Turning the industry upside down – quite literally

Leave it to American dealers to go big when it comes to advertising. And few did it better, or bolder, than the Lambert Graves Motor Company of St Louis, Missouri. Back in the 1920s, this GM dealership had a knack for drawing attention, but there was little to rival their upside-down Oldsmobile.

Yes, an actual, full-sized Oldsmobile was hoisted and placed squarely on its roof atop a platform outside the showroom to catch the eye of passers-by. Above it, a massive sign declared: “The car that turned the automobile industry upside down.” Subtle? Not in the slightest. Effective? We should think so.

We had to turn the picture around to see which Oldsmobile model was actually being promoted. Square saloon body, wooden wheels: that’s a Model 30, isn’t it? We’ll leave it to you to decipher the precise variant, as the 30 was offered over several years in a number of versions.

Oh, and if that weren’t enough, Lambert Graves also threw in an aeroplane ride free with each used-car sale. They can’t have made much profit on every car sold!

Words: Jeroen Booij
Picture: The New York Public Library

Published:

Wednesday December 3rd, 2025

Ace Zenek

21 December 2025, 18:13

I believe the Oldsmobile shown here is either a 1928 or 1929 model based on the belt line molding that ends in a sideways "V" shape just past the rear windows that only appeared during these two model years.

"Lambert" was Samuel Breckenridge Lambert who, in addition to the automobile dealer partnership, manufactured airplane engines as the president of the Lambert Aircraft Engine Corporation of Moline, Illinois. As an airplane pilot, who commuted daily from St. Louis, Missouri to Moline, he was probably the person responsible for being able to provide the free plane rides to those who purchased used automobiles from Lambert-Graves. Unfortunately Lambert died on 7 April 1930 when one of the blades of his propeller broke and his airplane crashed. The firm of Lambert-Graves changes names to Lambert-Tigges by the time the 1930 St. Louis City Directory is published. I believe this helps to confirm the 1928-1929 date of the Oldsmobile and the photo. Lambert was a cousin of Major Albert Bond Lambert for whom St. Louis Lambert International Airport is named.

Clarence E. Graves, 1889-1974, was the Secretary, Treasurer, and Manager, and likely partner in Lambert-Graves Motor Co.. He would go on to be a sales manager for a tobacco company and a pharmaceutical company after his departure from Lambert-Graves.

The firm of Lambert-Graves appears to have been formed in 1922 with an initial capital of $30,000. They had multiple dealerships selling Ford, Fordson, Lincoln, Oldsmobile, and Viking marques.

The photos show a postcard view of their Lincoln dealership, a photograph view of the same building some time later, and the Peerless building that housed the Lambert-Graves Oldsmobile-Viking dealership.

Turning the industry upside down – quite literally

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