The Ford Barn

JimG · 08-31-2017, 12:51 PM

Here is an interesting article on Amos Northrup and the Graham Blue Streak that is on the HVA website. Graham came out with this car in 1932. You can really see where Ford got their 1933-4 styling from. Only major difference I see is no suicide doors on the front doors of the Graham, and it has artillery wheels rather than wire wheels. I always thought the 1933-4 styling was a fresh idea from Edsel, but it looks like he copied it from Graham.

https://www.historicvehicle.org/grahamtastic-timing/

petehoovie · 08-31-2017, 01:09 PM

How about the 1934 Dodge?....

40 Deluxe · 08-31-2017, 01:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimG

Here is an interesting article on Amos Northrup and the Graham Blue Streak that is on the HVA website. Graham came out with this car in 1932. You can really see where Ford got their 1933-4 styling from. Only major difference I see is no suicide doors on the front doors of the Graham, and it has artillery wheels rather than wire wheels. I always thought the 1933-4 styling was a fresh idea from Edsel, but it looks like he copied it from Graham.

https://www.historicvehicle.org/grahamtastic-timing/

Well, Edsel would had to have spies at Graham from the beginning of Blue Streak design! Consider: The '33 Ford came out in the fall of '32 so factory changeover from '32 to '33 production probably began or was done by August '32. Before that, body dies and other production machinery had to be designed and built. Suppliers also had to be tooled up and ready to go. Advertising copy had to be designed and printed. Prototype testing had to done. Blueprints had to be drawn. The basic design had to be fine tuned and finalized. Could all this have been done within one year? Doubtful!
Edsel (unless he had the aforementioned spies) would not have seen a '32 Blue Streak before fall '31. So I don't think he copied from Graham.

JimG · 08-31-2017, 01:17 PM

Yes, many came up with a very similar swept back style in the early to mid thirties, which I love. Looks like Graham was the first to market and a likely inspiration for them all...

JimG · 08-31-2017, 02:46 PM

40 Deluxe Maybe you are right - the article from the HVA seemed to indicate the styling originated with Graham, but maybe not... Many cars came out in a similar timeframe with similar styling. Seems like somebody must have copying from each other.

tubman · 08-31-2017, 03:04 PM

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I have heard that Hupmobile purchased bodies from Ford (there was a thread on the H.A.M.B. that documented this with a 3-window coupe). Given the relationship between Graham and Hupmobile and their tendency of using other manufacturers bodies (witness the Graham "Hollywood" and the Hupp "Skyliner" being based on the Cord sedan) I think if there was any copying, it was the other way around.

JimG · 08-31-2017, 04:18 PM

This article from the Historical Vehicle Association and the one I first posted on seem to give credit for the streamlined design of the 30's to Amos Northrup. Here is another article they just published. I don't know if they are correct. Maybe some of you guys know. I just found it interesting. They seem to have made a big deal out of the Graham Blue Streak, inducting it as the 19th car into their National Historic Register.

https://www.historicvehicle.org/amos...icle-register/

KiWinUS · 08-31-2017, 04:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimG

Here is an interesting article on Amos Northrup and the Graham Blue Streak that is on the HVA website. Graham came out with this car in 1932. You can really see where Ford got their 1933-4 styling from. Only major difference I see is no suicide doors on the front doors of the Graham, and it has artillery wheels rather than wire wheels. I always thought the 1933-4 styling was a fresh idea from Edsel, but it looks like he copied it from Graham.

https://www.historicvehicle.org/grahamtastic-timing/

I believe it is documented somewhere Edsel styled the 33-34 American model after the lil English "Y" Model.
I had read this , not sure if correct.
Cheers
Tony

JSeery · 08-31-2017, 07:59 PM

Most of the cars in the time period looked very similar, but I always thought that the Ford lines flowed better (visually) and the entire package had a better look.

But then pick a year including up to the present and a lot of different manufactures put out similar looking cars/trucks.

scooder · 09-01-2017, 07:42 AM

Our Kiwi has it, the 33/34 ford was a development in styling from the little British Ford Model Y. Edsel was apparently very impressed with the Y and had it scaled up for the 33/34.
Martin.

08-31-2017, 12:51 PM	#1
JimG Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2016 Location: Hamburg, NY Posts: 244	Graham Blue Streak Here is an interesting article on Amos Northrup and the Graham Blue Streak that is on the HVA website. Graham came out with this car in 1932. You can really see where Ford got their 1933-4 styling from. Only major difference I see is no suicide doors on the front doors of the Graham, and it has artillery wheels rather than wire wheels. I always thought the 1933-4 styling was a fresh idea from Edsel, but it looks like he copied it from Graham. https://www.historicvehicle.org/grahamtastic-timing/

08-31-2017, 01:09 PM	#2
petehoovie Senior Member Join Date: May 2015 Posts: 8,137	Re: Graham Blue Streak How about the 1934 Dodge?.... __________________ The only thing nice about being imperfect is the joy it brings to others.... *"Silver rings, your butt! Them's washers!"* "We shot our way out of that town for a dollar's worth of steel holes!" - from 'The Wild Bunch' - 1969 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NReUd2_0u0

08-31-2017, 01:17 PM	#4
JimG Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2016 Location: Hamburg, NY Posts: 244	Re: Graham Blue Streak Yes, many came up with a very similar swept back style in the early to mid thirties, which I love. Looks like Graham was the first to market and a likely inspiration for them all...

08-31-2017, 02:46 PM	#5
JimG Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2016 Location: Hamburg, NY Posts: 244	Re: Graham Blue Streak 40 Deluxe Maybe you are right - the article from the HVA seemed to indicate the styling originated with Graham, but maybe not... Many cars came out in a similar timeframe with similar styling. Seems like somebody must have copying from each other.

08-31-2017, 03:04 PM	#6
tubman Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Minnesota, Florida Keys Posts: 10,316	Re: Graham Blue Streak Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements) I have heard that Hupmobile purchased bodies from Ford (there was a thread on the H.A.M.B. that documented this with a 3-window coupe). Given the relationship between Graham and Hupmobile and their tendency of using other manufacturers bodies (witness the Graham "Hollywood" and the Hupp "Skyliner" being based on the Cord sedan) I think if there was any copying, it was the other way around.

08-31-2017, 07:59 PM	#9
JSeery Member Emeritus Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Wichita KS Posts: 16,132	Re: Graham Blue Streak Most of the cars in the time period looked very similar, but I always thought that the Ford lines flowed better (visually) and the entire package had a better look. But then pick a year including up to the present and a lot of different manufactures put out similar looking cars/trucks.

09-01-2017, 07:42 AM	#10
scooder Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Posts: 2,593	Re: Graham Blue Streak Our Kiwi has it, the 33/34 ford was a development in styling from the little British Ford Model Y. Edsel was apparently very impressed with the Y and had it scaled up for the 33/34. Martin.