1929 Franklin Series 9-B Touring Car.
This handsome and unusual automobile was marketed as the thinking man’s car – and indeed its engineering was both unconventional and successful.
The Franklin was air-cooled, which was a huge advantage in chilly weather (after all, Franklins were made in Syracuse, N.Y.) but suffered from a relative lack of power – until the 1921 model year, when a new fan design helped increase output. This elegant tourer is equipped with the original 6-cylinder engine, and its 199 cubic inches produced a respectable 30 horsepower.
Franklin fell victim to the Depression as so many luxury automakers did – but the Syracuse factory continued to turn out air-cooled motors for aviation for many years.
