Rare 1940 Graham-Paige Hollywood to appear at Concours d'Elegance of America

Duesenberg, Auburn, Nash and Frazier--these are the orphan brands that most enthusiasts have heard of. Graham-Paige, on the other hand, is one of the defunct brands that few are familiar with. A rare and famous Graham-Paige called the Hollywood Convertible will star at the Concours d'Elegance of America at St. John's in Plymouth, Mich., on July 28-29.

This 1940 Graham Hollywood Convertible is the only known surviving two-passenger example in existence, according to concours organizers. The Hollywood went into storage in 1952, 12 years after it rolled out of the Graham shop. In 1963, a man spotted the car in a garage in Yarmouth, Mass. He thought the car was a Cord 810/812 and called his friend Al San Clemente, a Cord collector.

The car wasn't a Cord but it was made using Cord dies. In 1939, Graham made a deal with Hupmobile to build cars using the Cord molds. The Hupmobile Skylark and the Graham Hollywood were born from that partnership.

The serial number on the Hollywood indicates that it was the first car produced. The only difference between the Cord and the Hollywood was the transmission tunnel and the bump for the differential. The original paint code for the car was maroon, but the car had been painted first yellow and then dark green. The owner said he thinks that the car was painted several times by the factory as a show car.

The original buyer is unknown. It is known that the car was owned by Louis Handler of Handler Auto Parts in 1949. In 1950, it was sold to Elizabeth M. Keveney of Yarmouth. Keveney removed the rear deck and placed a bench seat in the back for the kids. It was used for beach trips until it was stored, where Clemente found it.

The car will sit with others like it in the Cord Cousins Class at the Concours d'Elegance of America on July 29. The show is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. General admission is $25 per person.

By Jake Lingeman