Connersville Automotive History: McFarlan Motor Corporation
In our next installment in this series regarding Connersville’s automotive history, we will look back on McFarlan Motor Corporation. Please take a moment to reflect back on our first three segments here:
Cord Corporation
Lexington Motor Company
Auburn Motor Company
In 1851, John B McFarlan purchased a buggy manufacturing business soon after he arrived in Fayette County and concentrated on perfecting the construction and finish of light-duty, horse-drawn vehicles. It wasn’t until 1909, at the urging of his grandson Harry, that McFarlan entered the automobile business.
Harry was an innovator; while most vehicles at that time were propelled by 4-cylinder engines, he chose to make only 6-cylinder vehicles. The McFarlan automobiles were fully equipped with lights, fenders, and a folding top. To publicize and demonstrate the new models, McFarlan entered two vehicles in the 1910 Labor Day races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. A McFarlan also raced in the first Indy 500, held on Memorial Day in 1911.
McFarlan was also an innovator in that he built purpose-built vehicles, including fire trucks, ambulances, funeral cars, and highway department trucks (curiously though, no law enforcement vehicles!). In the 1920’s, his company featured the most powerful engine: a 6-cylinder engine with 2 separate ignition systems, 18 spark plugs, and 120 horsepower. Many elitists (including Al Capone) purchased McFarlans for their power and speed.
He also knew how to make an impact, which he did at the 1923 Chicago Auto Show, where he displayed a “gold plated” Knickerbocker Cabriolet. All trimmings (including nuts, screws, and bolts) that were normally coated in nickel were instead plated with 20- or 24-carat gold. The McFarlan luxury automobile was known as the “American Rolls Royce.”
The company was sold in 1929 to E.L. Cord and the Auburn Motor Company. Today, a few McFarlans may still be found in private collections and well-known automobile museums like the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum, the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, and the National Automobile Museum in Reno, Nevada. Collections that will soon be looking to number the first Carbon E7’s among their show pieces!
Stacy Dean Stephens
Co-Founder and Sales Development Manager
Carbon Motors Corporation
Tagged: police, police car, carbon motors, history, museum, mcfarlan, green, sustainable, homeland security, e7, atvmip, atvmlp, section 136, jobs, economic, development, connersville, indiana, cop, cops, cop car, cop cars, purpose built, law enforcement, patrol, patrol vehicle
Comments
If you are in production, the Albuquerque, NM, police department is going to be replacing a lot of their cars this year.
Dwain - not quite yet. Sorry, ABQ!
Please wait…
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