Summary

Rare and wonderful, this 1925 Dodge paddy wagon is in great running and driving condition.

Details

This vehicle has important historic implications for the history of Dodge trucks. Its radiator is badged Graham Brother, but its title says Dodge. The dichotomy signifies the integration of two important marques in the history of Dodge (now Ram) trucks. The Graham brothers, Ray, Robert and Joseph, began assembling truck conversion kits in Evansville, IN in 1916. The Grahams built everything that an owner would need to put rugged cargo-hauling capacity on contemporary automobile chassis, building a reputation for solid engineering and quality. In 1921, Dodge recognized the potential for adding a truck line to its busy automobile production and made an arrangement for Graham to sell its trucks through the Dodge dealer network. Dodge bought controlling interest in Graham Brothers in 1925, taking up the rest of a year later. While Dodge built ½ ton trucks under its own name, until 1929 anything with greater capacity was marketed as a Graham Brother truck, an endorsement of the Graham brothers' reputation for quality. This attractively restored 1925 Dodge (as it's titled, but more appropriately a Graham Bros. in 1925) one ton panel has been ingeniously styled as a Prohibition Era paddy wagon. It is finished in black with 'Eureka Police' and 'Police Patrol' emblems. Chrome bumpers, black wall tires, a red light on the left side of the cab and siren on the right front fender leave little doubt of its purpose. Side-hinged rear doors open to a confinement area with benches down both sides for miscreants rounded up in speakeasy sweeps. The windows are barred to contain the bad guys.