Graham-Paige
Graham - Paige was an American automobile manufacturer that was founded in 1927 as the Joseph B., Robert C. and Ray A. Graham brothers the Paige - Detroit Motor Company bought up. From 1930, the vehicles were sold under the brand name Graham. In the following years the company produced a number of medium-sized cars ago and was temporarily as a leader in terms of automotive design. Today, there is society still, but not in the automotive business, but as a successful real estate branch of a larger company.
History
The Graham brothers were successful businessmen who had cards in various industries. Their first company introduced glass bottles ago. The glass production of the Graham brothers presented the first bottles with the opening her down so that the molten glass could build around the mouth of the bottle around. The gain of the mouth region in turn made the whole bottle stable enough to accommodate a bottle cap instead of a cork can. The glass production of the Graham brothers later became part of the Owens Glass Co., which in turn later became the " O" in the company LOF Libbey Owens Ford.
Entry into the automotive business
Then the Graham brothers began to manufacture conversion kits with which you could convert Ford T and TT models in trucks. They later built their own trucks with engines from various manufacturers. Soon they were limited to engines of Dodge Brothers and their trucks were offered by Dodge dealers. The company expanded from its beginnings in Evansville ( Indiana) and soon had plants in Detroit ( Michigan) and Stockton ( California). The Canadian market was supplied by Dodge Brothers Canada. 1925 Dodge Brothers bought the truck manufacturing the Graham brothers and all three brothers were directors at Dodge Brothers.
In 1927, when the banking syndicate, the Dodge Brothers controlled, thought of the sale of the company, the Graham brothers rose at its own expense in the automotive industry. They bought in the same year, the Paige - Detroit Motor Company, produced the automobiles from Paige and Jewett and their history back to 1909, was enough for the price of 4 million U.S. dollars.
First, the new company offered a number of Graham - Paige cars with six-and eight -cylinder engines. For a time there was light trucks under the name of Paige, but they were soon abandoned, as the Dodge Brothers Graham recalled the prohibition of competition that they had signed as part of the acquisition of Grahmam Brothers Company.
Graham - Paige soon earned the reputation of good quality and the sales went quickly. They also had some success in racing, what the sales figures are also supported.
Initially resistant Graham - Paige the challenges of the global economic crisis well, but over time fell but the sales figures. The 1932er models were designed by Amos Northup, head of the design department of the coachbuilder Murray Corporation of America. This particular car design was considered a "single most influential design in automotive history" ( the design, which alone had the most influence in automotive history ). The new eight-cylinder engine of the car was called " Blue Streak " ( blue stripe ). Press and the public but used the name Blue Streak for the cars themselves, the design contained some innovations. The most copied were the fenders, which were pulled down sideways and so kept away the dirt and mud, which gathered under the car from the body. This has been the trend since 1933 in the USA. The radiator cap disappeared under the hood, which was later changed so that they covered the bulkhead and ended at the base of the windshield.
The use of " Banjo " frame eliminated the elevation frame via the rear axle. How else not common, the rear axle was led by the frame, making this large openings required on both sides with rubber pads that took up every thrust of the axle to the frame. This in turn allowed for a wider body. In order to make the car lower, mounted to the rear springs outside of the frame and not under the frame. This idea was later used by other car manufacturers, such as 1957 Chrysler copied.
1934 sat Graham Paige a a compressor is driven by the crankshaft. First, he was offered only for the big eight-cylinder models, but have been set as this in 1936, for the six-cylinder. The compressor was designed with Graham - Paige Floyd Kishline. Over the years Graham - Paige put more vehicles with compressor ago than any other automaker in the U.S. by Buick in the 1990s surpassed that record.
1935 saw the "Blue Streak" already somewhat stale. A revision of the front and rear sections for the model year 1935 turned out to be a flop because the car looked so higher and narrower. As Graham - Paige had no money for its own new development, they signed an agreement with Reo to use their bodies manufactured by Hayes, where Reo got per piece U.S. $ 7.50 license fee. On these bodies based Graham - Paige models 1936 and 1937.
Spirit of Motion
Amos Northup of Murray Body was recovered for the design of the 1938er models, but died before this project was completed. He was probably completed by Graham - Paige engineers. The 1938er - Graham - Paige was introduced with the slogan "Spirit of Motion" ( spirit of the movement ). The car already looked at a standstill as if it would straight 100 km / h. Fenders, wheel arches and grille were tilted forward. This design has been widely praised in the American press and the American designers. It also won the Concours d'Elegance in Paris. Similarly, it was reported by winning the Prix d' Avant -Garde in Lyon, the Prix d'Elegance in Bordeaux and the Grand Prix d' Honneur at Deauville. American customers did not buy the wild styling. The recessed grille made sure that the car " Sharknose " ( Haischnauze ) was later called. In contemporary newspaper articles of this nickname is not needed. He appeared only on in the 1950s. The styling of the 1938er models was for sale as a complete flop, but Graham - Paige was able to save over the years 1939 and 1940.
Cooperation with the Hupp Motor Co.
Graham - Paige needed a successful model range, but was not able to buy new press tools; such a contract was signed with the Hupp Motor Co. in late 1939. Accordingly, the faltering company should make an arrangement with Hupmobile to build cars based on the shares subscribed by Gordon Buehrig models Cord 810/812. Following the cessation of production of corduroy 1937 Hupp purchased the plans of corduroy, but was not financially able to build the cars. The 1938er models by Hupmobile were unsuccessful as the "Spirit of Motion" by Graham - Paige.
Graham - Paige agreed to a Hupp Skylark to finished on a contract basis, if they would get the rights to the noble Cord Skylark plans and even likely to make a similar vehicle which was to be called Hollywood. This Skylark / Hollywood model differed from the cord by a shorter hood and conventional headlights. The long hood was not necessary because the versions of Hupp and Graham - in contrast to the Cord - Rear-wheel drive had. So also had the vehicle floor to be changed in order to make room for a propeller shaft.
Another division tractors were manufactured and sold under the name Graham Bradley from 1938. In order to use existing resources, they were equipped with six - cylinder engines for the automotive industry. Furthermore, they had a four-speed gearbox, an electric starter, tires, PTO and hydraulic hoist. From 1939, they had one for that time relatively high maximum speed of 32 km / h The sales figures were disappointing and the production was reinstated in 1941.
Nevertheless, the Hollywood could not halt the decline of the company. In fact, this model was a major flop as their previous models for Hupp and Graham. In September 1940, the production closed its doors and made from now on military equipment for use in World War II.
1946, the company took the car back in production and introduced in collaboration with the Kaiser- Frazer Corporation, a new car, the Frazer Standard ago. Likewise, one began with the production of agricultural machinery under the name Rototiller. In August 1945, Graham - Paige published plans to produce cars again under his own name, but nothing came of it.
End of the automotive industry
On 5 February 1947, the owner of Graham - Paige explained agree with the sale of all automotive activities to the Kaiser- Frazer Corporation against 750,000 shares of this company. The production facilities of Graham - Paige in the Warren Avenue were sold to Chrysler, who used this plant for the first production of the DeSoto models and later for the production of Imperial in the years 1959 - 1961.
Graham - Paige dropped the " Motors" fall on their behalf and was active in the future in the real estate business, where they bought properties as the Roosevelt Raceway and the Madison Square Garden in New York. In 1962, the company was renamed Madison Square Garden Corporation and later swallowed by Gulf & Western Industries. Currently, the Madison Square Garden Madison Square Garden LP belongs, belongs the greater part of Cablevision Systems Corporation.
Gallery Images
Graham - Paige 612 Tourer (1929 )
A fully restored copy of the Graham - Paige Model 613 of 1929
Steering column of the model 613, the switches on the steering wheel were used to move the headlight.
Thumb | dashboard of the model 613
Graham - Paige Convertible Coupe (1930 )
Graham - Paige Model 80A Crusader Touring Sedan 4 doors (1936 )
Graham - Paige Cavalier (1937 )