Vehicle Description
Graham-Paige Motors Corporation made a rousing debut during the
1928 New York Auto Show week with a lavish reception at New York
City's Hotel Roosevelt. The Graham brothers, newly flush with cash
after selling their successful commercial truck business to the
Dodge Brothers in 1926, acquired the ailing Paige motors to enter
the hotly contested car market. All signs were positive from the
get-go, with Graham-Paige selling 73,195 cars in their maiden year
- eclipsing the previous record set by Pontiac.
With the 1932 Blue Streak, Graham also established itself as a
style leader, introducing skirted fenders and streamlining well
ahead of the competition, and the introduction of supercharging in
1934 transformed Graham into a formidable performance car as well.
But like many car companies, the Great Depression pushed the
company to the brink. Within just a few years, Graham-Paige was no
more, swallowed up by industrialist Joseph Frazer.
Hoping for a revival, Graham put their faith in a new body design
conceived by Amos Northup for 1938 they termed "Spirit of Motion"
which later became commonly known as the 'Shark Nose.'
Unfortunately, American buyers felt it was too radical, and sales
never reached expectations. Much like the preceding Chrysler
Airflow, Shark Nose Grahams are now celebrated for their advanced,
revolutionary design.
While US interest lagged, Europeans were intrigued by Graham's bold
style and impressive performance - with the famous avant-garde
manufacturer Voisin adopting supercharged Graham engines in their
Type C-30. In 1939, a small number of bare Model 97 chassis were
consigned to European coachbuilders including Saoutchik, Van Vooren
and the Belgian firm Vesters & Neirinck. The car offered here,
chassis number 501450, is one of a handful of Model 97s reportedly
delivered to Marcel Pourtout. The famed Parisian firm was
responsible for some of the most spectacular designs of the 1930s
including the Peugeot Darl'mat, 'Embiricos' Bentley, Peugeot
Eclipse, and Delage D8-120S AeroCoupe. Some experts suggest five
chassis went to Pourtout, accounting for four coupes and one
cabriolet - the car offered here - although precise production
numbers are not known.
Regardless of exact production, this is undoubtedly an
exceptionally rare automobile with a fascinating history. Combining
the robust Graham 97 chassis and powerful 115bhp supercharged
engine with a striking coachbuilt body, it is an intriguing
Franco-American hybrid. According to published history, this car,
chassis 501450, was completed at Pourtout in June 1939 as a
two-door cabriolet and was sold to Paris dealer Chapat for 25,000
francs. The first private owner's name was not decipherable in
period registration documents, though it is known that in 1953, the
car still resided in Paris, registered as 4516 BX. That year, it
was reportedly purchased by French engineer and motoring enthusiast
Mr. Pierre Quoirez as an 18th birthday gift for his daughter,
Francoise Delphine Quoirez - better known by her pseudonym,
Francoise Sagan. At just 18, Ms. Sagan published her first novel,
Bonjour Tristesse, and went on to become a widely beloved novelist,
playwright, and screenwriter.
It is believed that Mr. Quoirez initially had the car refurbished
when he acquired it. The engine and steering were overhauled,
gearbox and chassis checked, and the car painted light blue over
dark chestnut upholstery. Photos reportedly show the young
Francoise Sagan behind the wheel of the Graham, but it wasn't long
before her literary accomplishments afforded her the first of
several Jaguars she'd eventually own. As it often goes when
youngsters leave the roost, Fransoise's Supercharged Graham was
parked up in her father's garage as she found success.
Around 1970, Francine Veyssiere, an enthusiast with hopes of
creating a motor museum, bought the Graham from the Quoirez family.
The museum plan never materialized, and in 1983 it was sold to a
German collector who kept it in his care until 2016. During his
tenure, he had the car restored to its original white. This unique
Graham was sold in 2016, returning to the USA to join a private
collection of significant Art Deco-style automobiles. In the most
recent custodian's care, it has been on display in a private museum
and rarely shown in public. Light recommissioning has been done to
prepare it for sale, though additional attention may be necessary
for more extensive touring or concours display.
Carrosserie Pourtout was a master of the art deco era, and this
rare Supercharged Model 97 demonstrates how well the Parisian
coachbuilder's work blends with the Graham's risky and bold 'Spirit
of Motion' styling.
Offers welcome and trades considered
