It’s been more than 50 years since the extraordinary 1935 Graham Blue Streak coupe now listed on eBay Motors was unexpectedly discovered. In 1963, Glenn Irish was driving down a country road in Brentwood, Calif. with his father. “My father and I saw two covered cars parked alongside a barn owned by a local rancher,” Irish said. “When we uncovered the car, it was love at first sight.” His father bought the car for $500. Irish was 16 years old.
The vehicle revealed on that day was a 1935 Model 73 Graham Blue Streak Special 6 Business Coupe. It’s the only stock-original Model 73 known to exist with all matching numbers for the chassis, engine, and body—and it’s among the last units produced by Graham-Paige, the American carmaker founded in 1927. Irish, who has owned the car for the past 54 years, recently completed a full restoration.
Irish drove the car for his junior and senior years of high school. He admits that, in those days, he removed the spare tire from the rear Continental kit to put a keg in the trunk for parties in nearby orchards. He recalls that the front bench seat could fit four people—in a pinch. In the years that followed, he occasionally took the car for a spin not realizing the value of the rare car. It’s now listed on eBay Motors with a Buy-It-Now Price of $250.000.
Doing the Research
It wasn’t until 1996 that he started researching the car. “The California chapter president of the Graham Owner’s Club International told me that I might have the rarest car in America,” he said.
In 1932, Detroit’s Graham-Page offered an eight-cylinder engine called the Blue Streak, giving the car its nickname. The engine gained notoriety in 1933 when Erwin George “Cannon Ball” Baker, the venerable racer, drove a Graham-Paige Model 57 Blue Streak 8 from New York City to Los Angeles in 53.5 hours—setting a record that would last for four decades.
The business coupe’s most innovative design feature is its “banjo-style” frame. The design was the first to offer enclosed front fenders allowing for a sweeping look and a cleaner wheel area,” said Irish. The banjo frame also means more rigidity for a stable ride, greater control of axle movement, and a lower stance by a few inches. Its radiator grille is narrow, high, and slanted back for a streamlined effect.
Bringing It Back
Irish oversaw the restoration using local automotive craftsmen. Many of the rare parts were still on the car. He was able to find others on eBay Motors. “The most interesting find on eBay was a set of door knobs that were red crystal with roses etched into the exterior,” he said. “The opening was an exact fit for the shifter and complemented the interior and period-correct looks.”
The wood roof structure was replaced during the restoration.
Highlights of the off-body restoration include:
- Replacing the oak roof structure using brass screws to hold the joints together
- Chroming old parts, such as the artillery wheels now dressed with three-and-a-half inch white-wall tires
- Updating the burgundy upholstery, while maintaining the original buttons and pleats
- Repainting the car with its original color—black with silver pinstripe
Irish, who lives in Princeton, Calif., north of Sacramento, thought the restoration project would take six months, but it took six years. His skills as a retired nuclear submarine mechanic came in handy during the restoration. “I knew it could be a beauty,” Irish said. Now that it’s finished, he’s been presenting the car at local car shows, taking several top awards—which he dedicates to his father, who also restored cars.
Irish hopes that the 1935 Model 73 Graham Blue Streak Special 6 Business coupe will find a good home. “I hope the new owner will keep it exactly as is,” said Irish. “That’s what I did for the past 54 years.”
