One of the side effects of the Great Depression was its forced consolidation of the automobile industry.  While there were dozens of reputable makers before the Black Thursday stock market crash in 1929, very few companies survived the financial turmoil.  One of the smaller makers that struggled through that era was Graham-Paige.  This 1937 Graham sedan for sale on Craigslist in Conway, South Carolina is one of the company’s more pedestrian products, but is a good chance for someone to add something different to their garage.  Is this original car, which was on the road just 11 years ago, the type of car you would plunk down $9,500 for?  Thanks to Pat L. for the tip!

Brothers Joseph, Robert, and Ray Graham were nothing if not enterprising.  They started in the glass industry but soon sold that entity to what would become Libby Owens Ford.  Then, it was off to produce truck conversion bodies for Model T chassis.  They soon switched to Dodge power for their truck projects and eventually were bought out by Dodge.  Now executives at Dodge, the brothers grew restless.  They purchased the Paige-Detroit Motorcar Company in 1927 and began producing their own vehicles again.  The company quickly gained a reputation for producing quality vehicles with unique styling.  The biggest problem was resources.  While the cars sold well in the early thirties, contracting out for the production of components cut into profits.

This was a problem that the Big Three didn’t suffer as much from, so their profit margins were larger in the depressed economy.  The company soldiered on, even becoming pioneers in producing supercharged engines.  By 1936, Graham was forced to enter an arrangement with Reo to produce bodies for their vehicles.  The arrangement produced cars that weren’t as aesthetically pleasing as competitors and sales continued to decline.  1938 saw the introduction of the radically styled “Sharknose Grahams.”  These, and the succeeding partnership with Hupmobile to produce cars using Cord body dies were all financial failures.  The company stopped producing automobiles under the Graham name in 1940.  Interestingly, the company survived the war years and returned to automobile production with Henry Kaiser under the Frasier name.  When that went kaput, the monies left were invested in real estate.  Their most famous property was Madison Square Gardens.

The 1937 Graham seen in this ad is one of the REO-bodied offerings.  Sadly, it is not as eye-catching as some of Graham’s other designs produced that decade.  On the plus side, it is advertised as having come out of a large collection purchased by the seller and still wears its original paint and interior.  The car last ran eleven years ago, and the engine still turns over with a new battery.  The car is also said to roll freely and easily.  While there is surely some surface rust here and there, it is also advertised as being rust-free.

The downside to owning an orphan make is a lack of aftermarket support.  That is often made up for by support from clubs dedicated to the automaker and the message boards on the internet dedicated to that make.  We are also on the cusp of different ways to solve the problem of out of production spare parts.   With new technologies, parts will be able to be remanufactured rather inexpensively in comparison to finding a machine shop to make them.   One just has to have the courage to take a chance on an uncommon car.

The seller feels that this car would be fairly easy to get back on the road given its condition.  With a fuel system cleanout, a thorough going through of the braking system, and a new set of tubes and tires that would likely be the case.  Hopefully, this rather plain but interesting Graham will find its way into the garage of someone who will fix it up and enjoy it.  Graham wasn’t a major make, but one that still needs to be represented at car shows today.

Have you ever owned an orphan automobile?  Would you take a chance on one today?  Please share your experiences and let us know your thoughts in the comments.