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No: 23048 Contributor: Joe Usselman Year: 2009 Manufacturer: American LaFrance Country: United States of America
Unmistakably classy American La France - hope that she is preserved, as a Parade Engine, maybe.
Thanks for capturing this fine rig.
Regards, from Canada,
Pat_R-B
Added by Pat Rivers-Bowerman on 28 April 2010.
Thanks for capturing this fine rig.
Regards, from Canada,
Pat_R-B
Added by Pat Rivers-Bowerman on 28 April 2010.
The epitimy of the classic American pumper. Along with enigmatic Crown, these American La France apparatus summed up what must be a classic era over the pond.
Added by Andrew Middleton on 31 July 2010.
Added by Andrew Middleton on 31 July 2010.
In 1982, when this was built, the basic design was already nearly forty years old.
American La France originated the idea of mounting the engine behind the front axle, thus shortening the wheelbase and providing two rear facing seats either side of the engine behind the front seat. This meant that four crew could ride in comfort - and under a roof it it had a canopy cab - and only the other crew members had to stand on the rear step.
It also accorded very easy access to the engine for maintenance, and was a design which was gradually adopted by every other custom fire engine builder in the US and Canada.
The Century series, as pictured here, was the last of this style, and had a wider body behind the front doors - an innovation which was introduced to increase the rather tight width of the rear seats. It was available in four or five person two door open or canopy styles, or as a six or seven seat four door sedan style.
Both ERF and Dennis copied this configuration for their Snorkel and TL chassis, primarily to permit a low height cab, and Hino developed a similar chassis with two sets of seats ahead of the front axle for the same reason.
Added by Rob Johnson on 14 June 2018.
American La France originated the idea of mounting the engine behind the front axle, thus shortening the wheelbase and providing two rear facing seats either side of the engine behind the front seat. This meant that four crew could ride in comfort - and under a roof it it had a canopy cab - and only the other crew members had to stand on the rear step.
It also accorded very easy access to the engine for maintenance, and was a design which was gradually adopted by every other custom fire engine builder in the US and Canada.
The Century series, as pictured here, was the last of this style, and had a wider body behind the front doors - an innovation which was introduced to increase the rather tight width of the rear seats. It was available in four or five person two door open or canopy styles, or as a six or seven seat four door sedan style.
Both ERF and Dennis copied this configuration for their Snorkel and TL chassis, primarily to permit a low height cab, and Hino developed a similar chassis with two sets of seats ahead of the front axle for the same reason.
Added by Rob Johnson on 14 June 2018.
American LaFrance
Added by Pete Matten on 26 April 2010.