Words: John Gunnell Photos: John Gunnell and Christa Haley
“Been there, done that” is an oft-heard phrase from the bored at heart. In the hot rod world, it seems like everyone has done the Ford and Chevy thing to death. Like everyone else in the world, hot rodders want to emphasize their individuality, by building cars that are different from everyone else’s. This drive to be different is finding expression in the creation of not rods that don’t have Blue Oval or Bow Tie badges in front.
Take Mike and Pat Markin’s 1938 Graham “Sharknose” coupe as an example. Graham-Paige was an independent American automobile manufacturer founded by brothers Joseph B., Robert C. and Ray A. Graham. The company started making cars in 1927 and lasted until 1940.
The 1938 Graham was called the “Spirit of Motion.” The fenders, wheel openings and grille all slanted forward. The design was widely praised by the American press and American designers. It won the prestigious Concours D’Elegance in Paris, France. Wins were also recorded in the Prix d’Avant-Garde at Lyon, the Prix d’Elegance at Bordeaux and the Grand Prix d’Honneur at Deauville, France. The cut-back grille later gained the car the name “sharknose.”
The ’38 Sharknose was also the perfect car to illustrate the new trend in hot rodding. It is definitely different from any other car that was on the road in that era and lends itself to the distinctive hot rod concept. There simply aren’t many other modified Sharknose Grahams floating around. For that matter, there are only a handful of stock examples. They were never produced in big numbers and no one seemed to be saving them when Fords and Chevys were the in things.
Mike Markin gets credit for creating this car, which he calls The Shark. The “transformative fabrication” of the coupe was handled by T. Lewis, O’Meara’s Customs, LLC, T. Lewis, Don J. McFarlane, Wayne Brixen and Corey Warren. McFarlane, Brixen and Mike Yanke worked on the mechanicals, engine and chassis. Pat Newville handled electricals and L’Cars Automotive Specialists stitched up the interior, which is gorgeous.
The Graham sports Classic Instruments gauges and a Heart Throb exhaust system. Motorhead Jewelry redid the emblems. A lot of the custom machining operations fell to Bob Kries. Dan Ogan handled the radiator. Some of the other companies involved included Greening Auto (grille, third brake light and trim), Advanced Plating (chrome), Kugel Components (suspension and steering), EVOD Industries (one-off wheels), Gary DuBois Fr. (polishing and plating) and Kris Knutson (headlight engineering.
The Shark is the first of a number of “off brand” or “orphan” hot rods that we’re going to be talking about in our next few columns. It seems like this drive to build a car that’s different is only going to grow in the future. The Shark was a big hit at the revived Minneapolis “World of Wheels” show held at the new U.S. Bank Stadium on St. Patrick’s Day weekend.
