1915 Simplex Crane Model 5 Tourer
Power on a grand scale defined the Simplex Crane Model 5. Its 564 cubic inch inline six-cylinder engine produced 110 horsepower at 2,900 rpm, giving this luxury automobile performance to match its imposing presence.
When the Simplex Automobile Company acquired Henry M. Crane’s motor car business in 1915, they gained access to his refined engineering developed through his MIT education and extensive practical experience. The massive L-head six sat in a 144-inch wheelbase chassis that provided the foundation for substantial coachbuilt bodies.
During this period, six-cylinder designs had become the preference among luxury manufacturers including Rolls-Royce (Silver Ghost), Napier, and Delaunay-Belleville. The Simplex Crane answered with substantial displacement and a single updraft carburetor feeding power through a four-speed manual transmission.
Semi-elliptic leaf spring suspension with tubular dampers handled the ride, while double-acting mechanical brakes operated on the rear wheels. Fewer than 500 Model 5s were constructed before the company’s acquisition by Mercer in 1917.
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