1924 American LaFrance Speedster

14th Jun, 2023 13:00
Imperial War Museum | Duxford, Cambridgeshire
www.handh.co.uk/auction/lot/l...
Built into Speedster configuration at great expense over a three-year period
Features a 14.5-litre straight-six engine with chain drive
Uprated with power steering to make the Speedster very usable
Incredible fun and, in our opinion, presented delightfully!
Forever synonymous with broken road surfaces, billowing dust clouds, drainpipe exhausts and terrifying drift angles, the 'chain-drive era' is for many one of the most romantic in motoring history. Indeed, it is not hard to see why some people go to such great lengths to recreate or mimic the leviathan racers of the Veteran and Edwardian ages. Designed for quite a different purpose, the chassis and running gear from American LaFrance fire appliances have long been sought after by enthusiasts who consider propshafts and the like a touch too ordinary, with huge displacement meeting chain drive in connection with wooden spoked wheels providing exhilarating excitement.
Manufactured new in Elmira, Chemung County, New York City in 1924, this now nearly 100-year-old vehicle began life as a Type 75 Fire Engine. Its post-service history is unknown until the LaFrance was discovered in a barn in Upstate New York in 2014. Subsequently shipped to the United Kingdom, chassis number 5719 was converted to a Speedster over a three-year period at great expense. This work involved significant reconfiguration, lowering the steering column, shortening the chassis by approximately 500mm, and inverting the rear springs. The brake drums were machined and new teeth were produced to fit the uprated chain gauge, with the brakes themselves also relined. The dramatic drive sprockets were fitted, with new wheel rims provided to the ALF but aged to look in-keeping (which were made at great cost and shipped from the United States). This included the spare wheel, with all six tyres being replaced in the last few years.
The vendor informs that ‘the view from the driver's seat is almost unrivalled and offers a driving experience rarely attainable in the modern age’. The 900cu inch 14.5-litre six-cylinder T Head engine features valves on the outside of the engine in this configuration. To ensure reliability when attending a fire, the American LaFrance was built with a twin ignition system of coil and distributor, and also magneto. Both systems are currently operational. Chassis 5719 is a factory 12-volt model, which the vendor (who has owned both) informs ‘is easier to live with than 6-volt models’. A new water pump with stainless steel shaft has also been installed.
The colossal engine sends the power to the rear wheels via a three-speed manual gearbox and bronze differential. The petrol tank is now housed in a ‘chemical tank’ which was an early form of fire extinguisher that features highly decorative planished detail and cost over £2,000. Upon completion of the Speedster, it was sensibly upgraded with power steering to ease the driving experience, with the conversion from a David Brown tractor, and is fitted so as to be in keeping with the appearance of the overall vehicle. Interestingly, despite the scale of the vehicle, it can be transported on a standard car transporter trailer.
LaFrance Speedsters such as this rarely come to market, and with such visual appeal, it would surely grace any collection, or be an incredibly fun classic to use throughout the upcoming summer months.
For more information, please contact:
Paul Cheetham
[e-mail]
07538 667452

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it would have been nice to hear the engine rather than the music