Graham-Paige was an American automobile manufacturer founded by brothers Joseph B., Robert C., and Ray A. Graham in 1927. Automobile production ceased in 1940, and its automotive assets were acquired by Kaiser-Frazer in 1947. As a corporate entity, the Graham-Paige name continued until 1962.

graham

After successful involvement in a glass manufacturing company (eventually sold to Libbey Owens Ford), brothers Joseph B., Robert C., and Ray A. Graham began in 1919 to produce kits to convert Ford Model Ts into trucks and modify Model TTs. That led to the brothers building their trucks using engines of various manufacturers and the Graham Brothers brand.

Eventually, they settled on Dodge engines, and soon the trucks were sold by Dodge dealers. The Grahams expanded from beginnings in Evansville, Indiana, opening plants in 1922 on Meldrum Avenue in Detroit, Michigan, of 1200 m2, and in 1925 on Cherokee Lane in Stockton, California. The Canadian market was supplied by the Canadian Dodge plant. Dodge purchased the Graham Brothers truck firm in 1925, and the three Graham brothers took on executive positions at Dodge.

The Graham Brothers brand lasted until 1929, Chrysler Corporation having taken over Dodge in 1928.

graham paige

In 1927, with the banking syndicate controlling Dodge trying to sell the company, the Graham brothers decided to enter the automobile business on their own. In 1927, they purchased the Paige-Detroit Motor Car Company, makers of Paige and Jewett automobiles.

The company's initial offerings included a line of Graham-Paige cars with 6 and 8-cylinder engines. For a while, a line of light trucks was offered under the Paige name, soon discontinued when Dodge reminded the Grahams about the non-competition agreement they had signed as part of the sale of the Graham Brothers Company. Graham earned a reputation for quality and sales quickly rose.

 

Graham-Paige made most of their own bodies and engines. They did not have a foundry and contracted with Continental for these services relative to their engines. Some models did use Continental stock engines. Graham-Paige's own engineering department designed most of the engines used in Graham-Paige cars.

Paige-Detroit began producing cars in 1908, when Fred Paige and Harry Jewett joined forces. Their initial offering was a two-seater, powered by a 2.2-litre, three-cylinder, two-stroke engine. In 1910 it was replaced by a three-litre, four-cylinder, four-stroke engine and the company name was shortened to ‘Paige’.

Paige cars were top-quality, with production standards similar to the world’s leading brands and that became problem in the early 1920s, with a post-war economic slump.

Between 1923 and 1926 Paige also produced less-specified Jewett models, initially powered by 50-55hp Jewett six-cylinder engines and then by 40hp Continental engines.

The last Paige innovation was the 1927 Straightaway Eight, powered by a Lycoming L-head, side-valve, 80hp straight-eight engine and fitted with a Warner Hi-Flex, four-speed, overdrive transmission.

Later in 1927, Paige was acquired by Graham and subsequent cars were branded Graham-Paige.

610

The Model 610 was the first model Graham-Paige introduced in 1928, intended to give people a taste of the brand.

Only 21,000 Model 610s were built, which is very few compared to a Model A Ford.

Formula 1 will not only have a completely new set of regulations in 2026, but will also see the arrival of new teams and engine manufacturers. For the first time since 2016, the grid will expand to 11 teams, with Cadillac making its highly anticipated debut.

Cadillac’s entry is the culmination of several years of efforts to get a new American team into F1, with the project initially spearheaded by Michael Andretti and later evolving into a full-fledged partnership between General Motors and TWG Motorsports.

Its entry was finally approved in March of 2025, although work on the project had been ongoing for several years, the company expanding its facilities, hiring more staff and even testing a wind tunnel model of an F1 car.

Getting the final approval was a lengthy process as Andretti faced opposition from the current teams and Formula One Management, which questioned the value of the entry and worried about the dilution of the prize fund.

In its first years, Cadillac will use Ferrari-supplied engines and gearboxes, while GM is already laying the groundwork for a future in-house power unit, targeting a debut for its own engine as early as 2028.

Cadillac’s main headquarters will be near Silverstone in the UK, complemented by engineering and technical facilities in Indiana, North Carolina, and Michigan.

Its entry means F1 will have two American teams from next year as Cadillac joins Haas.

Ex-Marussia and Virgin Racing boss Graeme Lowdon will serve as team principal of the team.

Russ O’Blenes will be the CEO of TWG GM Performance Power Units LLC, the entity tasked with developing Cadillac’s future F1 engines. Additionally, Dan Towriss, CEO of TWG Motorsports, will play an executive role in the project, overseeing the partnership between TWG and General Motors.

Cadillac  drivers will be Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez.

sales

General Motors was the largest global automaker by annual vehicle sales for 77 consecutive years, from 1931, when it overtook Ford Motor Company, until 2008 when it was overtaken by Toyota. This reign was longer than any other automaker, and GM is still among the world's largest automakers by vehicle unit sales.

In 2009, General Motors sold 6.5 million cars and trucks globally; in 2010, it sold 8.39 million. Sales in China rose 66.9% in 2009 to 1,830,000 vehicles and accounting for 13.4% of the market.

Global Volt/Ampera family sales totalled about 177,000 units from its inception in December 2010 through 2018. including over 10.000 Opel/Vauxhall Amperas sold in Europe up to December 2015. The Volt family of vehicles ranked as the world's all-time top-selling plug-in hybrid as of September 2018, and it is also the third best selling plug-in electric car in history after the Nissan Leaf (375.000) and the Tesla Model S (253,000), as of October 2018. The Chevrolet Volt is also the U.S. all-time top-selling plug-in electric car with 148.556 units delivered through October 2018.

parade of progress

The GM Parade of Progress was a famous mid-20th-century traveling science and technology fair by General Motors, featuring futuristic exhibits and the iconic, massive Futurliner buses, showcasing American innovation to millions across North America from 1936 to 1956, bringing science out of the lab and into local communities. Conceived by GM's research head Charles F. Kettering, it used these unique vehicles, with folding side panels and towering displays, to demonstrate advances in everything from home life to space exploration, boosting optimism and GM's image. 

In essence, the GM Parade of Progress was a traveling billboard for the future, using stunning vehicles and free educational shows to connect industry, science, and everyday people.

This “Parade of Progress” took to the road in 1936, with 8 Streamliners, specially built vans to house displays, along with 9 semi truck-trailers housing tents and support items for the show. Leading the impressive caravan into town was always a GM concept car, and in 1936 it was the World’s Fair Cadillac V-16 Fastback.  The parade would typically play to audiences for up to five days at each destination and then it was off to the next town.

After touring over a million miles and displaying to over twelve million people in the U.S., GM executives decided it was time for a change-one that would make the “Parade of Progress” bigger and better. In 1939, GM introduced 12 Futurliners, hand built buses that could house each technological display in its main body. The estimated cost of each Futurliner in 1939 was said to be $100,000 each. They had a pilot type driver’s compartment with center mounted steering wheel, rubber bumpers, spectacular in appearance, and were easy to clean and operate. Now the caravan was even more impressive, including concept cars, 8 Streamliners, 9 Semi’s and now 12 Futurliners. It must have been quite a site to see heading to small cities across America, better than even the circus coming to town. But that image would have to wait; World War II halted all of GM’s plans, but only temporarily.

After the war ended The “Parade of Progress” was back on the road in 1953, bigger and better than before World War II. But this post war success would be very short lived. On July 4th, 1956 in Spokane, Washington the “Parade of Progress” and the Futurliners made their last showing. Over 70.000 people were in attendance for the finale.

There are only 10 Futurliners in existence today. Number Eleven sold at the Barrett-Jackson auction in 2006, for $4,000,000.00, while Number 10 is restored and in the National Automotive and Truck Museum of the U.S. in Grand Rapids, Michigan. And now Number Three will be at Kindig-It Designs to undergo a year and a half restoration. This is a very exciting piece of history to come to Utah. It will be a pleasure to report back each month on its progress and offer more historical tidbits as well.