GRAHAM BROTHERS

Graham Brothers

Evansville, Indiana (1919-1927)

Detroit, Michigan (1922-1927)

Graham Brothers Div. Chrysler Corp (1928)

Detroit, Michigan

This is a Graham Brothers radiator emblem (c1921-1926)     mjs
Size: 57mm diameter    MM: Unknown

The three Graham brothers, Joseph B., Robert C., and Ray A., began in the automotive field in 1916 by offering the Truck-Builder, which consisted of frame, cab, body and internal gear drive by which a passenger car could be converted into a truck. Fifth wheel turntables were also available for making light articulated trucks. A factory was built in Evansville in Indiana. Soon after the First World War, however, the Graham brothers were assembling their own complete trucks, starting with a 1-1/2-ton speed truck in 1919. Graham Brothers trucks were assembled using mostly standard components, particularly Dodge made components, which attracted the interest of Dodge in increasing the scope of their commercial vehicle business. 

By 1922, Dodge Brothers had acquired a majority interest in Graham Brothers and arranged for Dodge Brothers trucks to be manufactured in Detroit under the Graham name but using Dodge four-cylinder engines. To cope with the increased production, Graham Brothers opened new plants in Stockton, California and in Toronto, Canada.  

Graham Brothers trucks were typical medium-sized vehicles. By 1928 the range included 1/4-ton, 1/2-ton and 2-1/2-ton sizes with six-cylinder engines in some models. More than 60,000 trucks were being produced annually, making Graham Brothers a major truck manufacturer.

By 1928 Dodge had taken over Graham Brothers completely and Graham Brothers became a Division of Chrysler Corporation, which owned Dodge Brothers. The Graham name was replaced by Dodge Brothers from 1929 and by Dodge from 1936. As part of their sale to Dodge, the Graham brothers agreed not to build trucks again. The Graham brothers continued their interests in the automotive market by buying the Paige-Detroit Motor Car Company and continued that car as Graham-Paige and then as Graham (see Graham-Paige/Graham).

Emblems

The following round Graham Brothers emblem with a blue and white enamel shield is the radiator emblem was used for the Graham Brothers 1-1/2-ton Speed Truck built at Evansville, Indiana. This Graham Brothers radiator emblem is very rare:

This is a Graham Brothers radiator emblem (1920-1921)     mjs
Size: 69mm diameter    MM: Unknown

Following the opening of a plant in Detroit, Graham Brothers trucks carried a new round, blue and white enamel radiator emblem, see example shown above at the top of this post and again below:

This is a Graham Brothers radiator emblem (c1921-1926)     mjs
Size: 57mm diameter    MM: Unknown

There are very good reproductions of this emblem made by Nostalgic Relections. These reproduction emblems have a threaded screw in the center at the back and are clearly marked as made by Nostalgic Reflections.

From 1924, Graham Brothers also built trucks in Toronto, Canada  and displayed a Canadian version of the radiator emblem shown above, see example below:

This ia a Canadian Graham Brothers radiator emblem (1924-1926)     mjs
Size: 57mm diameter    MM: Unknown

The Graham Brothers radiator emblem was changed to the following Graham Brothers radiator emblem from 1926:

This is a Graham Brothers radiator emblem (1926-1928)     mjs
Size: 57mm diameter    MM: Unknown

This is a Canadian Graham Brothers radiator emblem (1926-1928)     mjs
Size: 57mm diameter     MM: Unknown

Originally, these Graham Brothers radiator emblems were painted, with a black border and central "GB" and a white or cream inner background. However, the original paint has usually been removed by wear. The following example has retained the original black paint. An original emblem with the original paint is rare. 

This is a Graham Brothers radiator emblem (1926-1928)  kmc
Size: 57mm diameter      MM: Unknown

The small Graham Brothers plate shown below was attached to some Graham Brothers built vehicles in the 1924-1928 period:

This is a "Built By Graham Brothers" nameplate (1924-1928) mjs
Size: 65mm wide 23mm high

The following Graham Brothers nameplate was attached to the rear frame member on one-ton G-Boy truck models built from 1926 to 1927. This Graham Brothers G-Boy nameplate is scarce.

this is a Graham Brothers G-Boy model nameplate (c1926)    ms
Size: 228mm wide 76mm high    MM: None

The following Dodge Brothers nameplate was used for trucks built by Graham Brothers after the take over by Dodge Brothers in 1928. It can be found on some surviving Dodge Brothers trucks, displayed as a hood side nameplate, but is believed to have been mounted originally on the rear frame member :

This is a nameplate for a Dodge Bros truck built by Graham Bros (1929)   mjs
Size: 363mm wide 60mm high