More than a dozen classic fire trucks from the American LaFrance Corporate Collection will be auctioned this week at an RM Sotheby’s event in Miami, Florida (USA).
The auction, scheduled for next Friday (27), will include 15 vehicles spanning nearly 100 years of history, from the earliest hand-drawn engines to massive postwar giants.
The vehicles come from the American LaFrance Corporate Collection and served as promotional and marketing tools for American LaFrance, a renowned emergency vehicle manufacturer that operated from 1873 to 2014.
Until now, the trucks were housed at the North Charleston Fire Museum in North Charleston, South Carolina (USA). With the museum closing its doors, the RM Sotheby’s auction is expected to give the classic vehicles a new home.
The oldest vehicle in the collection dates back to 1858. In fact, it is not a truck at all, but a fire pump that had to be pulled by hand, much like a wooden cart. This example was built by a company called Button & Blake, which later merged with several other firms and eventually became American LaFrance.
The Button & Blake fire pump was highly significant at the time due to its brass “anti-pulsation chamber,” a device that equalized water flow through the pump to create a smooth and consistent stream. This example is estimated to sell for between US$ 100,000 and US$ 150,000.
Among the internal combustion vehicles, the oldest is the 1911 Type 5 Double Tank Combination, wearing the white livery of the Liberty Fire Company No. 5 of Reading, Pennsylvania.
The Type 5 was the first gasoline-powered fire truck built by American LaFrance, equipped with a massive 9.4-liter four-cylinder engine producing 70 horsepower. Its estimated price ranges from US$ 100,000 to US$ 200,000.
Meanwhile, the most modern fire truck available is a 1956 LaFrance 700 Series “775-PJO” Pumper, a popular model from the early postwar period that already resembles what we recognize today as a fire truck.
More than 3,000 units were built over a 12-year period. Although the truck originally featured a V12 engine, it was later replaced by a six-cylinder Detroit Diesel. It comes equipped with a 35-foot extension ladder and a 500-gallon booster tank. Its estimated price is between US$ 15,000 and US$ 25,000.
In addition to the fire trucks, another highlight is the 1911 Type 8 Roadster, the only passenger car ever built by American LaFrance. The company produced just 25 of these cars, and it is believed that this example was used by LaFrance executives.
Power comes from the same four-cylinder engine used in the Type 5, but mounted in a much shorter chassis and paired with a unique integrated transmission and differential. It is expected to fetch between US$ 300,000 and US$ 500,000.
Photos: RM Sotheby’s. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
