mascot, violet-tinted headlight lenses, glass wind wings with side-view mirrors, running boards, a tan soft top with an oak wood frame, an aluminum rumble seat step plate, and a fold-down luggage rack. Tan side curtains are included in the sale and can be seen in the gallery. Body-color wire-spoke wheels feature brown rims and bright hubcaps, and they are mounted with 6.50–19 Universal bias-ply tires. A matching spare wheel topped with a mirror is mounted in the left fender. The car rides on a 119″ wheelbase and features fully elliptical leaf springs at all four corners as well as rear coil springs. Stopping power is provided by hydraulic drums at all four corners. The front brake cylinders were rebuilt by White Post Restorations of Virginia in 2019, and the brake shoes were also relined. The cockpit features a bench seat trimmed in brown pleated leather along with color-coordinated door panels and carpets. Amenities include a Waltham clock, a recoiling cigar lighter, lap belts, and door storage pockets. The rumble seat is trimmed in matching brown pleated leather. The wood steering wheel fronts a painted steel dashboard housing a barrel-type speedometer, an ammeter, and a Stewart-Warner oil pressure gauge. The five-digit odometer shows under 23k miles, approximately 3k of which were added under current ownership. Total mileage is unknown. The seller believes the air-cooled Series 12 inline-six displaces 234ci, and it features a Stromberg carburetor and was rebuilt in the 1990s with the installation of replacement pistons, rings, and Toyota-sourced bearings, while the carburetor was serviced in 2018. A replacement battery was installed in 2024. Power is sent to the rear wheels via a three-speed manual transmission and a replacement differential that was installed under current ownership. The flywheel was surface cut, center-sleeved, and fitted with a replacement bearing in 2018. Series 12 engine components are included in the sale along with a set of side curtains.