Designed and built by Finlay Robertson Porter (F.R.P.), a native of Lowell, Ohio. Porter served as chief engineer at the Mercer Company from 1910 to 1914 and was the creator of the T-Head Raceabout.

A major falling out with Mercer led to Porter’s resignation and his decision to strike out on his own. Using his initials to name his new creation, the F.R.P. was born.

Sadly, Porter’s masterpieces were not commercially successful and with the advent of World War I, the F.R.P. factory closed and was taken over by the government. Porter went to work for the Division of Aeronautics in Ohio.

In October of 1975 the F.R.P. was sold to Tom Dawson, Purchasing Agent for Bill Harrah. The car is featured in “Harrah’s Automobile Collection, One man’s tribute to the great automobiles of the World” by Dean Batchelor. The book states: “The car at the top of Harrah’s want-list… was the F.R.P.” The book goes on to describe in detail Dawson’s acquisition of the F.R.P. for Harrah.

Later, an issue “Harrahscope” ran a full page feature about the car… “Harrah’s Finds ‘Most Wanted’ Auto; Elusive F.R.P. Touring”.

The F.R.P. is also featured in Automobile Quarterly, Volume 31, No. 4, Summer 1993.

With the demise of Bill Harrah and the sale of many of his cars, the F.R.P. went to a Mr. Charles Mallory of Connecticut who later donated it to the Collier Automotive Museum. When the Collier Museum closed, the F.R.P. was donated to the Seal Cove Auto Museum in October of 1994.
• Sole survivor.
• Series B Touring Car, body by Brewster, Serial No. 5
• Manufactured in Port Jefferson, New York.
• Four cylinder engine with a four valve per cylinder, single overhead cam, 454 cubic inch engine that produces 170 horsepower.
• Formally from Harrah’s Automobile Collection and the Collier Museum, now owned by the Seal Cove Auto Museum.
• Restored in 1977 at Bill Harrah’s restoration facilities.
Seal Cove Auto Museum, 1414 Tremont Road, Seal Cove, Maine on Mount Desert Island, a short drive from Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park.

Story by Seal Cove Auto Museum