1916 American LaFrance Speedster

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=2395537594231817&set=gm.3797216543905578&idorvanity=1530498137244108

interesting variety coming to auction

https://bids.aumannauctions.com/auctions/43248/lot/6735918-volkswagen-split-window-beetle

https://bids.aumannauctions.com/auctions/43248/lot/6735936-american-lafrance-ladder-truck

https://bids.aumannauctions.com/auctions/43248/lot/6735954-diamond-t-truck

https://bids.aumannauctions.com/auctions/43248/lot/6735933-army-2-1-2-ton-6x6-dump-truck

https://bids.aumannauctions.com/auctions/43248/lot/6735960-san-francisco-trolley-bus

It's great to learn that celebs that can afford to help the volunteers, and the fire departments, and George just let me know that Jay Leno took his 41 fire engine to deliver a catered lunch several locations the fire fighters are using as forward deployed bases

 

Thanks George! 

seen on Adams ave

 this is a mobile wood fired pizza business... 

It's a mile from where I found the yellow one a decade ago, so, it's likely a newer one of theirs https://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2013/03/dang-brothers-wood-fired-pizza-uses.html and it's the same style American LaFrance

This 1925 American LaFrance Type 75 was originally dispatched to the West Palm Beach Florida Fire Department, and served as pumper #4 until about 1966.

this would be just incredible to drive across country in something like the Great Race, or even better, slowly through the small backroads while taking the time to stop everywhere to see everything

 

Of course, for such an enjoyable use, unlike museum time showing it's functional accessories, I'd leave everything in storage like that spotlight, extinguishers, ladders

After it's retirement, the pump was removed and a simple touring style body was installed, and it served duty at a resort providing transport for wedding parties and tours. 

The chain drive American LaFrance chassis traces its origin to the early days of motoring. The design of the 1904 Mercedes was recognized as the most advanced at the time, and many manufacturers followed the design and configuration. The Simplex Automobile Co. was one such manufacturer. The Mercedes 50hp was copied by Simplex in New York City. 

The engines were large T head models with three speed transaxles and dual chain drive to the rear wheels. They even copied the shape of the radiator. 

When American LaFrance decided to seriously get into motorized fire apparatus in 1909, they bought two Simplex car chassis upon which they built two rigs. They then went on in 1910 to copy the Simplex and built their own rigs from the ground up to a larger capacity then the Simplex/Benz. American LaFrance offered their chain drive chassis until 1927

https://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/cars-for-sale/american-lafrance/type-75/2636621.html

Am I right in thinking this is a roadster? 

Hemmings didn't give away magazines at SEMA this year, but their website is still putting up really damn good content daily, like this 1925 American LaFrance Type 75, SEMA coverage, and a Canadian 1966 Studebaker Daytona Sport Sedan

https://www.hemmings.com/stories/hfod-1925-american-lafrance

https://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/cars-for-sale/american-lafrance/type-75/2636621.html
https://www.hemmings.com/stories/sema-lt4-1968-international-travelall/
https://www.hemmings.com/stories/driveable-dream-1966-studebaker-daytona/
https://www.hemmings.com/stories/supercar-reunion-returns-to-kentucky/

https://www.facebook.com/supercarreunion/

great way for kids to get out and play with the fire trucks, and for the museums to keep the engines running

 

https://usautoindustryworldwartwo.com/americanlafrance.htm

the American LaFrance Fire Engine Company is the result of a merger between the American Fire Engine Company of Seneca Falls and the LaFrance Fire Engine Company of Elmira New York (Founded in 1873 by Truckson LaFrance, what a great first name)

https://www.militarytrader.com/military-vehicles/a-navy-american-lafrance-fire-truck

American LaFrance and Brockway Motor Company teamed up from 1920-1924 to produce these units which, due to low cost, were sold to many volunteer fire departments. 

It's rare that I come across a Brockway, and I can't remember ever finding a Brockway fire truck

https://usautoindustryworldwartwo.com/americanlafrance.htm

A 1922 Type 75 American-LaFrance fire truck in Palmer Alaska, probably 1949, “ALASKA RAILROAD FIRE DEPARTMENT” is stamped on the engine hood, it was the second powered engine in Anchorage

A child is visible on the seat at the steering wheel, his trusty cap pistol ready at hand on the seat beside him.

 “ALASKA RAILROAD FIRE DEPARTMENT” is stamped on the engine hood, and a U.S. Federal property decal, visible on the side of the foot rest.

At the time of the photo, this truck was part of the railroad that was still owned and operated by the federal government. Various information indicates the model year of this truck as 1909 or 1916.

https://www.mvhphotoproject.org/artifacts/fire-truck-1

 The engine is now owned by the Alaska Fire Service Museum Association in Anchorage. It is displayed at the main fire station and brought out each year on the 1st Sunday of August for a large car shown

Thank you Ross Woodman! 

an American LaFrance Speedster that had it's first life as the Colorado Springs Fire Department's fire engine in 1915, but eventually was abandoned in a Missouri field and not rescued until 2013

Powered by a 14.5-litre six-cylinder and a three-speed transmission delivering power to the rear wheels via chain drive. 37 inch tires



https://www.driven.co.nz/lifestyle/classic-cars/some-like-it-hot-1915-lafrance-speedster/

WOW New American LaFrance T head cylinders are now available for models 4cyl type 10 and 6cyl type 75 engines through 1924.

https://www.halfillinger.com/sale-new-american-lafrance-t-head-cylinder-castings

1959 Dodge Power Wagon "Little Mo" fire truck by American LaFrance coming to auction

http://rmsothebys.com/ca17/santa-monica/lots/1959-dodge-power-wagon-little-mo-fire-truck-by-american-lafrance/1703697

the Ferrari hauler LaFrance

http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2016/08/gary-briggs-came-to-concorso-italiano.html for last years post

a variety of cool 1930s fire trucks

https://myntransportblog.com/2016/02/07/american-lafrance-1873-2014-usa/

Looks like a hot air balloon basket on the back of that 1907 American LaFrance

https://myntransportblog.com/2016/02/07/american-lafrance-1873-2014-usa/

some crazy wonderful gearheads took a pair of American LaFrance speedsters to the Paris to Peking Rally

Inspired by the above 2007 entrant to the rally, the Traftons began a mission to rally from China to France with their own ginormous cars, and what they started with after looking around the USA for some American LaFrance cars:

http://www.blackhorseracing.com/building-road-rally-racing-roadster/  all of the drop down menus do NOT link to other pages, they result in downloads of some file. I'm not opening them.

They brought a 1915 and a 1925 American LaFrance speedster on the Peking to Paris Rally http://www.endurorally.com/pages/peking-to-paris-motor-challenge-2016-participants

Tim – owner of Red Car Restorations in Rockwall – and his team of auto craftsmen hand-built a 1915 and 1925 American LaFrance, which he and the owner of the vehicles, Steve Trafton of Whidbey Island, WA, will pilot for the month-long rally.

The project took two years to complete, turning what were once two fire trucks into finely-tuned Speedsters measuring nine and a half feet tall and 20 feet long, with the tires measuring at 40 inches tall and the engine displacement at 900 cubic inches.

Steve Trafton(USA) / Katherine Trafton(USA)       1915 - American La France
Tim Taylor(USA) / Ike Trafton(USA)                      1925 - American La France

http://blueribbonnews.com/2016/05/rockwall-resident-to-pilot-custom-built-vintage-car-in-worlds-longest-rally/

Below is a 1917 LaFrance Tourer Speedster

http://gerardbrown.photoshelter.com/gallery-image/Day-13-Aya-Novosibirsk/G0000LBduz1kvr2k/I0000Jeq2wrDT0Nk/C0000ihFK0ADq8ds

http://gerardbrown.photoshelter.com/gallery-image/Day-02-Datong-Erenhot/G0000VuESEKlPYDo/I0000nUuhIOL_SBg/C0000ihFK0ADq8ds

a car that can be driven across a continent, and a car you can stand on... I dig that.
http://gerardbrown.photoshelter.com/gallery-image/Place-Vendome/G0000AbvLgyIVNSE/I0000Sj7V9olaep0/C0000ihFK0ADq8ds

http://gerardbrown.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/Peking-to-Paris-2016/C0000ihFK0ADq8ds  is a great link to see the cars on the route, or get a gallery of any one particular car based on the number it was registered with at this list of oldest to newest in each class http://www.endurorally.com/pages/peking-to-paris-motor-challenge-2016-participants

just waiting through the years for a new home and some owner that will appreciate a 1917 American LaFrance firetruck

and I just learned that the co-founder's name was Truckson LaFrance. interesting 1st name

http://jingletruck.com/1917-american-lafrance-fire-17387

How a JOX model American LaFrance ladder truck was delivered in the 40s

The straight-frame Model JO and JOX was the industry's fist compact, cab forward service aerial. The JO/JOX established the basic configuration of American aerial ladder trucks for many years to come. This pioneering design placed the engine and driver ahead of the front axle. An extremely wide cab enveloped the entire front end of the vehicle. The compact JO/JOX was significantly shorter than a conventional six-wheel tractor-trailer aerial ladder truck. With an overall length of 40 feet, 30 inches, the JO/JOX would fit into any fire station that could house a standard city service ladder truck. Best of all there was no need for a tillerman to steer the rear end of the apparatus.

https://www.trucksplanet.com/catalog/model.php?id=1217

33 cars who set out to tour New Zealand in January 1917, to survey the roads to get improvements made, only 10 made it

100 people including MPs, Roads Board members, business managers, telegraph operators, photographers, an ambulance man, three land scouts, a biographer, and a handful of reporters were in 33 cars set out on the tour in January 1917.

Only 10 cars completed the journey, such were the Northland roads and conditions.

Back then the roads North from Auckland were the worst in the country - so when rain began to fall, the dust clouds that had covered everyone were replaced by mud and slush. Cars capsized or became bogged, axles broke and tires burst, making the two week journey arduous and unpleasant.

Many of the cars had to be towed out by teams of ox, and so many became fed up with the conditions they resorted to shipping their cars back.

In spite of these atrocious conditions it was not until 1936 the road became an all weather route through the Waipu Gorge and the main road didn't pass over the Brynderwyns until 1938.

Construction of the coastal road north of Wellington, 1939.

Yesterday they finished a centennial with 100 year old cars, and some people were in period correct costumes, and where possible they took the original route, but avoided areas where they would hold up traffic

this American LaFrance speedster is featured at http://www.driven.co.nz/reviews/classic-cars/some-like-it-hot-1915-lafrance-speedster/

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/northland-age/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503402&objectid=11786946
http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/257047/318825.html?1351316974

http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/northland/whangarei-leader/88317965/Centennial-re-enactment-of-Northlands-parliamentary-tour
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/AS19170131.2.96
https://nzhistory.govt.nz/media/photo/centennial-highway