Northeast Classic Car Museum, Norwich, New York, Part 4--August 19, 2017: Franklins

The Franklin Wing of the Northeast Classic Car Museum

The Northeast Classic Car Museum's collection is based primarily on cars owned by the founder, George Staley (1919-2011), a local resident who grew up on a dairy farm but went on to become an accomplished engineer before starting a business overhauling aircraft accessories.  It began with three employees and by the time it was sold out in 1989 there were 250 at three locations.  In his leisure, Mr. Paley began to collect cars, particularly Franklins, and it is no surprise that with his aviation connection he had an affinity for cars produced with air-cooled engines and manufactured in his home state of New York.

Franklin automobiles were produced in Syracuse, New York, from 1902 until 1934 and were noted for their technical innovation and high quality.  A pioneer in the use of air-cooled engines and the first to produce a six cylinder engine, Franklins were lightweight luxury cars which for many years used wood frame chassis (until 1928) for shock absorption.  The company, once the largest user of aluminum in the world, never made much money and failed to adopt modern assembly-line construction even as competitors such as Cadillac and Packard were able to do so.  Although the company introduced the exotic boat-tail body style in 1925, Franklins, often owned by conservative bankers or doctors, were not especially noted for their body design.

1908 Franklin Series A 1-Ton Truck Prototype

The first truck made by Franklin, and apparently the only survivor, this example was purchased as a basket case in 1969 and restored in time for the Franklin centennial in 2003.  It is powered by a four cylinder engine and equipped with shaft drive.

Selden Patent Plate

This small plate indicates that the manufacturer had paid royalties to the Association of Licensed Automobile Manufacturers (ALMA), which controlled the Selden Patent.  The patent, deemed a "pioneer patent" that covered all internal-combustion automobiles, had been filed in 1879 by George B. Selden, a patent attorney and tinkerer in Rochester, New York.  With his knowledge of patent law, he was able to delay the awarding of the patent until 1895, when cars were beginning to appear.  He sold his patent in 1899 to what became ALMA and that group collected royalties of 0.75% from its members and brought suit against manufacturers infringing the patent.  In a celebrated court case, Henry Ford successfully attacked the validity of the patent and it was rendered worthless, albeit with only one year remaining before expiring anyway.  The "pioneer patent" argument was to bedevil the legal system again in the case of the Wright Brothers against Glenn Curtiss as the brothers essentially claimed that three-axis control in flight, rather than the system of how it was done, was their patent right.

1907 Franklin Model G 4 Passenger Touring Car

Introduced in 1906, when Franklin was the third-largest car manufacturer in the United States, the Model G marked the introduction of the "barrel hood" design of Franklin, which was the first change since the company began in 1902 and was used until 1910.  The Model G has a four cylinder engine of 12 hp and sold for $1,850.  At the time this example was built, Franklin employed 1,700 men at its plant in Syracuse.

ALMA license plate affirming payment of the Selden Patent royalty

1903 Franklin Runabout

Believed to be the third-oldest Franklin in existence, this 10 hp car bears serial number 102 of 219 cars produced in the 1903 model year.  It was priced at $1,300.  The oldest Franklin known is a 1902 model owned by the Smithsonian Institution.

1934 Franklin Airman Sedan (left); 1932 Franklin Series 163 Airman Coupe (right)

1934 Franklin Airman Sedan

From production of 14,000 cars in 1929, sales collapsed at Franklin until reaching the end in 1934, when 360 were built--but only 79 were sold.  This Airman Sedan, powered by a 100 hp six cylinder engine, was priced at $2,185 and is believed the have the last serial number given to a Franklin car.  The Airman was named in honour of Charles Lindbergh, a Franklin owner, as was Amelia Earhardt, and introduced in 1927, the same year as Lindbergh's historic New York to Paris flight.

1932 Franklin Series 163 Airman Coupe

Considered perhaps as the finest car Franklin produced, the Franklin, with its six cylinder air-cooled engine, offered impressive performance for the day.  The company introduced hydraulic front wheel brakes in 1928, and switched from its traditional wooden frames to steel in 1929.  This car's list price was $2,345 and it was one of 1,900 cars to leave the Syracuse factory in that model year.

1915 Franklin Model Six-30 Two Passenger Roadster

In 1914 Franklin went exclusively to six cylinder engines and this roadster, restored as a fire chief's vehicle, had a 30 hp engine equipped with aluminum pistons, an industry advance.  For many years the cars featured a fully-elliptical suspension for an excellent ride.  Coupled with the goal of light weight, Franklin did not offer demountable tire rims until 1923 as tire wear was negligible for the period  The roadster was priced at $2,150 and was used by museum founder George Staley to lead a parade at the New York State Firemen's Convention in Syracuse in 1999.

1912 Franklin Model G Touring Car

Produced from 1906 until 1913, the Model G was available in various body styles.  The 1912 version was either a runabout on a 100 inch wheelbase, with an air-cooled 18 hp engine, or, in the case of the museum car, a touring version on a 103 inch wheelbase and having a 25 hp engine.  List price of the car was $2,000.  It featured the distinctive Renault-style (or "shovel front") hood arrangement.

1910 Franklin Model G Two Passenger Runabout

1910 was the last year that Franklin used the "barrel style" hood on its cars.  This Model G, with its 18 hp four cylinder, was built on a 91" wheelbase and sold for $1,750.

1909 Franklin Model D Five Passenger Touring Car

1909 was the final year of the front-mounted gear driven fan used for engine cooling by Franklin.  This Model D has a 28 hp engine and sold for $2,800.

1920 Franklin Model 9-B Five Passenger Sedan

The Model 9-B, powered with a 25 hp six cylinder engine and built on a 115" wheelbase, came in five body styles, with this sedan selling for $3,750.  1920 was the last year Franklin used its Renault-style hood, replacing it in the 1921 model year with a popular "horse collar" style.  It was easy to retrofit the hood to earlier Franklins and this car was so converted.

1925 Franklin Model 10-C Five Passenger Touring

The Model 10 was built between 1922 and 1925 and this car, selling for $1,950, used a 32 hp overhead valve engine, upgraded from the previous year's 25 hp version, and retained Franklin's traditional ash frame.  It was the last year that the "horse collar" hood was used and the year that marked the departure of Franklin's Chief Engineer, John Wilkinson, who had been with the company since its beginning. Franklin, under dealer pressure, requested new body designs from Murphy in Pasadena and J. Frank de Causse, a French designer who had worded for Locomobile.  Wilkinson objected to plans to make Franklins more conventional by changing the hood to include a fake radiator shell, feeling that the simple one-piece hood was more functional.  In March 1925 the Series II cars would be introduced with such an arrangement, designed by de Causse, who would continue to work for Franklin for the next year until his early death due to throat cancer in 1928..

1926 Franklin Model 11-A Five Passenger Touring Car

Priced at $2,635, this 32 hp touring car--one of eight factory body styles offered--was built on a 119" wheelbase.  Touring cars, with their folding tops and detachable side curtains, were losing favour by this time against the more comfortable sedans.  Franklin had begun to offer closed cars, particularly limousines, early on, with sedans making up an important percentage of sales by 1914.

1926 Franklin Model 11-A Victoria Coupe

Most manufacturers offered a so-called "Business Coupe" version of their cars, which were no-frills vehicles aimed at travelling salesmen and other using cars for work, generally having only two seats.  This car, priced at $2,700, was a "Doctor's Coupe," which had a rear bench seat and normal driver's seat, but the front passenger seat could be folded down.  This allowed doctors to transport patients to medical facilities in the days before ambulances were commonly available.  Behind the driver's seat was a platform for carrying the doctor's bag.

1926 Franklin Model 11-A Two Passenger Sport Runabout

J. Frank de Causse's arrival at Franklin resulted in efforts by the company to become a style leader and nowhere is this more apparent in his introduction of the sporty "boat tail" style, which had only been seen on European high-end coachbuilt cars to that point.  It is ironic that Franklin, noted for its conservative clientele and sedate sedans, would be the first to introduce the boat tail, which would become famous later at Auburn, into its catalogue.

1928 Franklin Model 12-A Airman Seven Passenger Sedan

Although retaining many of the design features of de Causse, noted designer Raymond Dietrich suggested several exterior styling changes that were incorporated into the Airman line by Franklin. The cars still used the Franklin ash frame but now included four wheel hydraulic brakes and improvements to the 46 hp six cylinder engine, which gave the car a 60 mph top speed. Charles Lindbergh's own 1928 Airman Sport Sedan was donated to the Henry Ford Museum in 1940.

1929 Franklin Model 130 Convertible Coupe

This car, priced at $2,160, was built on a 120" wheelbase.  For 1929, the Franklin Series 13's were given steel chassis frames across the model range. They retained Franklin's traditional full-elliptic leaf spring setup and the four-wheel hydraulic brakes which had been adopted the year before. Three wheelbase lengths were now offered, plus a larger air-cooled, overhead valve six that displaced 274 cubic-inches and delivered 60 horsepower, while this example retained the 55 hp engine.

1930 Franklin Model 145 Convertible Coupe

1930 saw the introduction of a new side-draft aircooled engine, pushing horsepower up to 95 and making the car capable of speeds reaching 80 mph, far in excess of what could be done on most roads of the day.  This car, priced at $2,610, was one of 5,744 Franklins produced in the model year, a major drop from 1929 production.  Franklin was a luxury brand, with cars priced similarly to Packards, and felt the impact of the Great Depression rapidly.

1929 Franklin Model 130 Convertible Coupe

This convertible, built on the shorter 120" wheelbase offered in 1929, featured a rumble seat, giving the car passenger capacity for five.  It was priced at $2,160 and also has a compartment behind the passenger door for storing golf bags or other items.

1930 Franklin Model 147 Suburban

This Franklin Model 147 was built on a 132" wheelbase and was bodied by J.T. Cantrell & Company of Huntington, New York.  Cantrell offered three different styles of station wagon bodies, with this being the "curtain" version, with only the windshield being fixed glass.  It is believed that only two Franklin woodies were ever produced.

1932 Franklin Model 17-A Club Brougham

Franklin, long wedded to six cylinder engines, made a desperate attempt to compete with the extravagant multi-cylinder cars launched during the Great Depression by its competitors at Cadillac. Lincoln and Packard.  The result was the ill-fated Franklin V12, powered by a 150 hp, and introduced in April 1932, with prices ranging from $3,885 (the case for this car) to $4,185 for a limousine, the cars were essentially handbuilt.  Perhaps 200 were constructed between 1932 and 1934 and the H.H. Franklin Club estimates 18 exist today.  The V12 was in many ways counter to Franklin's long-held philosophy, with some versions weighing 6,000 lbs, but the cars are considered to handle better and offer a more comfortable ride than its competitors.

1932 Franklin Model 17-A Five Passenger Sedan

Remarkably the Northeast Classic Car Museum boasts two of the rare Franklin V12s, with this car, priced at the same $3,885 as the red Club Brougham.  It was claimed that the V12s, with their LeBaron-styled bodies, were capable of 100 mph.

1940 White-Horse 2 Tonner Delivery Van

The White Motor Company, an early manufacturer of steam cars that went on to concentrate on commercial vehicles with a focus on heavy trucks, also produced the White-Horse delivery van from 1939 to 1942.  Similar to the stand-and-drive Divco, which produced similar vans until 1986, the White was notable for using a Franklin air-cooled engine.  Two Franklin engineers had bought the remains of the company after bankruptcy in 1934 and continued production of the engines as Aircooled Motors, using the Franklin name as the brand, for trucks and industrial applications through the Great Depression.  The company was bought by Republic Aviation in 1945 and went into producing engines for light aircraft and helicopters before becoming part of the Preston Tucker car project in 1947.

The Gilmore Car Museum, Hickory Corners, Michigan, July 31, 2017--Part 10: CCCA Museum

The Classic Car Club of America (CCCA) was founded in 1952 and is dedicated to the collection, preservation and enjoyment of fine automobiles.  It is focused on high-end vehicles built from 1915 to 1948.  On the club's website it states:

Usually the cars recognized as "CCCA Classics" were built in limited production numbers and were quite expensive when new. As a group, they represent the pinnacle of engineering, styling and design for their era.

The list of "CCCA Classics" includes all of the big names you would expect, such as Bentley, Rolls-Royce, Duesenberg, Cord and so forth, along with specified models--all eight and 12 cylinder Auburns, or the 1929 Hudson Series L, for example--and then a great number of extremely rare and obscure marques: Biddle, Julian, Dorris, Templar, Wasp...

The idea of locating a CCCA Museum on the ground of the Gilmore began in 1984 and an historic two-story barn dating from the 1890s was found near Hickory Corners, disassembled, relocated to the grounds and rebuilt on the Gilmore site.  It was dedicated in June 1987.

The CCCA Museum houses an excellent selection of classic cars and mascots and walking into the entrance one sees them arrayed ahead in beautiful surroundings.  But the visitor is also struck by a drafting table and stool to the left.  It turns out that these are holy relics to classic car enthusiasts: they belonged to Ray Dietrich, the designer of many of the most beautiful cars to have been built in the Golden Age of Coachbuilding.

Raymond H. Dietrich (1894-1980) began his career at the age of 12 (!) as an apprentice engraver with the American Bank Note Company in Manhattan before moving on to a piano parts firm (as well as semi-pro baseball as a pitcher) until he joined Brewster & Company in 1913, his interest now turning to the automobile.  Trade school and completion of his apprenticeship followed, and he returned to Brewster after as stint at Chevrolet.  There he met Thomas Hibbard and the eventual result was the founding of LeBaron, Carrossiers, in 1920.  The company's focus was on design, with the actual coachwork building farmed out to specialists.  Dietrich was so highly regarded that Edsel Ford was anxious that he come to Detroit full time.  Leaving LeBaron, he established Dietrich, Inc., in 1925, backed by the Murray Body Corporation.  The company flourished until the Depression began and the designer left in 1930 to continue as a freelancer and consultant, doing work for Graham Paige, and Franklin before becoming head of design at Chrysler in 1931, staying there until 1938.  At that point he did work for Checker and then assisted in the design of the 1948 Tucker.  Dietrich continued to be active in coachwork design for limousines and show cars, ending his automotive work in 1960.  Following his death in 1980, his wife donated his collection of letters, drawings and drafting instruments to the CCCA Museum in 1995.

Ray Dietrich was inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame in 1974 "for his artistic ability and talents as a designer and creator, designing some of the great automobiles--Lincolns, Packards, Franklins, Pierce-Arrows and many other classics."

1938 Packard Victoria Convertible

Although Dietrich left Dietrich, Inc., in 1931, the Murray company continued to use his designs, with some updates, for years afterwards.  This 1938 Victoria Convertible was, at $6,000, the most expensive car available from Packard with an in-house body and bore a Dietrich label.  By 1939 the market for luxury cars had declined to the point where only Lincoln, Cadillac, and Packard remained.

1932 Pierce-Arrow Model 54 Club Sedan

The eight cylinder Series 54 was Pierce-Arrow's least expensive car, priced at $2,800, but while the model represented the majority of the company's sales that year (1,787 cars of 2,152 total--compared to over 10,000 in 1929), the company, then owned by Studebaker, was losing significant money.  In 1933 Studebaker was bankrupt and Pierce-Arrow was sold off to resume its life (albeit short) as an independent car manufacturer.

1928 Stutz Chantilly Sedan

This fine Stutz is equipped with a Weymann body, which used leather-like Zapron fabric stretched over a wooden frame.  The advantage of this construction, more common in Europe, was lightness and enhanced performance, elimination of squeaks and rattles, and its receptivity to more colourful paint colours.  Fewer than a dozen Weymann cars remain.  This particular Stutz was equipped with a rudimentary form of safety glass, with wire cast into the panes that would break into small pieces rather than large shards.  The new price of this Stutz was $4,120.  Stutz, another Depression victim, would only survive until 1934.

1937 Packard Twelve  1507 Coupe

Weighing in a 5,255 lbs, this magnificent V12 Packard was one of 1,300 produced.  Powered by a 175 hp engine and costing $3,420, it boasted independent front suspension and hydraulic brakes.  Packard was able to weather the Depression by relying on its "Junior" line of cars, of which some 118,000 were built in 1937, but the big V12 and eight cyclinder "Senior" cars gave the marque its luster.

1933 Stutz  DV-32 Monte Carlo 

The Stutz DV-32 was offered in factory and semi-custom bodies and the American Weymann Company's "Chateau Line" included the rakish Monte Carlo sports sedan, with its low roofline and integrated luggage compartment under a smoothly curving tail.  The Monte Carlo was available on the DV-32 chassis from 1931 until 1933 and soon after the body style was introduced in Weymann's Zapron synthetic leather there was another variant available in aluminum, as this is this example.  Only two 1933 Stutz DV-32s exist with the Monte Carlo body; it was the largest and most expensive Stutz available in the day, costing $6,595.

1939 Rolls-Royce Wraith Touring Limousine

The Wraith was introduced in 1938 as an all-new design but was produced for only two years before wartime requirements ended its production after 491 were built, making it one of the rarest Rolls-Royce models.  It was sold as a bare chassis for $5,000. This example is fitted with a custom body by James Young Ltd. of Derby, England and is powered with a six cylinder engine of 115 hp.

1931 Cadillac 370A Convertible Coupe

Cadillac introduced its V12 engine in October 1930, just nine months after the V16, and the car rode on a 140 inch wheelbase shared with the V8 models.  It featured hydraulic shock absorbers, synchromesh transmission, and vacuum-assisted brakes and all engine wiring and plumbing was hidden from view.  The body was by the Fleetwood Metal Body Company, which was part of the Fisher Body Division of General Motors, and which relocated from Pennsylvania to Detroit in 1931.  In 1931 a V12 Cadillac roadster paced the Indianapolis 500.

1933 Lincoln Model KB Phaeton

To compete with the multicylinder rivals at Cadillac, Packard and Marmon, Lincoln introduced its own V12 in 1932.  It is no surprise considering its $4,300 list price that only six of these beautiful Lincoln KB Phaetons were built during those Depression years.  The following year Lincoln brought in a less complex engine with better performance and continued to offer V12 cars (albeit in the smaller Continentals) until 1948, the last American car maker to do so.

1929 Lincoln Model L Four Door Limousine

The sign accompanying this car is so interesting I reproduce it in full:  "This 1929 Lincoln 4-Door Limousine with coachwork by the Willoughby Body Company was ordered by a Mrs. Stien of Greenwich, CT. She refused delivery of the car because she did not like the restyled 1929 Lincoln fenders. At her request the car was returned to Willoughby and given 1928 fenders and radiator shell. She also had the side mount spare tire installed with wood cabinets behind the front seat rather than the typical jump seats. Another feature were early tinted windows and a rooftop luggage rack for use during long trips.  This Limousine is in original, unrestored condition."

1948 Jaguar Mark IV Drophead Coupe

SS Cars Limited was renamed Jaguar Cars Limited and post World War II production began, as was the case for many manufacturers, with warmed-over pre-war models as a stop gap until new cars could be designed and produced.  Offered as the  1.5-Liter, 2.5-Liter or 3.5-Liter, the cars were retroactively renamed "Mark IV" as they were followed by an all-new Mark V in late 1948. The all-steel bodies were offered in either sedan or convertible styles.  This car, with the luxurious interior that was to be a hallmark of Jaguar, was powered by the 3.5 liter engine and would have cost $2,400 when new.

1932 Buick Series 90 Four Door Club Sedan

It is not much remembered today as it becomes known as only the brand that Chinese sales are keeping alive but Buick was the original foundation of General Motors and had a reputation for high quality and advanced engineering.  A number of Buick models between 1930 and 1941 are classified by the CCCA as Full Classics.  At $1,820, this Series 90 car was twice as expensive as the entry-level Series 50 Buicks.  1932 was the year that Buick offered "Wizard Control" synchromesh transmissions in its cars.  This Club Sedan, a new body style in 1932, was a top-of-the-line car weighing 4,620 lbs and powered by an inline OHV eight cylinder engine of  113 hp and with 250 lb-ft of torque @ 1400 rpm.  Wire wheels and dual sidemounts were standard on all Series 90 cars.

1930 Packard 734 Sport Speedster Sedan

One of the most desirable of all classic Packards, the Speedster series was introduced to meet competition from Cadillac's V16 cars.  The model used a highly modified Standard Eight chassis coupled with an also modified Deluxe Eight engine.  The cars were lower than regular Packards and bodies, which came in four styles, narrower.  A range of options were available and the Speedster had a unique dual updraft carburetor.  In its highest-performance configuration, the car, priced at $6,000, was capable of 100 mph.  For some reason, Packard did little to promote these cars and only 113 were built, with a mere 16 in the sedan version.

1939 Buick Century Series 60 Dual Cowl Phaeton

This extraordinary one-of-a-kind car was given a "Redfern Salon Tourer" body by a car dealership that also did custom bodywork in Kent, England.  Maltby's Motor Works Ltd. offered a range of bodies and not only did Buicks but a range of others, including Lagondas and Oldsmobiles, as well as commercial vehicles.  The car in the museum, which is left-hand drive, was shown at the New York Auto Show in 1939 and was sold to a Danish furniture manufacturer.  The outbreak of war prevented the car from being shipped to Europe and it was stored in a warehouse for the duration.  In 1960 the owner died and willed the car to his chauffeur, who took it to Denmark where, a decade later, it was acquired by a GM executive.  The car has fitted luggage for its oddly-shaped trunk, and an extensive tool kit.

Members of the British Royal Family liked 1930s Buicks and purchased a number of McLaughlin-Buicks from Canada and the Prince of Wales ordered a customized Series 90 Limousine in 1936.  Subsequent to his abdication as King of England, the car followed him in exile to France.

1936 Buick Roadmaster Convertible

The Roadmaster was introduced in 1936 as a sportier alternative (!) to the more formal Limited series of Buicks but above the mid-level Century models.  It came in either four door sedan or convertible phaeton versions and was an immediate success.  It is powered by a 320 cu. in. eight cylinder engine of 120 hp and was listed at $1,565.  1936 is seen by automotive historians as the year that Buick underwent a renaissance, with dramatic new styling and technical advances including independent front suspension and alloy pistons.  The big Roadmaster, weighing 4,228 lbs, was capable of 90 mph.

1930 Cadillac Series 353 Convertible Coupe

Although 1930 marked the introduction of Cadillac's V16 and V12 engines and the beginning of multicylinder competition among luxury carmakers, Cadillac was able to weather the Great Depression primarily thanks to its V8 models.  This Convertible Coupe, priced at $3,595, featured one of the seven body styles offered through the Fisher Custom Line, but another eleven styles were available as semi-customs through the Fleetwood division.

1947 Cadillac Series 62 Sedanette Fastback

Known more commonly as a Cadillac Streamlined Fastback Coupe, this car was essentially a continuation of pre-World War II cars in terms of engineering and with only minor styling facelift efforts.  The demand for cars was so high that it would not be until 1948 that newer designs were needed in the marketplace.

1938 Buick Series 40 Special

This right-hand drive Buick was deliver to the Singer Sewing Machine Company in London and given a custom body by Lancefield Coachworks, a maker of bespoke bodies for expensive chassis from 1921 until 1948.  The car, with an all-aluminum body, can have its convertible top closed, open, or open only over the front seats.  The car has only 24,000 original miles on it.

1935 Cadillac Series 353 Rumble Seat Coupe

By 1935 rumble seats must have been something of an anachronism but Cadillac, anxious to get all the business it could in difficult economic times, offered no fewer than 240 combinations of series,  styles, engines, and coachbuilders in 1935 and while sales were half of what they had been pre-Depression, Cadillac remained the most successful luxury car brand.  This V8 Coupe had a factory price of $2,435.

1940 Cadillac Series 62 Convertible Coupe

1940 marked the introduction of Cadillac's sleek new Series 62 with a raked windshield.  The Convertible Coupe, priced at $1,795, was introduced mid-year.  All Series 62s featured sealed beam headlights and running boards and sidemount spares were still available as options.  The car had a 135 hp engine displacing 346 cu. in. and weighed 4.045 lbs.

1933 Cadillac 370C Town Car

The only known example of this Fleetwood-bodied Town Car known to exist today, this 370C features Cadillac's V12 engine of 112 hp and would have been identical to V8 models of the same year.  At 5,400 lbs and costing nearly $5,000, this car would have made a statement pulling up to the opera in 1933.

Hispano-Suiza Mascot

The museum has an amazing collection of motoring mascots, donated by one of its members.  From the CCCA Museum's website:

The Marvin Tamaroff Mascot Collection is a world-class collection including many rare, one-of-a-kind sculptured pieces. Believed to be the largest in the world, the collection of nearly 700 rare, exciting and original hood ornaments are displayed in the CCCA Museum for visitors to enjoy.In the early days, automobile manufacturers started adopting “mascots,” also known as hood ornaments, as artistic decorations for their radiator caps. Artists would create special designs and figures for that market, and their signatures or initials may be seen on many of these ornaments, usually on the back side of the mascot. Visitors frequently ask what make of car used these mascots. There is no simple answer, because most were purchased as special accessories from dealers or specialty shops and mounted onto whatever car the owner was driving. The Tamaroff Collection includes many factory-standard mascots such as the Rolls-Royce Flying Ladies, Mercedes-Benz three-pointed stars, Bentley flying letter B’s and Jaguars.

For the visitor's enjoyment, you can get a look at each one of the mascots without the reflection of the glass cases through an online viewer here.

Upper Floor of the CCCA Museum

1929 Lincoln Model L Sport Phaeton

Under Edsel Ford's direction, staid Lincoln had become one of the most stylish brands in America and this fine Sport Phaeton featured a custom body by Locke & Co. of New York.  It was used by the Detroit Police Commissioner; Lincoln Phaetons were assigned to each Detroit Police Precinct for the use of special squads and chief detectives in the Prohibition Era.  The fast Lincolns were liked by criminals as well as law enforcement.

1937 Cord  812 Supercharged Beverly Sedan

An iconic Gordon Buehrig design of the 1930s, the Cord 810/812 was available in four body styles.  Originally meant to be a "baby Duesenberg," the Cord was technically advanced and in the Beverly Sedan version quite luxurious.  This car came from the last year of production, with around 3,000 Cords having been built between 1935 and 1937, and with Duesenberg and Auburn already gone this was, fittingly, the final car from the E.L. Cord business empire.

1929 Cord L-29 Town Car

The 1929 Cord was America's first production front-wheel drive car, inspired by the Indy 500-winner Miller-powered racecar.  While perhaps overweight at 4,300 lbs and underpowered with only 125 hp, it was a strikingly good-looking car with a low hoodline.  5,000 were produced between 1929 and 1932 but only 43 had custom bodies.  This example features a body by Belgian coachbuilder D'Ieteran Freres, which produced around 6,000 bodies between 1897 and 1940, and still exists today as the Belgian importer of Volkswagen Group cars.  The body on this Cord was transferred from the owner's 1927 Minerva, a common practice in the coachbuilt era.

1926 Wills Sainte Claire Model T-6 Four Door Phaeton

Production of the Wills Sainte Claire began in 1921 following C. Harold Wills' rancorous departure from the Ford Motor Company in 1919 but collapsed in financial difficulty a year later.  It was revived by Wills in 1923 and manufacturing of this high quality but expensive car continued only until 1927.  This 1926 example features a phaeton body by the Gotfredson Body Company of Wayne, Michigan.  This was a company related to American Auto Trimming, which had flourished by producing Ford Model T bodies, and also had operations to make commercial vehicles in the US and Canada.  The Wills' 65 hp V8 engine was inspired by the World War I aero engines produced by Hispano-Suiza and featured a twin overhead camshaft and one-piece cylinder head and block.  It was expensive to build and apparently too complicated for most mechanics to service.

1931 Packard 833 Club Sedan

In 1931 Packard cars represented 50% of all luxury car sales worldwide.  Eleven different body styles were offered for the Model 833 in 1931, and the L-head straight eight engine was upgraded to 100 hp.  The five passenger Club Sedan shown would have cost $2,675.

Continue to Part 11 of the Gilmore Car Museum visit here.