Let's jump into the history of the McFarlan aka the American Rolls-Royce! Born from the McFarlan Carriage Company founded in 1856 by John B. McFarlan who came to America with his parents at nine years old. Off the top of my head other American carriage company’s that evolved into the horseless carriage, Studebaker was founded in 1852 as a carriage company, and Auburn (which will come into the story shortly) was founded in 1874 as the Eckhart Carriage Company. In 1909 his grandson, Alfred Harry McFarlan, of would see an opportunity in the horseless carriage and created the McFarlan Motor car company with its first model introduced in 1910. McFarlan Motor Corporation hit the run two cars in the labor Day Races at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway finishing top five in both heats in 1910 a year before the inaugural Indy 500. Of the run, the Indianapolis Star would post “200 Miles without a stop - 200 Miles in 183 minutes” They would also enter Indianapolis 500 in both 1911 (finishing 25th) and 1912 (finishing 19th), driven by Mel Marquette. Mel was an early aviator who worked with the Wright Brothers. With a focus on quality and luxury, Mcfarlan Motor Corporation produced under 300 cars a year and sometimes less that 200. The McFarlan moto meter wears the insignia of a thistle which signifies the family’s Scottish heritage. Now what is a moto meter? It was used in automobiles to show the temperature of the radiator. In 1921 McFarlan introduced its own engine, the fabulous Twin Valve capable of 120 horsepower featuring 18 spark plugs and triple ignition. During the 1920s, the McFarlan was the premiere luxury automobile considered the “American Rolls Royce”.. When I think of early American automotive luxury, naturally my brain goes to the “Three Ps of Luxury” Packard, Peerless, and Pierce-Arrow.. Where does your mind go? Owned by the “who’s who” crowd of the day, celebrities such as Fatty Arbluckle , William Desmond Taylor, and Jack Dempsey. Al Capone bought one for his wife and shortly after one for himself. It would be cool to make a video dedicated to the cars that Al Capone owned.. In attempts to survive McFarlan steer into low-priced markets with the introduction of the Single-Valve Six model powered by a Wisconsin six-cylinder engine. It did not do great, McFarlan discontinued it in 1926 and company’s resources were thinning. Mid 1920s, the McFarlan Motor Car Company offered 2 lines with total of 26 different models ranign from $2,000-$10,000. They also dabbled in commercial vehicles like hearses, ambulances, and firetrucks. In 1926 McFarlan introduced a straight-eight inline engine, the Line-8 which sole better than the single-valve. Near the end of the twenties, McFarlan and his fellow leaders of McFarlan health would decline. That coupled with the thinned resources of the company lead to its demise. Ironically, the company would go bankrupt in 1928, a year before the Great Depression would wipe out many luxury automobile manufacturers. All McFarlan assets would be purchased by E.L Cord. If you don’t know who E.L. Cord is, he at own time owned a Triumvirate of America’s most beautiful automobile manufacturers, Cord, Auburn and Duesenberg. The manufacturing plant would later serve at the body shop for the Auburn Automobile company. An easy set up and smart purchase as McFarlan had been produced closed-body coaches for Auburn before their bankruptcy. McFarlan has been beind the bodies of the famed speedster bodies on the 1928 Auburn. It is believed that 19 McFarlans known to exist today. The McFarlan is to be a featured marque at the 2022 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance so I am excited to see that gathering. If you are wanting to see a McFarlan in person I know there is a 1925 McFarlan Twin Valve Six-154 Town Car 1925 at the National Automobile Museum (aka once was Harrah’s Collection) in Reno. I went there seven years ago and it is worth the trip.