The Pope, spare parts from the men's outfitter and a bit of world history
Trastevere is a chic district in Rome, known for its stores and boutiques. Its winding alleyways invite you to discover a new surprise around every corner. In its compactness, the district almost seems like its own village, its own little world in the "Eternal City". The fact that I once went there in search of a specific car spare part was the Pope's fault! While I won't discuss the religious influence of his holiness on me any further, I can speak - or rather write - quite openly about how the head of the church was able to persuade me to do something quite astonishing when it came to cars - no, it's not a miracle.
This story began with the Lateran Treaties. But I would like to look back that far! These treaties regulate the relationship between the Papal States and its only neighbor, the city of Rome, Lazio and therefore also Italy. The treaties were signed at the beginning of 1929 in the Lateran Palace between the Italian king and the fascist dictator Benito Mussolini on the one hand, and the Holy See on the other, and resolved the "Rome question". The Vatican had lost its extensive national territory with the formation of the Italian state in 1870, and the treaty quantified the corresponding compensation for the loss of Romagna, Marche, Umbria, Marittima et Campagna and Lazio, the area surrounding Rome. The paper was also the official release of the Vatican into its independence from Italy - as the smallest nation state in the world.
Well, so far this is nice to know, but what does it matter to an autonarch like me? The answer is that the joyous news prompted three brothers in the USA to give the Pope, the fresh new head of state, a car, the first that a Holy Father would take on a road trip. The car was a Graham-Paige 837, the company's top-of-the-range model with an in-line eight-cylinder engine. The Coupé de Ville was donated by Joseph B. Graham (1882-1970), Robert C. Graham (1885-1967) and Ray A. Graham (1887-1932), the owners of the young, up-and-coming car brand from Detroit. The car made history because Pope Pius XI, who received the gift, got into the car on December 22, 1929 and was driven from St. Peter's to the Basilica of San Giovanni Lateran. This was the first time since 1870 that a pope had left the Vatican - Pius XI's four predecessors had previously called themselves prisoners in their own house - and the first papal car ride ever.
The papal - sorry - hydraulic shock absorbers aroused my interest...
The car is now in the Vatican Museums as part of the vehicle collection with carriages, sedan chairs but also a VW Beetle and several generations of the Pope's mobile. However, my particular interest in this Graham was not its historical significance - but its hydraulic shock absorbers! So what does the inclined tourist do in the Vatican? Right, he takes a closer look. I had instructed my daughter to stand on the sidelines, but I ignored the deterrent and lay down under the car. Conclusion: At the front and rear, the papal Graham-Paige has long pull and push rods from the axles to the very high lever shock absorbers. This means that they are attached in exactly the same place as my archaic "Watson stabilizer" units. My mission in the Vatican was accomplished, the Sistine Chapel, the walk up to the dome and the purchase of a kitschy souvenir on the roof next to the dome of St. Peter's were just the vegetables of this investigative mission. Yes, there may have been a bit of father duty involved - in the hope that I had imparted some interest in religious and cultural history to my offspring. But now I knew that there were also hydraulic shock absorbers for the Graham-Paige!
Less swell for 48 dollars plus installation: Watson Stabilators were shock absorbers - but only for the rebound!
But what is a "Watson stabilizer"? Briefly explained, it is a vibration brake for the rebound, not unlike a drum brake, which is connected to the axle with a leather strap. This springs in bypassed and is braked on rebound, thus creating the damping effect. It is not the bouncing of the wheel that is suppressed, but the swinging of the vehicle body. On my Graham, however, it was precisely these leather straps that were rotten and torn.
Men's belt from Rome as a replacement for rotten leather straps on the Graham-Paige 619
I found a replacement in Trastevere at a fine men's outfitter in the form of two leather belts. Perhaps it was this papal spirit that took hold of me in the eternal city, or - more mundanely - it was pure envy that the man in the white sutane has the better suspension in his car than I do, the fact is: I had to treat my Graham-Paige shock absorbers to something good that very same day. Voilà! So far, the straps have done an excellent job. So today I'm of the opinion that leather AM cars are cool, hydraulic shock absorbers are for popes...
