Serial No...........1343801
Model................10B
Cylinders............6 Air-Cooled
Body Style.........California Hard Top Touring with sliding side windows
Wheel size.........24"
Tire size.............32" x 4"
Transmission.....3 speed forward 1 reverse
Body..................Aluminum with steel fenders.

      This car was built in November 1922 the 367th. of 10,575 cars built by the company that year and in 1998 is the 8th oldest 1923 Franklin known to exist. It is painted Brewster green with black fenders. The car was purchased new by Robert Mason, a Timber Cruiser and Bookkeeper for the Adams River Lumber mill in Chase, B.C., from S.O. Logan & Co., Franklin dealer located at the corner of Howe and Pacific in Vancouver, B.C. The lumber mill where Mr. Mason was the manager was owned by the Dole Pineapple Co. Mr. Mason lived in the Underwood Hotel and kept the car in a garage behind the hotel. Long time residents of Chase can remember seeing Mr. Mason driving the car around town, often transporting the Underwood sisters on their errands. Here is a submission from Lion member Bill Valli.

     "To a youngster growing up in Chase in 1939, Robert Mason's Franklin was already an oddity. Like the other kids, I would sneak up to the garage by the Underwood Hotel and peek through knot holes and cracks in the wall to see this strange old 1923 car.

     The big excitement came in the summer when the car would actually come out of the garage and drive around Chase. It would usually come down what is now called Hillside Drive on a jaunt to the lake. Robert Mason would sit at the wheel, dressed smartly in suit and tie with a Fedora atop his head. My main recollection of the car is that it looked brand new and ran so quietly. Up until the time I left Chase in the early 1950's, the summer outings of the car continued in more or less the same routine.

     As the car was never driven in the winter and usually on only short trips in the summer, I would guess that it still has very low mileage.

     As for passengers in the vehicle, I'm sure only a select few ever had the opportunity to ride in this wonderful car including perhaps the owners of the Underwood Hotel, Margaret and Gladys Underwood.

     The owner of the car, Robert Mason, was a resident of Chase Throughout his life."

     Robert Mason owned the car until 1964 when it was acquired by Bert Beaton of Vancouver, B.C. who moved the car to Vancouver. Mr. Beaton stated he never had any overheating problems with the air cooled engine, despite driving it in hot summer areas around Ashcroft and Kamloops. Mr. Beaton displayed the car in many antique car tours in B.C. and north west U.S.

     Mr. Lorne Findlay, Transportation Historian, of Vancouver, B.C. contacted me by email and stated, In 1980 the British Columbia Museum of Transportation was formed and located in New Westminster, B.C. It was formed and funded by the B.C. Development Corporation of the B.C. Government. Mr. Findlay was asked to join the organization in 1981 and was hired as the Collections Manager. He was given many tasks, including evaluating, acquiring and restoring artifacts as well as documentation, researching and photographing exhibits. Mr. Findlay states that Bert Beaton was interested in what we were doing and visited us, let us seek his advice and joined in some of our activities through the years. When the time came for Bert to think of cutting back on his car collection he came to us and offered several vehicles, one of which was the 1923 Franklin. We were delighted of course, states Mr. Findlay, since the car had a good B.C. history.      In 1987 a member of the B.C. Legislature arranged a change of control of the BCMT, giving it a connection to the Royal B.C. Museum and relocated it to his riding in Cloverdale, B.C. Mr. Findlay was not given a position in the new organization. A few years later the new organization failed and the Royal B.C. Museum took charge of the disposition of the assets. While it was in Lorne Findlay scare some work was done on the motor but was interrupted by the transferring of the BCMT to Cloverdale, taking away the opportunity the finish the job.

     When Mr. Beaton purchased the car from Mr. Mason and moved it to Vancouver he found so much enjoyment from driving it that he chose not to register it with antique auto licence plates which would restrict driving it to only club events. He registered and licenced it with regular licence plates but this brought a small problem. The car would have to pass the city of Vancouver testing station examination, which would necessitate the installation of a windshield wiper. This was not much of a problem except that Mr. Mason had insisted that Bert keep the car in its original condition and Bert had happily agreed. Bert did install and older styled electric windshield wiper and put the car through the city test every six months. In the following years he was seen often on the streets of Vancouver enjoying the Franklin. Bert Beaton was an early member of the Vancouver based Vintage Car Club of Canada and although he had acquired a fair number of old cars he often took part in club activities with the Franklin.      In 1966 Mr. Beaton took part in a Provincial tour in the Franklin. One of the stops on the tour was in Chase, B.C., where the Franklin had been for so many years. Mr. Beaton had let Mr. Mason know about the stop and expected him to come and see the car. Sure enough, while everyone was enjoying a great strawberry tea put on the good folk of Chase, Mr. Mason arrived on the scene. He was a man of few words because all he said was hello to Bert, walked slowly around the Franklin looking it over carefully and then came back to Bert and said “You had to put a windshield wiper on it, didn't you”. Bert had a good laugh over the remark, realizing that Mr. Mason was glad to see the car and generally happy to see it kept in good condition.      The car was returned to Chase in 1993 and kept in storage until December 1997 at which time the Chase Lions Club was given custody of the car to look after and display. The agreement with the Royal British Columbia Museum, The Village of Chase and the Chase Lions Club is that the car is to remain in Chase in perpetuity and is to be displayed in Chase and District. Ownership of the car was ttransferred from the Royal British Columbia Museum to the Chase Lions Club in May 1998.

     The car is in its original state with very little work required on the body or upholstery. The body requires painting, the engine needs a tune up and maybe a valve grind.

     After a few minor repairs, a new battery and a tune up the car is now running under its own power and is becoming a prominent feature in parades and at special events.

     A photo gallery was added on February 25th. 1999, to this site, exclusive to the Franklin Car. Just click gallery to access the page.