Franklin Automobile Collection

At the turn of the last century, Cornell engineering graduate John Wilkinson was busy constructing a pair of prototype vehicles for the Syracuse-based New York Automobile Company. In hindsight, this alone was hardly ground-breaking news within the fledgling domestic industry, but what may have set his design work apart from others was that Wilkinson’s cars were motivated by air-cooled engines, rather than water-cooled equivalents, or electric motor.

Both prototypes were completed in early 1901, after which it was reported in the July issue of that they were being tested for further evaluation. It’s easy to assume that one or both cars would have quickly evolved into full production models, and that the New York Automobile Company could have become a respected industry name during the prewar years — had Wilkinson been paid for his work. Having been monetarily snubbed,