American LaFrance – The Monster

• Manufactured in 1914
• 6 cylinders
• 14.5 litres
• 105 horsepower

Founded in 1873 by Truxton Slocum LaFrance and his partners, the American LaFrance Fire Engine Company was one of the oldest fire apparatus manufacturers in the United States. With roots that go back to approximately 1832, the companies that went on to become American LaFrance built hand-drawn, horse-drawn, and steam-powered fire engines.  In 2001 it was American LaFrance appliances that responded to the attack on the Twin Towers.

Some models, like this one on display at the Auto Museum of Málaga, Spain, were turned into racing cars by visionaries and extravagant collectors.  Due to their power and reliable engines, they were special guests in the last edition of the Beijing-Paris rally in 2013.  This model was found towards the end of the sixties by a famous British racing car collector who was also a racing driver, Mr Roger Windley.  Mr Windley died shortly after at the wheel of an ERA formula 1, a very fast car for its time. Nowadays they can only be seen in some exotic car meetings in the USA where the few remaining owners live.