Only 1927 Franklin Sedan on the road in Australia.
Completely restored for long distance touring.
Successfully used on a Careflight charity round Australia journey.

Originally costing $2,790.00 in 1927 (when a Ford of the same year typically cost $550.00), this Franklin Model 11-B was fitted with sedan coachwork made of aluminium and steel, part of the range of stylish coachwork by J Frank de Causse.

Discovered in 1997 after spending 34 years in storage in a Phoenix, Arizona garage, the vehicle was recommisioned over a one week period and driven 1,600 kilometres to Long Beach, California via the Mexican border, never missing a beat despite the 42-degree heat of the Californian desert.

After shipping the Franklin home in 1998, the current Sydney owner undertook a major three-year restoration in preparation for a trip around Australia, intended to be the first successful circumnavigation of the continent (including Tasmania) by a Franklin car. Total expenditure was estimated at $85,000; work on the engine and clutch alone came to almost $20,000, including the replacement of the connecting rods with precision steel rods, complementing the Franklin’s seven main bearing crankshaft. Easily reversable modifications for the journey included electronic ignition, Spicer universal joints, a hydraulic steering damper, an A-frame tow bar and paired 6-volt and 12-volt electrics for the radio, GPS, CB radio, converter and charger.

Completed in 2013, the trip raised awareness and money to support Careflight, the lifesaving airbone medical evacuation service. The Franklin completed the 27,000 kilometre odyssey without a hitch, testimony to both the inherent quality of the original design and the current owner’s preparation.

Believed to be the only roadworthy example of 1927 Franklin Sedan on the road in Australia, the car has also been driven on numerous club rallies and always proven reliable. Currently registered on non-transferable historic plates in NSW, the car will be sold unregistered and comes with an original handbook, starting instructions and an extensive history file.