Chicago Al 

A friend who's not on BF picked this bike up recently in the Chicago suburbs, from the family who supposedly have had it since new.
It's an Australian make which he can't find much about.
Saddle, bars, and brakes were added around 1980.
I'll be seeing him next week and will get more pics.
The purple paint is quite cool and though you can't see it here, there's pinstriping galore.
Any Ozzies here who might know about this bike?

P!N20

No, but I’ll ask around. Interested to know if there’s a particular location on the head badge or elsewhere.

juvela

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thanks very much for sharing this most excellent item!

paint scheme is one also employed by Viking at one time (IIRC!)

seat stay bridge appears to be plate style

would think the integral headset a Brampton item

front brake caliper appears to be a Weinmann model 605

the Atom model 440 pedals are of a generation which began in 1971

look forward to following along as more information is posted...


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Chicago Al 

The brakes and also pedals are a later addition, per the original owner or family.

Big Block

Certainly not a well-known brand in Australia.
When the question was posed a month ago on Classic Rendezvous, I did a search on Trove, our online newspaper archive.
The advertising suggests the frames were made and marketed for small outback country towns in Australia.
https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-page10631071
https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article248218891

Perhaps the family had come from one of these towns.

P!N20

I wonder if that reward is still on offer

P!N20

More photos here.

Comments from an Australian C&V enthusiast:

The derailleur is a Cyclo Ace, you can tell by the dual cables and the shape of the shifting fork. They were available pre and post WW2, though I suspect they were pretty rare in Australia. I've never seen another Australian bike fitted with one. The bike looks 1940s to me, possibly repainted.

Chicago Al 

The current owner, a good friend, is on CR and has posted about it there; I'm posting here just to cast wider net to gather information. Here are his other pictures, I can take more later this week.

That paint is SO distinctive, so whimsical and painstaking, and with such lavish attention to the Franklin name, that it seems to me it has to be either custom for the original owner, or a repaint by someone really skilled, who had a lot of time on their hands.

Big Block

By Australian standards of the late 1940s to mid 1950s, the decorative paintwork is unremarkable. All done by hand, with lining, feathers and scrolls.
There were exceptional frame painters in Adelaide, including this Ace Special thought to be decorated by Ron O'Donnell.
Photos of the bike when it came into my custodianship. Project thread



There are a few who are still able to reproduce the style where the period frames require a repaint, including one Adelaide resident.
and the detail of one done for me by Shane

Chicago Al 

I am glad to be corrected, and I'm also amazed at that lining work!

Chicago Al 

Bumping this just in case any 'strine members missed it before.

juvela

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appears shell may be Brampton

if you check underside Brampton shells of the era exhibit a two or three character marking in raised elements

this marking is a stock number for the shell and does not come from cycle manufacturer



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Reynolds 531 

I'm in love