1933 Graham Model 57A

The Graham brothers (Joseph, Robert, and Ray) were commercial vehicle manufacturers before selling to Dodge in 1926. The following year the Grahams bought the struggling Paige-Detroit Motor Car Company, continuing the existing Paige car for 1928 alongside a new Graham-Paige line-up. A total of 73,195 cars were sold in Graham-Paige's first 12 months, a US auto-industry record at the time. During the early years of Graham-Paige's production, the company established a reputation for high-performance automobiles, with one example setting speed records at the Brooklands track in England while another held the Mount Washington climb record. The name 'Paige' was dropped after 1930, though the company name was still the Graham-Paige Motor Corporation.

During the difficult era of the Great Depression, sales were slow. To help stimulate interest, a centrifugal supercharger was offered on the eight-cylinder models in 1934. Unique styling innovations included its Bluestreak and 'shark-nose' models. The Graham Blue Streak is considered one of Amos Northup's greatest contributions to automotive styling. By 1933, most car manufacturers had adopted Northup's design of sloping grilles, curved fenders, and Graham-type fender skirts. Despite its efforts, the company never fully recovered from the Depression years and built its last car in 1940.

The 1933 Graham Model 57A was an eight-cylinder model resting on a 123-inch wheelbase platform. Both open and closed coachwork was offered with prices that ranged from $925 to $1,100.

by Daniel Vaughan | Dec 2007