Wednesday, May 19, 2021
Southpoint Sun - 23
1933 Graham coupe sold to buy a ring An email arrived recently from my good friend Kent Weale in Port Credit, Ontario: “Hi Bill. My friend Dave Waite found two photos in his family album. He thinks the car is a 1933 Graham 3-window coupe. It was owned by Dave’s father and he sold the car to get the money to buy an engagement ring for his lady (Dave’s mom). She was waiting for him to pick her up for a date when there was a knock on the door. There was no car in the driveway so
she did not know what to expect. He had to walk over because he had sold the car!” And who built the Gra- Bill Sherk ham? Three out their first cars with the 1928 Graham brothers in Detroit Graham-Paige. After 1930, all built trucks in the mid-1920s their cars were called Graham. and were very successful. EaIn July, 1931, the Graham ger to get into the car business, brothers opened a plant in they bought the Paige Motor Walkerville (now part of WindCompany in 1927 and brought sor) and built cars there until
THE OLD CAR DETECTIVE
Dave Waite’s father with his 1933 Graham 3-window coupe.
the Great Depression forced them out in the mid-1930s. My copy of the 1935 Used Car Sales Handbook of Features published by GM of Canada for its used car sales people devotes three pages to the 1933 Graham. Two models had six cylinders and one model had a straight eight. Only the Series 65 six cylinder Graham had a divided front bumper and that matches the car in the photo. The Walkerville factory list price of the 4-passenger 3-win-
dow coupe with rumble seat was $1170 when a new Ford coupe had a Windsor factory list price of $590. The 1933 Graham had advanced streamlining with its V-shaped grille. It also had hydraulic brakes, interior sun visors, and outboard spring suspension for a low centre of gravity. Restored examples are highly prized today. I’m always looking for stories. Email billtsherk@sympatico.ca.
The action was fast and furious at the Erie Ramblers Motocross event held in May, 1981. Photo courtesy of the Scott Holland Collection
