While intact T-head/chain-drive American LaFrance apparatus of its era are scarce in general, it is especially rare to find one delivered to a major urban fire department. For obvious reasons these saw much more frequent use and were generally run into the ground over decades of service, and few survived following their retirement. Those that did were often sentimentally maintained by their department and are often unavailable within municipal museums.

Along with its immediate predecessor, number 675, this Type 12 was one of two shipped to Los Angeles, California, on 23 October 1914; they were delivered as pump/hose cars, with chemical tanks being installed by the Los Angeles Fire Department following delivery. These beasts featured a 105-horsepower, T-head six-cylinder engine and dual chain drive, then the height of modernity in automotive design—and necessary for properly motivating such a vast piece of equipment!

The apparatus was professionally restored in the 1980s for the American LaFrance Corporate Collection by the late Jim Cox of Sussex Motor & Coach Works in Matamoras, Virginia, a highly regarded craftsman and shop. It appears to have had some use since completion, likely for promotions during the Figgie Corporation’s years owning American LaFrance, and displays some gentle wear to the body, paint, and brightwork. While missing most of its original accessories, likely due to updating during its original service, it is complete with some particularly rare equipment, notably the correct head, spot, and warning lights used by the Los Angeles Fire Department. Having not been operated in recent years, the Type 12 should be serviced prior to use.

This is a most impressive machine, with excellent history beginning with one of the nation’s most distinguished and storied departments.