Paige automobile

{{short description|Defunct American motor vehicle manufacturer}}

{{Infobox company

| name = Paige-Detroit Motor Car Company

| logo = Paige-auto 1912 logo.jpg

| logo_size = 200px

| logo_caption = The Most Beautiful Car in America

| type = Automobile Manufacturing

| industry = Automotive

| founder = Fredrick Osgood Paige

| fate = Acquired by The Graham Brothers in 1927

| successor = Graham-Paige Motors Corporation

| foundation = {{Start date and age|1908}}

| defunct = {{end date and age|1928}}

| location = Detroit, Michigan

| hq_location_country = United States

| key_people = Fred O. Paige, Harry M. Jewett

}}

Paige was a Detroit, United States–based automobile company, selling luxury cars between 1908 and 1927.

History

File:New Paige Fleetwood in Horseless Age v37 1916-05-01 p342.png

Paige first began producing automobiles in 1908. The company's first car was a two-seat model powered by a 2.2-liter three-cylinder, two-stroke engine.{{cite book|editor1-last=Georgano|editor1-first=G. N.|title=Encyclopedia of American Automobiles|publisher=Rainbird Reference Books|location=London|isbn=0-525-097929|page=151|edition=2nd}} This model continued until 1910, when a four-stroke, four-cylinder engine design took over. In 1911, the company's namesake was shortened to Paige. A six-cylinder model was added to the range in 1914. Four-cylinder models were dropped in 1916, leaving a choice of 3.7- or 4.9-liter sixes. Another name change occurred in 1919, when models fitted with a Duesenberg engine were known as Paige-Linwood, and models fitted with a Continental engine were listed as Paige-Larchmont. A straight-eight engine was added to the sixes in 1927.

On January 21, 1921, a Paige 6-66 broke an American stock car speed record by covering a mile in 35.01 seconds at a speed of 102.8 miles per hour.{{Cite web|url=https://www.simeonemuseum.org/the-collection/sporty-cars/1922-paige-6-66-daytona-speedster|title=1922 Paige 6-66 Daytona Speedster|website=www.simeonemuseum.org|date=24 June 2008 |access-date=2018-10-17}}

The most notable Paige produced was the 1922-1926 Daytona, a 3-seat sports roadster with a 6-cylinder engine. The vehicle was a traditional coupe, with the novel third seat extending from the side of the car over the near side running board. Paige advertised the Daytona as being "The most beautiful car in America."

In 1927, four new model types were released. The last types under the name Page are the 6-45, the 6-65, the 6-75 and the 8-85 {{cite web|url= https://proxy.europeana.eu/media/2021004/_oai_www_doria_fi_10024_87508/4201f4cf7c23fc5a594e4b21433f1d94?disposition=inline&recordApiUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fapi.europeana.eu%2Frecord |title= 6-45, 6-65, 6-75, 8-85|date=1927-01-01|publisher= Autola (1927) |access-date=2025-05-04}}

Paige also produced less-expensive range of cars between 1923 and 1926. These were sold as Jewetts and were named for the Paige company president H. M. Jewett. For 1927, the Jewett name changed to Junior Paige.

Graham ownership

The Graham Brothers bought the company on June 10, 1927. Joseph Graham became the new president, his brothers Robert and Ray serving as vice-president and secretary-treasurer, respectively.Odin, L.C. A concise guide to Graham-Paige. Belvedere Publishing, 2016. ASIN: B01G8X5Z34. The three, together with their father, also became directors of the company. The corporate name soon changed to Graham-Paige Motors Corporation. The market agreed, and automobile production rose from 21,881 in 1927 to 73,195 for the following year, when the cars became known as Graham-Paiges.

When the second series of 1930 cars was released (bringing out two series for a model year was widely practiced at the time), the name for the product (but not for the corporate name) changed to just Graham.“The Graham Brothers and Their Car” by Jeffery I. Godshall; Automobile Quarterly Volume 13 No.1

Gallery

File:Paige-detroit 1911-1022.jpg|1911 Paige-Detroit roadster

File:Paige automobile, ca 1920 (TRANSPORT 92).jpg|1920 Paige Touring Car

File:Mot 53 - Paige.jpg|1921 Paige Touring Car

File:1922 Paige Daytona Tourer (30874347926).jpg|1922 Paige Daytona Tourer

File:PaigeAutomobile1922.jpg|1922 Paige Sedan

File:1922 Paige Larchmont II Sport Touring - svl (4610452196).jpg|1922 Paige Larchmont II Sport Tourer

File:1922 Paige 6-66 Daytona Speedster.jpg|1922 Paige 6-66 Daytona Speedster

File:1927 Paige Model 645 (14363075194).jpg|1927 Paige Model 6-45 {{cite web|url= https://proxy.europeana.eu/media/2021004/_oai_www_doria_fi_10024_87508/4201f4cf7c23fc5a594e4b21433f1d94?disposition=inline&recordApiUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fapi.europeana.eu%2Frecord |title= 6-45|date=1927-01-01|publisher= Autola (1927) |access-date=2025-05-04}}