True pioneers the Farman brothers Henry and Maurice were actively involved in the France's earliest motor races and aviation exploits. At the end of the 19th century they had already made quite a name for themselves as successful bicycle racers and balloonists. To fund their adventures they ran a large car dealership in Paris, which also had a branch in their native England operated by their brother Dick. A few years into the 20th century both Henry and Maurice set about building planes. Eventually the two companies merged and produced some legendary planes including the 'Goliath', which was one of the first passenger planes. They also funded one of the first airlines, which would eventually be absorbed by Air France.
Like many of their competitors, the Farman brothers feared that peace would have detrimental effects on the airplane business and in 1919 they branched out into building motor cars. Their aim was never to sell as many cars as possible, but instead to create the ultimate luxury car rivaling the likes of Rolls-Royce and Hispano Suiza. Having sold many cars produced by all of their competitors, the brothers had a wealth of automotive experience without ever having constructed a car themselves. Their exploits in the airplane business had learned them invaluable lessons into the use of lightweight materials and aerodynamics. Like their contemporary Gabriel Voisin, the brothers possessed all the right knowledge to build some very special cars.
The Farmans' biggest source of inspiration was Hispano Suiza, which had also manufactured airplane engines during the War. This is most apparent when looking at the six cylinder engine first shown in 1919. The 6.6 litre unit was almost an exact copy of the Hispano engine right down to the cylinder dimensions. The straight six featured a single overhead camshaft and sported two Zenith Carburetors. It was modestly estimated to produce 100 bhp. It was fitted in a conventional ladder type frame and mated to a four speed gearbox. Unusually for the time, Farman created their own bodies and at the launch they offered a stately luxurious coupe and a sporty roadster. This large contrast embodied the brothers love of high speeds and the desire to build luxury motor cars.
Dubbed the A6 A, the first Farmans rolled off the production line late in 1919. Priced at the level of the most exclusive competition, the Farman grew out to be a distinguished alternative for the established luxury manufacturers. Royals and Aristocrats were among the fledgling company's few clients. One of their most famous customers was famous hunter and Ace of the French airforce Charles Nungesser. He had shot down no fewer 45 planes during the war. Taking a direct stab at the competition, the brothers used the slogan "a car rolls, the Farman glides".
In the early 1920s the engine was slightly revised. The sheet engine block was replaced by a much lighter block constructed from aluminium. The chassis equipped with the more advanced engine were known as the A6 B. Further revisions came in 1926 when the design team by Charles Waseige redesigned the chassis, fitting a highly complex front suspension setup. The revised car was known as the New Farman 1 or NF1 for short. A few years later the NF2 was introduced with a 7.5 litre version of the engine to rival Hispano's eight litre car.
Hit by the depression, the Farmans struggled to sell their highly exclusive cars and in 1931 they were forced to cease production. Eventually only 120 Farmans were produced; only ten per year. The brothers continued the production of airplanes until their factory and airline were nationalized by the French government in 1936. Today the Farman motor car is very little known and certainly not regarded as highly as their competition or as highly as the finely crafted machines deserve. Sadly only four examples are known to have survived today. Two of them, an A6 A and a NF1, can be viewed in the former Schlumpf Collection in Mulhouse, France. Featured above is one of the other two and the only one believed to be in private hands.
The pictured A6 B Super Sport Torpedo was originally ordered by Lieutenant-Colonel HH Maharaja Sir Daulat Singh, the ruler of the Indian state of Indar. The coachwork is remarkably elegant and aerodynamic for its day; the fully cowled underside is a particularly unusual feature. The Maharajah used the open Farman for tiger hunting as well as touring. He later presented the car to a relative, who was a Maharajah of a neighboring state. The car was eventually retrieved from India in 1967 by Rolls-Royce expert John Fasal, who visited the country many times to track down long lost luxury cars once owned by India's many royals.
Shortly after the car was returned to Europe, it was sold to well known German collector Wolfgang Gawor. While the Farman was complete, it was in a dire condition, so Gawor commissioned a ground-up restoration. With little to no spare parts available, the restoration took many, many years and was eventually completed in the late 1990s. In 2000 it was featured in the French Automobile Classiques magazine. Upon Gawor's death, his collection was auctioned during a Pebble Beach auction and the Farman sold for $473,000 despite a pre-auction estimate of $600,000 - $800,000. Needless to say it hard to put a value on a car that is so very rare and has not been offered in a public sale for several decades.
The proud new owner showed the Farman at the Meadow Brook and Amelia Concours d'Elegance, but not at Pebble Beach. In 2008 he offered the car during Bonhams Retromobile auction. It was estimated to sell for EUR500,000 and EUR600,000, which proved too steep for the interested parties. Again it proved hard to value the car and / or to convince bidders to commit this much money. On the other hand this Farman A6 B Super Sport Torpedo is the only Farman in private hands and represents a unique opportunity to buy one of the finest French cars of the 1920s. It certainly is a worthy addition to any collection.
Article by Wouter Melissen, last updated on February 22, 2008
General specifications
Country of origin France
Chassis number 428
Numbers built N/A
Produced from 1921 - 1926
Engine
Configuration Straight 6
Location Front, longitudinally mounted
Construction aluminium block and head
Displacement 6.594 liter / 402.4 cu in
Bore / Stroke 100.0 mm (3.9 in) / 140.0 mm (5.5 in)
Valvetrain 2 valves / cylinder, SOHC
Fuel feed 2 Zenith Carburettors
Aspiration Naturally Aspirated
Drivetrain
Chassis/body aluminium body on steel ladder frame
Front suspension live axle, semi-elliptic leaf springs
Brakes drums, all-round
Gearbox 4 speed Manual
Drive Rear wheel drive
Dimensions
Weight 2400 kilo / 5291.1 lbs
Wheelbase / Track (fr/r) 3660 mm (144.1 in) / 1450 mm (57.1 in) / 1450 mm (57.1 in)
Performance figures
Power 106 bhp / 79 KW @ 2400 rpm
BHP/Liter 16 bhp / liter
Power to weight 0.04 bhp / kg
Top Speed 135 km/h / 84 mph
