Walt G article in Hemmings

[Ozstatman]

Walt G Minerva article

[Matt Harwood]

Bravo! Walt.

[Mark Wetherbee]

Very much enjoyed reading this Walt! Thank you for posting it here!

[edinmass]

Well done.....as usual.

[Walt G]

Thank you everyone, I have so much material from pre WWII era - periodicals, photographs, catalogs, motor show and salon programs that is all part of the history of the cars we love so just feel good about being able to share it . Some people do not have the resources I have managed to put together for the past 50 years so can't put "the big picture" all together in a story. I view myself as a story teller not an author, makes me feel good to mention and honor the people and companies that were responsible for designing and building the vehicles we admire and cherish.  I just can't let the piles of original material sit here and not let anyone else see it. I will never run out of new stories about the history of vehicles that ceased production 70+ years ago. It is my way of opening a window to the past for all to hopefully enjoy. thanks again for the kind words.

Walt

[TAKerry]

Great article Walt!  I look forward every month to my hemmings. I particularly like the stories on pre war cars such as yours on the Minerva. Love seeing the period advertisements and lit. associated with them as well. Keep up the good work, looking forward to your next one.

[philip roitman]

Thank you. Very interesting and informative and enjoyable.

[Guest Mark McAlpine]

Great article, Walt!  Thanks for the information and history.  And thanks to Mal in NWS ("ozstatman") for posting the article for everyone to read & enjoy.

[Graham Man]

Walt,

   I always enjoy your articles, love the Minerva pictures you always have the best!  Thanks for posting, I get the Hemmings posts but missed this one.  I know Graham-Paige sold chassis into France and other countries I assume to get around the same tariffs on the other side of the pond?

 

 

1929 Graham-Paige 837 chassis - Galle Coachwork

[Walt G]

Graham-Paige may have had a dealer or two in Europe, most likely France. I have to find the time to look in the Motor show souvenir programs for Paris, London, Brussels and Berlin to confirm, I have all those programs.  Yes, going either way across the pond if a chassis was sent with no body ( chassis could have fenders, bumpers lights ( but in Europe most likely the lights or at least the inserts in the inside of the lights would have been of European manufacture like Marchal) the import duty was much less. Buick and Chrysler got around this difficulty a bit as Chrysler had a assembly plant in Kew in England ( west of London) and Buick had a plant in Canada , which was a dominion of England so if the chassis came from Canada to England the import duty was nil as it was made on British soil. Ford had several plant to make cars in Europe and even produced its own spiral bound magazine Le Review Ford in the mid 1930s that I have a few copies of. Sales literature produced for the Euuopean market was made for Ford, Lincoln, Buick, Franklin, Plymouth ( known in England as the Chrysler Kew)  , Packard, Hudson, and no doubt other American makes as well. The Motor Show ( they didn't call them automobile shows ) souvenir programs were about 1 inch or more thick and listed the cars on the display stands /exhibits in detail as to what model, series, wheelbase, engine, body builder etc. Very detail and a great aide in knowing what was made when and where with what body and who built it. I did an article in Hemmings Classic Car a while ago that was based on a body builders dealers photo album I found in a London antique store. Lots of great period photos of the bodies built - best part was that one of those show is owned by a friend of mine who contributes to this thread! The actual chassis for a TT truck that is restored and in his families collection in England.

Why do I remember all this stuff and where to look it up in a publication in my library that I haven't set eyes on in 25-30 years........................................🙄

[lump]

Great article, Walt. Thanks for sharing. 

[Graham Man]

Walt, 

    You always have the best sources.  Graham-Paige had an assembly plant in Walkerville Canada it started building car in 1931 till 1935.   It would make sense that they would ship the export cars from there if the tariffs were lower.  There are quite a few surviving Graham-Paige cars around the world.   I have seen them in Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, Africa, France, England, India, Argentina, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Belgium and Canada.

 

Thanks again for the great articles!