A summer drive in a patriotic Paige

• 

If you're one of our American readers, you'll almost certainly be celebrating Independence Day, which commemorates the founding of the United States following the War of Independence, and we remember in particular the Declaration of Independence. Let us reflect upon its famous words: 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.'

The phrase 'pursuit of Happiness' is an interesting one. Does happiness have to be pursued, as if it is always just out of reach? Could it, perhaps, be cultivated, or might it even be something which occurs naturally? We're not here to debate philosphy or semantics, so for argument's sake let us suppose that happiness is something to be pursued. It's forever in flight, trying to elude us, and it's up to us to pin it down. How are we going to catch it? Well, if you ask us, nothing's guaranteed to put a smile on our face like a long drive in an early motor-car, and it seems to be working well for the driver of this handsome little runabout, who is regarding the camera with a subtle but satisfied smirk.

His steed is a very early Paige built, we would guess, in 1910. Founded in 1908 and originally sold as the Paige-Detroit, the factory's first cars were all two-seater roadsters unusually powered by two-stroke, three-cylinder, 2.2-litre engines. A more conventional four-stroke four-cylinder replaced it in 1910, and that's when 'Detroit' was dropped and the cars became simply 'Paige'. Larger six-cylinder models built as sedans and tourers became available from 1914, and business at the Detroit factory ticked over quietly but steadily until 1927, when it was bought by the Graham brothers. Graham-Paiges were sold until 1931, after which they were just marketed as Grahams. As it had to contend with so many other car-makers, Paige did well to survive that long in a market flooded with undistinguished but perfectly acceptable automobiles, but the introduction of the Daytona model, a rakish, fashionably-styled speedster reminiscent of Stutzes and Kissels, doubtless boosted the company's image.

Unfortunately, we don't know anything at all about the circumstances surrounding this photograph, but it's not unlikely that the Paige has been decorated with flags for something to do with Independence Day. We know nothing of the location or who the driver is, but we can obviously conclude that he loves his car and his country.

We'd like to wish a happy Independence Day to all our American readers and we hope you all find happiness in the hobby, wherever you are in the world.

Words: Zack Stiling; photograph: Stiling Collection

Make a comment, ask a question, give your opinion, share additional information or start a discussion by filling in the fields below.