1939 Graham Special 96 Sharknose 4-Door Sedan
2023.0042.0001, Savoy Collection
Engine: 218 cu.in. (3.6L) L-Head, Straight 6
Output: 90 HP @ 3,600 RPM
Transmission: 3-Speed Manual
Wheelbase: 120 in.
Original Price: $965
Manufacturer: Graham-Paige Motor Corp.
Officially labeled “Spirit of Motion” by designer Amos Northrup, the public named it the “Sharknose.” The car’s forward-leaning profile projects the image of speed, even when parked. Graham successfully stamped out three-dimensionally in steel what Northrup captured in his two-dimensional artwork. Unfortunately, Northrup never saw his masterpiece in person. He died on February 13, 1937, from a fatal head injury after slipping on ice near his home in Detroit.
The rear tail and brake lights ride high above the beltline predating a federal regulation for a high-mount center light by almost 50 years. The interior reflects the exterior’s Art Moderne motif. The media loved it. A customized convertible with the Sharknose front end intact won an award at the Paris Salon d’Elegance. But between the Great Depression and consumer wariness for ground-breaking design, the Sharknose was one of Graham-Paige’s last gasps before disappearing in 1941.