< 1925 1927>

1926

Last "Jewett"

Nameplate: Paige Paige Jewett
Model: 24 26 25-26
Cylinders: 6 6 6
Horsepower SAE: 63 63 40
Wheelbase: 115 125 109
1926 Sedan
1926 5-passenger Sedan, Saturday Evening Post, July 3, 1926 (Bill Roberts collection)

For the 1926 model year Paige-Detroit proclaimed that a "new day" had arrived and that Paige and Jewett Sixes could best meet motorists' demands for comfort, handling and smartness. Winding paths and rutted roads had been covered with concrete or macadam, and everywhere traffic was congested. Only cars of a new type could hope to compete with this "New-Day" traffic.

1926 Sedan
With his posse Sheriff Ellis Jones, Sacramento County, California, stands beside his 1926 Paige Sedan before leaving for nearby Folsom Prison in response to an attempted breakout, Thanksgiving Day, 1927. (Ronald Cole collection)

"Long years ago, Paige-Jewett engineers foresaw the coming of this New Day and set about designing a car that would master . . . these myriad New Day problems." A prospective customer only had to drive a Jewett, for example, to "find . . . a performance more nimble, more brilliant, and more satisfying than . . . in any other car." Paige and Jewett Sixes were New-Day Cars for New-Day needs!

Initially, the Paige lineup consisted of five basic models. The standard sedan listed for $1495, and according to ad copy, "This handsome enclosed Paige will look at home beneath the porte-cochere of the most exclusive club or residence." New slender door pillars of sturdy construction promised maximum visibility for both the driver and passengers.

An interesting addition to the lineup appeared in the spring when a new two-door brougham was announced. It had a 115 inch wheelbase, smaller brake drums, smaller springs and tires, and wood wheels standard. This model listed at just $1,295, the lowest price ever for a Paige.

1926 Sedan
1926 Paige De Luxe Sedan (Richard Paige collection)

Paige shortened the wheelbase to 125 inches, a somewhat substantial reduction. However, company sales literature proclaimed the new cars were as roomy as the previous models, and they were every bit as easy riding. But, because of the shorter wheelbase, "You will find the car easier to handle and to park, more economical to operate, better adapted to new-day driving conditions." Down-sizing was already in!

1926 Sedan
1926 Paige Sedan (James Bacon collection)

The large six-cylinder engine now developed 72 HP. Paige hydraulic four-wheel brakes were standard, and all models were finished with two-tone durable lacquer on the bodies and black running gear. Wood wheels were standard on the standard sedan, while steel disc wheels were standard on all the rest.

Probably the most distinctive Paige for 1926 was the collapsible top cabriolet roadster. Seats in the front and the rumble seat area were finished in Spanish leather with a decorative design embossed in the surface. It had interior hardwood trim with a unique inlaid design and nickel-plated bullet-type headlights. The doors were hinged at the rear and opened at the front. The belt-line that separated the two colors was not just a line along the side. Instead, it had a little zig-zag that gave the car some extra pizzazz. This car listed for $2,295.

Saturday Evening Post ads (Bill Roberts collection)
There is only One New-Day Jewett Engine, February 27, 1926
Paige: - they call it "The most beautiful car in America" and yet -, March 13, 1926
Paige: Fair woman as a motorist - when the century was young, August 14, 1926
Paige: When grandfather bought his first car, even the top was extra, August 28, 1926

A smaller Jewett was announced before the 1926 shows, available in three models:

This new series had a 109 inch wheelbase, was powered by a smaller six-cylinder engine that produced 40 HP and had hydraulic four-wheel brakes. The sedans both had metal bodies built by Murray Body Corp. that featured reduced-size corner pillars, window frames, and door posts. Company publicity claimed the interiors were just a roomy as the larger Paige models.

The deluxe sedan cost $100 more than the standard version. For that extra $100 the motorist got steel disc wheels, bumpers, a motometer, a nickel-plated radiator shell, and the more modern Paige-type roof that extended over the windshield as a permanent visor. It was still somewhat boxlike, but not a bad buy for the price.

Most companies in the car business were now selling more and more cars as the Roaring Twenties really got into high gear. However, Paige shipments for calendar year 1926 dropped 5.8% to 37,222 cars of all types. It seemed that prosperity at Paige was beginning to fade.

Elsewhere in 1926:

  • Route 66, a paved highway from Chicago to Los Angeles, is opened.
< 1925 [Last update: 2008-03-01] 1927>