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03/01/2020 7:17 pm
1936 Reo-Graham connection
David Holcombe stated that there was never a model of a Reo passenger car, and he is absolutely correct. But wait a minute. That is maybe only 99% true.
Brooklin made a model, BML-15 of a 1936 Graham 116 sedan. Here is a brief history of the Reo-Graham connection. Both Reo and Graham were having a hard time staying in business during the depression. Reo had exceptional facilities, with capacity being used at a minimum. Graham needed a styling change to keep up with the competition. So Reo used their bodies, with some changes, of course, for a new Graham, and made money on the back end, even though they couldn't sell any more Reos.
The 1936 & 1937 Grahams are Reo bodied, yet look entirely new. So in a round-about way, there is a Reo model, called a Graham 116. I'm stretching here, but it's a great story if you are a car guy.
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1936 Reo Flying Cloud sedan
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1936 Graham 116 sedan Brooklin model BML-15
03/01/2020 11:05 pm
That's a very valid observation about the shared bodies. Pretty interesting circumstances.
04/01/2020 12:53 am
So to see, only the radiator/grille are different. On the Graham is the grille in 2 pieces.
04/01/2020 3:02 am
Good information! I should avoid such sweeping statements. I have a couple of Grahams, too. (pics)
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04/01/2020 4:51 am
I think the bumpers are different as well.
04/01/2020 7:04 am
Did they share engines too Ray? Over here we had the Lammas-Graham...
which used the Graham supercharger engine. This was one of the group of Anglo American cars popular in the 1930s - Railton, Allard, Jensen with the Lammas Graham being the rarest. The two Brooklin Grahams are based on the full-size cars in the Bulgari Collection at Allentown
04/01/2020 5:44 pm
Reply John Roberts, Graham & Reo
John, I don't believe Graham and Reo shared mechanics, although they were similar to one another. The A-6 Reo was a 90 HP six, displacing 228CID, with 7 main bearings, and rode on a 115" wheelbase. They sold poorly in 1936 and that ended their passenger car production.
The Graham Cavalier had a supercharged 217.8 CID six and also rode on a 115" WB. They used this body style for 2 years, 1936 and '37. In 1938, they brought out the very controversial "Spirit of Motion", also picked up the nickname "Sjarknose". This car has always been a favorite of mine and I have the Brooklin version of the coupe and the NEO 4 door sedan. Unfortunately they sold poorly and production ended in 1940. There was one more Graham before production ended forever, like Reo. A reworked Cord Westchester sedan body, on a Graham chassis, and called it the Hollywood. Hupmobile shared the body, and called it the Skylark. So much handwork was needed to put these cars into production, that nobody made any money, and the public was not buying. This is just a brief history.
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1938 Graham "Spirit of Motion" sharknose sedan.
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1940 Graham Hollywood Convertible
04/01/2020 11:57 pm
Thanks Ray, much appreciated