Guest Magoo Posted November 13, 2012 Share Posted November 13, 2012 Here's another series at Mac's Motor City Garage.com inspired by forum conversations here and elsewhere. Thanks sincerely for your guidance, appreciate your experience and insights. This is called The Year in Cars -- instead of focusing on a particular make, theme, styling feature, mechanical topic, etc. we pick a model year. 1932, a seminal year for American cars, seemed like a good place to start. Tried to keep it short on historical blabbering, long on historical facts and photos. The Year in Cars: 1932 | Mac's Motor City Garage.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Braverman Posted November 15, 2012 Share Posted November 15, 2012 Arguably the most beautiful years for cars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Man Posted November 15, 2012 Share Posted November 15, 2012 Introduced December 1931 and advertised as "The Most Imitated Car on the Road" in 19331932 Graham Model 57 and 57A (red) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Skyking Posted November 15, 2012 Share Posted November 15, 2012 I've always believed that 1932 and 1957 were the only two years that every manufacturer had beautiful designs all together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curti Posted November 15, 2012 Share Posted November 15, 2012 That Franklin is a very attractive car. Is it a custom body? The raked grill is ahead of it's time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted November 15, 2012 Share Posted November 15, 2012 Factory. 12 cylinder Club Brougham Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 16, 2012 Share Posted November 16, 2012 Pontiac gets it's first V-8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted November 16, 2012 Share Posted November 16, 2012 1932 was the for the most part the final iteration on the open fender and many had perfected the curve. Also, the windshields were beginning to be angled back which helped. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R W Burgess Posted November 16, 2012 Share Posted November 16, 2012 Introduced December 1931 and advertised as "The Most Imitated Car on the Road" in 1933[ATTACH=CONFIG]163289[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]163299[/ATTACH]1932 Graham Model 57 and 57A (red)Looks like a '33-'34 Ford! Wait! :cool: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 16, 2012 Share Posted November 16, 2012 1932 was the for the most part the final iteration on the open fender and many had perfected the curve. Also, the windshields were beginning to be angled back which helped.At least for GM cars the brief change from louvered hood side vents to door vents ( door vents used only on a 32 Pontiac ) would end in 1932 and would completely change for 1933. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Magoo Posted November 19, 2012 Share Posted November 19, 2012 Another way to approach 1932 as a pivotal year in American auto styling: Take out the 1932 model year for a moment and directly compare the 1931 and 1933 models to each other. It's an eye opener, really dramatizes the changes. 1931 vs. 1933 Fords: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Man Posted November 19, 2012 Share Posted November 19, 2012 (edited) For Graham you did not even have to change years....1932 First Series Coupe...1932 Graham Second Series Convertible CoupeInteresting they even use the same front bumper, same engine, same transmission but the center of gravity dropped about 8 inches. Graham outboard mounted the springs to the frame and ran the rear axle through the frame to lower the center of gravity tremendously. Customers complained because the car did not lean in the corners. In 1934 came the 140hp Super Charged 8 but that is another story.. Edited November 19, 2012 by Graham Man (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Magoo Posted November 21, 2012 Share Posted November 21, 2012 Excellent point, Graham man. I'm still on the hunt for factory photos of the first series. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Man Posted November 21, 2012 Share Posted November 21, 2012 I am hoping to add a 1933 Ford 4 door sedan to may garage someday. I love the 33/34 body styles I think they are highly underrated... the hot rod guys seem to appreciate them, soon all the original car will be gone. I had my 1933 Graham in the Public Enemies movie a few years back they called over 200 1933/4 Ford owners before they found an original car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TexRiv_63 Posted November 21, 2012 Share Posted November 21, 2012 I have always thought 1932 was a watershed year for car styling and engineering, very few ugly cars in that year. I was lucky enough to own one of the prettiest for a short time... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazzer3 Posted November 21, 2012 Share Posted November 21, 2012 The Graham Blue Streak Eight Coupe is one of my favorite. Jay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Magoo Posted November 21, 2012 Share Posted November 21, 2012 Here's an in-depth followup on the story above with more photos and info and based in part on the discussions here. Thanks for your input! More on the Year in Cars: 1932 | Mac's Motor City Garage.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dep5 Posted November 22, 2012 Share Posted November 22, 2012 (edited) 1932 Chrysler Imperial Custom 8, model CL, LeBaron Convertible Roadster Edited November 22, 2012 by dep5 (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Magoo Posted November 23, 2012 Share Posted November 23, 2012 1932 Chrysler Imperial Custom 8, model CL, LeBaron Convertible RoadsterGreat car, great photo, thanks!A Chrysler ('33) won Best in Show at St. John's this year, if I recall. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Magoo Posted November 27, 2012 Share Posted November 27, 2012 I have always thought 1932 was a watershed year for car styling and engineering, very few ugly cars in that year. I was lucky enough to own one of the prettiest for a short time...1932 Cadillac is a great one for sure. Many of the body styles are that rare thing -- a car with no bad angles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Graham Clayton Posted November 29, 2012 Share Posted November 29, 2012 1932 Stutz DV-32 Super Bearcat convertible - sold for $5,895 brand new. Only 206 Stutzes were sold in 1932. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bill Miller Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 Isn't the Franklin in Photo 2 a custom body by LeBaron rather than a factory production body? Maybe I'm thinking of the Pierce-Arrow company which commissioned a line of custom "salon" bodies from LeBaron, one of which sure looks a lot like this one. Bob Egle in Ohio, now deceased, had one of the 12-cylinder Franklins with this 2-door body which I saw at a CCCA Grand Classic in Indiana probably 20 years ago. He bought it at an IRS auction he saw in Old Cars Weekly and had gotten it running and then had an electrical fire from the original wiring which he had neglected to inspect closely. I've been looking for one ever since but they never show up for sale. A really beautiful car, coachbuilt or not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Braverman Posted December 1, 2012 Share Posted December 1, 2012 The Franklin V-12 bodies were actually built in-house, by Franklin, as a cost saving measure. It was the first time Franklin had ever built their own bodies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Magoo Posted December 1, 2012 Share Posted December 1, 2012 Thanks to all for the interesting comments on the 1932 Franklin Twelve. I found this ad showing the Club Brougham body style (or very similar) with the comment that the body was "LeBaron styled." Which, in ad-speak, ast implies that the body was designed by Lebaron but not necessarily built by Briggs/LeBaron. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Braverman Posted December 2, 2012 Share Posted December 2, 2012 This is my favorite car, my 1932 Franklin series 16A Airman. I love it for its understated beauty. I think it is a great example of clean, classic style. It's a plain, five-wheel car. It had white walls when I got it, but when they wore out, I put on the blackwalls in a slightly larger size. It totally changed the car's appearance, I feel for the better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RPrice Posted December 2, 2012 Share Posted December 2, 2012 Isn't it interesting that some of the most beautiful cars ever built were built during the depression.Rog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smithbrother Posted December 2, 2012 Share Posted December 2, 2012 Oh, I have always felt 1932 was a GOLD year. Great shots in the Mac's motor city garage album.Love lots of them. The 32 Reo-Royale, is a real beauty, IMO. Dale in Indy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Magoo Posted December 14, 2012 Share Posted December 14, 2012 This is my favorite car, my 1932 Franklin series 16A Airman. I love it for its understated beauty. I think it is a great example of clean, classic style. It's a plain, five-wheel car. It had white walls when I got it, but when they wore out, I put on the blackwalls in a slightly larger size. It totally changed the car's appearance, I feel for the better.Beautiful car. Great engineering, too. Franklin always went its own way, which is to be respected. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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