My grandpa, was a person I admired deeply. He was a veteran of WWI, and was proprietor of a shoe store; he even ran for Register of Deeds in 1922. We talked about everything. On the subject of what I wanted to do in life, he told me, “Don’t worry, one day you will be doing it.” He was right about so much, and it took me twenty years to realize it. 1998 would have been his 100th birthday, and I wanted to do something in his memory. I’ve always wanted to own an American classic car, and everyone in my family remembered Grandpa’s car as the “Gangster Wagon”. My mother, aunts, and uncles grew up with the “Gangster Wagon;” they had lots of memories, but not many tangible details, except for knowing it was a “Graham.” Being a car buff, I thought I knew most of the nameplates, but I wasn’t familiar with that one. I began to hunt for information about my grandpa’s car. I started out with the wrong pictures; Grandpa had pictures of his friend’s 1929 827. It took a lot of research, but I finally found out the true story.
My grandpa’s Graham came about as a grant to the WWI veterans. In the early 1930’s, the government sent out checks to veterans to try to stimulate the economy. Grandpa decided to buy a car with the money. I am not sure how he found it, but the Graham came from Appleton, WI, about 30 miles from his home in Brillion. His oldest son Robert Jr. (oldest in picture) remembered going to pick up the Graham; they even drove there in the friend’s 827. The Graham turned out to be a 1933-57A Blue Streak. It had six wire wheels with steel wheel covers and a flying lady. The car was not new, since my uncle remembers getting it from a residence in Appleton, but when Grandpa sold the car in 1953 it still had only 20,000 miles so it must have been pretty new.
The search was on to find Grandpa’s 1933 Blue Streak. One of the first people I met who knew anything about Graham automobiles was Michael Keller (some of you might know of him, he wrote a wonderful book). He was extremely helpful in my search, and he put up with a lot of dumb questions. Finding out the ‘33 57A was the lowest production Graham ever built, and the fact it was the top of the line in 1933, was both discouraging and encouraging. There was a good chance the car had not been crushed, but the chances of finding it, or any similar Graham, would be slim.
I have restored cars in the past, but mostly muscle cars and exotics. You can buy parts off the shelf for these kinds of cars, if you can afford them. I had helped a friend with a 1925 Maxwell, so I knew I wanted a complete car; off-the-shelf parts would not be an option, at any cost. September 11 came and went. I was dealing on several Grahams to purchase, and getting exceedingly anxious to make a deal. One G-P came to the forefront, a nicely restored 1928 619. The price was a little high, but we were able to make a deal! Finally a Graham would be back in the family.
I bought the 619 sight unseen, and had her trucked from Main to Minnesota in March 2002. The last obstacle to having my Graham home was the 20-mile drive from the truck dock (the gentleman I bought the car from said it ran and drove great). Minnesota, March, cold, dark, old car: I did not even know how to start it! Luckily an older gentleman stopped to look at the car, and informed me you need to step on the dimmer switch to get it to turn over! Hand over the carb intake (extra choke) and she was off, what a roar! What a drive! I found out what 29 candlepower means: at 45 mph you could hit a deer and never see it! The centerline was a welcome sight.
Through my new Graham friends, I ended up with another G-P this year, a 1929 827 wonderful unrestored, original, running, and driving car (right side). The ‘28 619 turned out to be a early ‘29 great driver, all ‘29 running gear on a ‘28 body. Only 200 were built, less than the ‘33 57A. Hope was renewed! My 4-year-old son, calls the Graham his automobile; his responsibility is the spark advance. Another generation will carry on the Graham tradition. We are all ready planning our Graham’s 100th birthday party, 2029.
I am still searching for Grandpa’s ‘33 57A. I know she’s out there somewhere, I can feel her, and the search continues…
My grandpa’s Graham came about as a grant to the WWI veterans. In the early 1930’s, the government sent out checks to veterans to try to stimulate the economy. Grandpa decided to buy a car with the money. I am not sure how he found it, but the Graham came from Appleton, WI, about 30 miles from his home in Brillion. His oldest son Robert Jr. (oldest in picture) remembered going to pick up the Graham; they even drove there in the friend’s 827. The Graham turned out to be a 1933-57A Blue Streak. It had six wire wheels with steel wheel covers and a flying lady. The car was not new, since my uncle remembers getting it from a residence in Appleton, but when Grandpa sold the car in 1953 it still had only 20,000 miles so it must have been pretty new.
The search was on to find Grandpa’s 1933 Blue Streak. One of the first people I met who knew anything about Graham automobiles was Michael Keller (some of you might know of him, he wrote a wonderful book). He was extremely helpful in my search, and he put up with a lot of dumb questions. Finding out the ‘33 57A was the lowest production Graham ever built, and the fact it was the top of the line in 1933, was both discouraging and encouraging. There was a good chance the car had not been crushed, but the chances of finding it, or any similar Graham, would be slim.
I have restored cars in the past, but mostly muscle cars and exotics. You can buy parts off the shelf for these kinds of cars, if you can afford them. I had helped a friend with a 1925 Maxwell, so I knew I wanted a complete car; off-the-shelf parts would not be an option, at any cost. September 11 came and went. I was dealing on several Grahams to purchase, and getting exceedingly anxious to make a deal. One G-P came to the forefront, a nicely restored 1928 619. The price was a little high, but we were able to make a deal! Finally a Graham would be back in the family.
I bought the 619 sight unseen, and had her trucked from Main to Minnesota in March 2002. The last obstacle to having my Graham home was the 20-mile drive from the truck dock (the gentleman I bought the car from said it ran and drove great). Minnesota, March, cold, dark, old car: I did not even know how to start it! Luckily an older gentleman stopped to look at the car, and informed me you need to step on the dimmer switch to get it to turn over! Hand over the carb intake (extra choke) and she was off, what a roar! What a drive! I found out what 29 candlepower means: at 45 mph you could hit a deer and never see it! The centerline was a welcome sight.
Through my new Graham friends, I ended up with another G-P this year, a 1929 827 wonderful unrestored, original, running, and driving car (right side). The ‘28 619 turned out to be a early ‘29 great driver, all ‘29 running gear on a ‘28 body. Only 200 were built, less than the ‘33 57A. Hope was renewed! My 4-year-old son, calls the Graham his automobile; his responsibility is the spark advance. Another generation will carry on the Graham tradition. We are all ready planning our Graham’s 100th birthday party, 2029.
I am still searching for Grandpa’s ‘33 57A. I know she’s out there somewhere, I can feel her, and the search continues…
