y 1940, the Graham-Paige Motors Corp. of Detroit remained in deep financial trouble. Like other car manufacturers, the company had struggled through the Great Depression, which took the hardest toll on independent car makers. Many independents went out of business during the early and mid 1930s, the worst years of the Great Depression, but Graham had been able to continue building cars. Hope for a return to prosperity had come from the company’s all-new and uniquely styled 1938 Graham models, which had a forward-thrusting design that came to be called “Spirit of Motion.” While the “Spirit of Motion” cars drew attention on the street and people to Graham showrooms, the cars fell short of sales expectations due to
