Only a few month after the Elmira phaseout, Harry E. American LaFrance was down, but evidently not out.
After 117 years, the revered LaFrance name disappeared from the Elmira area business directory.īut not for long. The last Elmira-built American LaFrance fire engine rolled out of the South-port plant on June 30, 1985. Early in 1985, Figgie International made the stunning announcement that it was shutting down its entire American LaFrance devision. The company was now an operating division of Figgie International Inc., a deversifield industrial conglomerate that owned such well-known names in the fire protection field as Snorkel, Automatic Sprinkler, Scott Aviation and Safety Supply America. In early 1980s, American LaFrance underwent another corporate name change. In the mid 50's imperceptible decline of American LaFrance began with the wider use of units of other companies, including Continental engines. With victory assured, military contracts dwindled sharply by 1945 and the company began preparations for the resumption of peacetime fire apparatus production. In addition to military and civilian fire apparatus, Alfco produced a wide range of aircraft parts and other war material. The company turned out thousands of fire engines for the armed forces, government, including hundreds of units shipped overseas. The Elmira, New York, plant worked around the clock to fulfill huge government contracts for firefighting apparatus of all types. With this important acquisition, the company got a new corporate name - American LaFrance and Foamite Co.Īmerican LaFrance maintained full production through the war. In 1927 American LaFrance acquired the well-known fire equipment manufacturer - the Foamite-Childs Co. American LaFrance company often recognized as conservative: for example, the chain drive was replaced only in 1935, and the first diesel engine was used only in 1965. Joined in 1903, they gave a life to the American LaFrance Company.īy the mid 20-ies the company has produced more than 4 thousand fire trucks, as well as a number of commercial trucks. In 1873, a blacksmith from Pennsylvania Truckson LaFrance founded in Elmira (NY) the company of a similar profile. The company's story began in 1832 with a small workshop of John Rogers for the production of manual fire pumps.
All chassis were produced by the company, and also occasionally it produced trucks and cars. This company became the author of creating the largest, powerful, efficient and beautiful fire trucks in USA. American LaFrance Company was the kind of legend in America and one of the oldest automotive companies of the New World.
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