American LaFrance Open Speedster 1918 - World Of Classic Cars -

American LaFrance Open Speedster 1918

In 1871, Truckson LaFrance, whose family trade was iron working, started building rotary steam engines and in 1903, built approximately 25 chain drive cars with tube coil radiators mounted below the front of the frame, 'rear-entrance tonneau' seating, all righthand drive. The price was set at $5,000 and all the vehicles were sold exclusively by Sidney Bowman of New York City. 1906 saw the experiment of shaft drive cars although this was not pursued. In 1909, Simplex chain-drive rolling chassis were purchased and shipped to the new LaFrance factory in Elmira, New York where new bodies were fitted and badged as LaFrance.

American LaFrance Open Speedster 1918

In 1910 Simplex contracted LaFrance to design for them a 50hp, four cylinder engine and later the following year, an American LaFrance four cylinder, 50hp Roadster was entered in the one mile dirt track race at the Syracuse New York State Fair.  This resulted in Type 75-12-10 & 38 model vehicles being manufactured with approximately 5,000 built until around 1925. These were all in the style that we see this vehicle in today, albeit with an assortment of configurations. Mercedes-Benz, through their subsidiary Freightliner Corp, purchased the American LaFrance Company in its entirety from the Figgie International Company.  With it came the oldest surviving LaFrance car, a 1911 four cylinder, 50hp Roadster and 14 fully restored American LaFrance Fire Trucks which are all now housed in the new LaFrance Museum in Cleveland, North Carolina.