With all the discussion about brass era cars, I went to Mister Google to try and pin down
who made the "barrel hood" cars I see in brass era photos. The hood and radiator look
much like a 55 gallon drum laying on its side. After two hours of punching in every name
I could think of from the period, I am still without an answer, except for a French thing with
a name like "Duvalier Belleville" (?).

Ideas ?

Franklin?

Here is a 1906.

Franklin, from about 1905 to 1911. Since Franklins were air-cooled, the round piece at the front is not a radiator, but serves as a fan shroud. Also, lesser known, early Nationals. Probably others, too, but those are the ones I can think of at the moment.

Keith's typing fingers are faster than mine, and he's smart enough to add a picture, too! By the way, that round-radiator French car is a Delauney-Belleville.

LOL .... I didn't type in Franklin BECAUSE it was air cooled and I
thought therefore it would have a bullnosed hood !

Thanks guys. I didn't think a lot of French cars were sold around
these parts back then, but those cars do show up in old photos with
some frequency.

Hotchkiss as well as Delauney Belville were a couple of European makes that employed the round hood/bonnet. Probably unlikely to see them in USA, however Hotchkiss were used by the Melbourne Fire Brigade in about 1911 to 1914, so there are a few in Australia.

Here is a 1907 Franklin Model G

Certain models of Cameron also had a barrel hood.

Don't forget about the 1904 Spyker!



The 1904 Spyker was the competition in the duel during the London to Brighton race in the best old car movie made...Genevieve, 1953 starring Kenneth Moore, John Gregson, Dinah Sheridan, and Kay Kendall. It's a must see!


here is a You Tube clip from the film.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wgiv_I2TkNc

This was done from a black and white photo in the HCCA Gazette a couple dozen years ago. (By permission) I think it was a promotional photo for Franklin. I assumed that was water churning through the floorboards from the flywheel.



It seems like it was a 1908 Model H Franklin.