Hooniverse Weekend Edition – An Art-Deco Wonder; The 1939 Graham Sharknose Coupe

Continuing on with our look at the “Other Makes” section of eBay Motors, and this time I will now be highlighting a car with some “Art-Deco” design cues, the 1939 Graham Combination 2-Door Coupe. This was a new body style for the 1939 Graham line, and along with the 1938 Sedan, the styling was dubbed “The Spirit of Motion” because the car looked like it was moving, even when standing still. However, a new name that has stuck with these cars was coined during the 50s, and that was “The Sharknose”. Either way, there is no mistaking this generation of Graham-Paige automobiles, and this one has been restored to better than new condition. Let’s discover the next to last of the Graham-Paige line, and see if there is any desirability. According to a website dedicated to the 38-40 Graham Models:

The 1938 Graham was designed by Amos Northup to include the spirit of motion brought about the styling from the aircraft industry, and to include the styling of the Art Deco period. In Europe the design won numerious awards at the Salons d’Elegance in Paris, Lyons, Bordauex, and Marseilles. However the style was too radical for the American public and that hampered sales. In 1938 there were only approximately 5020 cars sold all of them being a four door sedan. In 1939 Graham added a two door sedan and a combination coupe, but sales were still slow with only 5400 cars being sold.

Graham ended production of the “Sharknose” models in 1940, and entered into an agreement with Hupmobile, which was also a car company on the brink of collapse, to produce a new car that both companies would sell using the body dies of the late Cord 810 Sedan. That experiment soon fizzled with both car making enterprises soon shutting down. The Graham company actually survived, first by producing armaments for the war effort from 1941 through 1945, and then resumed car production in the form of producing the Frazer, part of the newly formed Kaiser-Frazer company. After selling off the Automotive manufacturing part of the business to Kaiser-Frazer, and selling the Warren Avenue factory to Chrysler, Graham actually went into the real estate business buying such properties as Roosevelt Raceway, and Madison Square Gardens. The featured car is one of those newly introduced Combination Coupe Models, and according to the eBay listing:

1939 Graham Combination 2 Door Coupe – Very Rare! Body and paint by Doug Greer Restorations of Canada. Featured on cover of Canadian antique car magazine. Car is garaged and has been parked for over 3 years. Selling because of health reasons. Have many extra parts included: bulbs, wiper blades, hardware, spare supercharged engine/parts, 2 spare superchargers/parts.

With five days left to this auction, not one bid has been placed, and the opening bid is $29,500! Yes this car is rare, and it is quite unusual, but is it really worth that much coin? Take a look at the listing here, and tell me if this Art-Deco wonder is anything you would like to own.