Franklin National Economy Test. Ninety-four Cars Average 32.8 Miles on One Gallon of Gasoline. A National Proof of Franklin Economy

Syracuse, NY: Franklin Automobile Company, 1914. Approximately 6 x 9 inches, 16 pp, with half-tone illustrations in the text. Stapled wrappers. But for a previous owner's ink stamp in purple ink on both the upper wrap and title page, the pamphlet is fine, clean, and bright. Not found in OCLC. An early study of fuel economy, using "certified tests, all runs on the same day, different cars, different drivers, different weather and road conditions." On May 1, 1914, the Franklin Automobile Company dispatched 94 Franklin Six-Thirties from dealerships across the U.S. and Canada--each with exactly one gallon of gas in its tank--to be driven until the tank was empty, with the aim of going as far as possible (coasting was allowed). The distance traveled was then measured, telegraphed back to headquarters, and tallied. Captured herein are extracts from local news reports, technical details of both the vehicles and the testing regimen, and verbatim excerpts from a number of the rather breathless reports. Also included are the result of each run, including the city, dealer name, distance traveled, and the weather ("warm and fair in Southern California," "twelve inches of snow in the upper peninsula of Michigan"). The Milwaukee dealership brought home the win with a startling 51.2 mpg, but even the average of 31.2 mpg was considered a rousing success, setting "a new high mark in efficiency and economy" and offering "proof positive of the...real worth of the Franklin Car.