1930 Graham Standard Six Sedan

The Graham Brothers, Joseph, Robert and Ray, started off building truck and bus bodies and in 1921 signed an exclusive agreement to use Dodge running gear, becoming the largest manufacturer of trucks in the world by the mid-1920s. Following a split with Dodge in April 1926, the Graham Brothers turned their interest to building automobiles and acquired the struggling Paige-Detroit Motor Car Co. in June 1927. After considerable investment, a new line of Graham-Paige cars was launched at the New York Automobile Show in January 1928, comprising three different six-cylinder models (with 175, 207 and 288-cid) and a single eight-cylinder car displacing 322-cid. All but the cheapest six used the excellent Warner Gear four-speed transmission and received excellent reviews at the time, resulting in the greatest first year sales figures for a new manufacturer in 1928. The 1929 models further expanded the range, with new engine displacements and numerous chassis improvements. In 1930, the "Paige" name was dropped and the range consisted of Standard and Special versions of both the sixes and eights. The Standard Six, priced at $845, had a 207-cid six developing 66 hp, was built on the 115-inch wheelbase and came with the option of safety glass, a useful innovation. Graham garnered great success in both rallying and record-breaking, but the Depression saw production fall drastically in 1930 to just 33,560 of all models and the company made a net loss of five million dollars.