The H. H. Franklin Manufacturing Company, located in Syracuse, New York, was a a maker of automobiles between 1902 and 1934. The company was founded by Herbert H. Franklin with the assistance of engineer John Wilkinson. Franklin automobiles offered the first six-cylinders (by 1905), the first automatic spark advance (1907), and were the leading air-cooled automobiles on the market (most other autos were water-cooled, which was problematic for cold-weather buyers such as those in Syracuse). Franklin also manufactured air-cooled engines for light aircraft and early American helicopters.
The company produced automobiles as The Franklin Automobile Company. The company went bankrupt in 1934, but a group of former Franklin employees formed Air-Cooled Motors of Syracuse, bought Franklin's name and assets, and continued production of Franklin air-cooled engines for several years. The company eventually passed through several corporate hands including Republic (aircraft),Tucker Industries (Tucker automobile), and Aero Industries; the latter renamed it Franklin Engine Company. In 1975 the company was purchased by the government of Poland and relocated to Rzeszów.
From the guide to the Franklin Automobile 25th Anniversary Broadside, 1927, (Special Collections Research Center, Syracuse University Libraries)
