You Never Know....
What you will come across while visiting Cars at Carlisle. I am a self proclaimed 'car guy' and when I go to Carlisle, these are my people and this is my happy place. I would liken it to no other automotive experience. Its a museum, a salvage yard, a swap meet, an auction, and carnival all rolled into one. You can find almost anything in automobilia old, new, forgotten or sought after here. The big shows are Spring and Fall and I go religiously to just get lost in those fields. I scale up and down the rows and hills of project cars without knowing what I am looking for, but finding it all.
It came as no surprise at all to me that I would find this historic, long forgotten gem sitting on a trailer in the upper, back fields of Carlisle. But it still shocked me to be staring at this thing. A blue, seductive and curvy patina goddess towered over me from its car trailer as if it were on stage. A stage only fitting for Carlisle. Even at first glance, it stood out among the rusted out relics that screamed Parts Car...do reality, dont even think of restoring me. But this one was different.
As I explored her lines, the very first thing I noticed were SQUARE HEADLIGHTS....on Pre War 30's car? Without even realizing it I had already swung my Nikon into action and was capturing this piece of art with the feeling that I am seeing something I never knew existed until now and will probably never see again.
One of 8,000
According to Hemmings, there were only 8,000 of these ever made between 1938 and 1940. It was powered with a straight 6 with about 90HP which is interesting to me at least because I currently work on a lot of straight 6 Jeep motors these days. Brand new in 1938, these were selling for around $1,095. Today, a good to great one can catch between $40,000-$90,000. Today's find at Carlisle was listed at $3500. I guess the original owner from 1938 would be impressed by making $2400 profit on an 81 year old shell of a car.
What the Hell Is This?
As I was finishing up my photos. Two other car guys marveled over it as well. We all started inspecting it looking for some kind of familiar cue. An emblem, a tail-light or any kind of give-away that would process and categorize this car in the logs and files stored neatly in our heads. But this Sharknose Graham matched nothing we had seen or known in our lives. It matched no profile that we knew and made us think out of the box. I commented that we could be looking at the first Square Headlight car ever. Possibly not, but its cool to consider that. This car, a nearly gutted, last leg, mother of all projects and realistically Parts Only made us stop and admire her. It made strangers come together and try to imagine, out of the box, a car made almost a century ago that none of us had ever heard of.
Photograph by Hemmings
Photograph by Hemmings
Pieces
Even the pieces of this Graham Sharknose, designed by Amos Northup were fascinating. Amos, is also known for having designed cars for Willys-Overland and Austin. Graham automobiles were made by two brothers who broke away from Dodge in 1927 and they made cars up until 1940. Staring at the parts and remains of this Sharknosed wonder, I figured even the parts alone on this thing are worth something. Purists and and classic car restoration folks forgive the thought that crossed my mind but I couldnt help but imagine her front grill hanging decoratively on my wall. That would just be wrong. So in print or on canvas will have to do.
The original name of the Sharknose Graham was "Spirit in Motion" but she quickly became known as a Sharknose by enthusiasts who noticed its forward leaning, gilled front clip. When I look at it, I think of earlier trains or tall wood stoves. Either way, this discovery at Carlisle was enough to stir the spirits of any car nut who walked by it that day. This is why I do what I do. Why I go to shows like Carlisle and why I picked up the camera again several years ago. To capture the cars I love and admire and how I see them. Before they are gone. To enjoy and eternalize them in imagery for all to see and appreciate.
Enjoy.
