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| 1928 Chevrolet National Series AB Pickup Truck |
Photo by Douglas Wilkinson at the National Automobile Museum in Reno, Nevada.
1928 Chevrolet National Series AB Pickup Truck
Photo by Douglas Wilkinson at the National Automobile Museum in Reno, Nevada.
1937 Airomobile Prototype
1937 Airomobile prototype photographed by Douglas Wilkinson at the National Auto Museum in Reno, Nevada.
Following closure of the Franklin Automobile Company in 1934, former Franklin engineers Carl Doman and Edward Marks organized their firm to develop a new air-cooled engine design. Paul Lewis of Denver, Colorado, conceived the idea for this futuristic automobile in the early 1930s, and in 1936 contracted with Doman and Marks to build a prototype. Working from an aerodynamically-styled model created by John Tjaarda, designer of the Lincoln Zephyr, construction began on the unusual three-wheeled front-drive Airomobile and it was pronounced road-ready in April 1937. The Airomobile prototype shown here, was driven more than 45,000 miles throughout the United States in a promotional effort to raise production capital. While the Airomobile proved itself a technical success by performing creditably at speeds of up to 80 miles per hour and averaging 43.6 miles per gallon, financial backing was not forthcoming. Although intended as a low-cost mass-produced people's car, this was the only Airomobile built.
Specifications:
Model Experimental Sedan
Built By: Lewis American Airways, Inc., Rochester, New York
Price: $550 (Projected)
Engine: Doman-Marks, Air-Cooled OHV, 4-Cylinder (Horizontally Opposed), 60 hp, 129.9 cid
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| 1937 Airomobile Prototype |
Following closure of the Franklin Automobile Company in 1934, former Franklin engineers Carl Doman and Edward Marks organized their firm to develop a new air-cooled engine design. Paul Lewis of Denver, Colorado, conceived the idea for this futuristic automobile in the early 1930s, and in 1936 contracted with Doman and Marks to build a prototype. Working from an aerodynamically-styled model created by John Tjaarda, designer of the Lincoln Zephyr, construction began on the unusual three-wheeled front-drive Airomobile and it was pronounced road-ready in April 1937. The Airomobile prototype shown here, was driven more than 45,000 miles throughout the United States in a promotional effort to raise production capital. While the Airomobile proved itself a technical success by performing creditably at speeds of up to 80 miles per hour and averaging 43.6 miles per gallon, financial backing was not forthcoming. Although intended as a low-cost mass-produced people's car, this was the only Airomobile built.
Specifications:
Model Experimental Sedan
Built By: Lewis American Airways, Inc., Rochester, New York
Price: $550 (Projected)
Engine: Doman-Marks, Air-Cooled OHV, 4-Cylinder (Horizontally Opposed), 60 hp, 129.9 cid
1906 Adams-Farwell Model 6A Convertible Runabout
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| 1906 Adams-Farwell Model 6A Convertible Runabout |
The Adams Company was formed in 1895 in Dubuque, Iowa when F. O. Farwell joined Herbert and Eugene Adams in their experiments with gasoline engines. They produce a unique air-cooled engine in which the crankshaft was anchored solidly to the rear frame and the cylinders rotated around it enabling the engine to serve as its own flywheel and receive excellent cooling. In addition, the centrifugal force acted like a horizontal gyroscope that tended to hold the car level.
After 1908 the company introduced no new models and went out of business in 1913.
Approximately 52 Adams-Farwell cars were made and this 1906 model is the only one known to exist today.
The 1906 Adams-Farwell pictured featured:
Engine: Air-Cooled Rotary 5-Cylinder
Bore: 5"
Stroke: 5"
Displacement: 490.9 cubic-inches
Horsepower: 40-45
Body By: Connolly Carriage and Buggy Company
Price: $2,500
This car featured a unique steering system that could be installed at either the rear or front seat. Installed in the front allowed for more passengers; installed in the rear offered better weather protection for the driver.
Photo By: Douglas Wilkinson
Location: National Automobile Museum in Reno, NV
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