Built in limited numbers in Connersville, Indiana, from 1921 to 1927, the McFarlan Twin Valve Six was one of the most powerful and technically advanced automobiles of the early Classic Era. With three spark plugs per-cylinder – 18 in all – and producing 120 hp, the car’s 572 ½ cid T-head inline six-cylinder engine was the largest that any passenger car built in America was equipped with at the time. Prices for the TV-6 ranged between $6,300 and $9,000, depending on the body specified by McFarlan’s many high-profile customers. Besides the price, everything else about the McFarlan TV-6 was larger than life. From their 141.25" wheelbase to the massive radiator, nickel-plated headlamps, 5' 4"-long rear springs and curb weight of up to 5,400 pounds, they were the right kind of cars to reflect the affluent, excessive spirit of the Roaring Twenties. The crowning touch was the car’s radiator mascot: a sculpture of Atlas holding up the world. Impressively, each car was individually road tested for approximately 200 miles before the body was mounted.

This TV-6 Roadster was sold new to Connecticut Governor and biplane pilot John H. Trumbull of Hartford in 1926. The car was later acquired by collector Anthony Pascucci, also of Connecticut, who had it restored by Antonio Centofanti and Don Carlson.

Mr. Pascucci subsequently sold the TV-6 to collector Al Rodway of Ohio, who later sold it to M.H. “Tiny” Gould, who in turn sold it to the pioneering American car collector Jack Passey of Freedom, California, in October 1971. Mr. Passey was pictured with the grand roadster in the June 1974 issue of The Classic Car, in an article titled “The Mighty McFarlan Twin Valve Six.”

The McFarlan was later acquired by Cebert Holmes in 1979, who sold it to noted collector and Los Angeles Times founder Otis Chandler in 2002. Stan Lucas acquired the car from the Otis Chandler auction in 2006.

During Mr. Holmes’ ownership, the McFarlan’s twin-valve engine was rebuilt at Bill Harrah’s workshops under the direction of Clyde Wade. During Mr. Chandler’s ownership, the McFarlan was maintained by Bob Mosier of Inglewood, California. Under Stan Lucas’ ownership, the TV-6 was exhibited at the 2022 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance® as part of a special McFarlan class. In addition to completing the Tour d’Elegance that year, Mr. Lucas drove the car in the Horseless Carriage Club of America (HCCA) Holiday Motor Excursion in Pasadena, California, in December 2023.

Of the 19 McFarlan automobiles thought to remain, just three are TV-6 Roadsters. Having remained in California-based collections for the past 54 years, this TV-6 Roadster represents what is likely a singular opportunity to acquire the ultimate McFarlan.