1927 Franklin 11B Boattail Roadster

1927 Franklin 11B Boattail Roadster

This highly attractive 1927 Franklin 11B Boattail Roadster with rumble seat is an incredibly rare find. Yellow with black interior. An honest car wearing an older restoration. Just out of loving ownership. It runs and drives well and presents very nicely overall. The body is super straight and the underside is very clean and solid. The paint is showing its age in a few areas and the interior is well worn in with a few splits on the driver side. The soft top also requires some attention. You just don't find these cars and this one is in very good condition overall. The Franklin Automobile Company was a maker of automobiles in the United States between 1902 and 1934 in Syracuse, New York. One major characteristic of their automobiles were their air-cooled engines which the company considered simpler and more reliable than water cooling. Franklin cars were technological leaders, first with six cylinders (by 1905) and automatic spark advance, in 1907. Demonstrating reliability, L.L. Whitman drove a Franklin from New York City to San Francisco in 1906 in 15 days 2 hours 15 minutes, a new record. Franklin were undisputed leaders in air-cooled cars at a time when virtually every other manufacturer had adopted water cooling as cheaper and easier to manufacture. Before the invention of antifreeze, the air-cooled car had a huge advantage in cold weather, and Franklins were popular among people such as doctors, who needed an all-weather machine. Starting in 1925, at the demand of dealers, Franklins were redesigned to look like conventional cars sporting a massive nickel-plated "dummy radiator" which served as an air intake. This design enabled the Franklin to employ conventional styling. The same year, Franklin introduced the boat-tail to car design. This particular example is mechanically sound and ready for weekend drives and tours. A charming car with lots of character and a unique opportunity to own a very special car.