Derham Body Company

Derham Body Company was an American custom coachbuilding business founded in Philadelphia in 1887 by Irish wheelwright Joseph Derham. It began by producing horse-drawn carriages for affluent customers, including landaus, Victorias, Meadowbrooks, phaetons, and broughams. As automobiles displaced carriages, Derham adapted its craft to the emerging motor-car market, building replacement and custom bodies for customers who wanted a vehicle more distinctive or more formal than a standard factory product. The company became associated with the Philadelphia elite and developed a reputation for highly individualized work. Contemporary accounts presented Derham as one of the few American firms with a standing comparable to New York coachbuilder Brewster. Its clientele reportedly included prominent political, religious, artistic, industrial, and entertainment figures, among them Raymond Loewy, Pope Pius XII, Cardinal Spellman, the Duke of Windsor, Harry Truman, Cole Porter, Gary Cooper, Louis B. Mayer, James Forrestal, Herbert Pulitzer, Lily Pons, Leopold Stokowski, Bernard Baruch, Rodman Wanamaker, and Marjorie Merriweather Post Davies. To handle increasing automobile-related activity, Derham moved into a purpose-built plant in Rosemont, Pennsylvania, near many of its customers. The business combined one-off commissions with semi-custom and short-run production. Dealers sometimes ordered multiple bodies of the same design, allowing Derham to spread development and tooling costs across batches of roughly twenty or more vehicles. Packard and Hudson chassis were especially important platforms, although the company continued to accept commissions on other chassis according to customer requirements. Before the 1930s, much of Derham's work consisted of formal, chauffeur-driven cars. By the end of the 1920s, more attractive open cars and convertibles had become a major part of production. The company also created a recognizable Derham treatment rather than merely reproducing factory designs. During the Great Depression, it sought additional sources of work, including bodies on Ford V8 chassis and a Plymouth-DeSoto dealership. A related partnership, Floyd-Derham, briefly exhibited custom automobiles in 1928, but William Floyd withdrew after the Depression began and Philip Derham subsequently worked for Duesenberg. The Second World War forced another change in direction. Derham produced mobile canteens for Philadelphia shipyards and added aircraft components to its manufacturing work. In the postwar period, rising costs made fully new coachbuilt bodies increasingly difficult to sell. The company therefore modified standard sedan bodies into limousines and altered their external appearance with padded tops and other treatments while retaining much of the original structure. This approach reduced expense and helped the business continue operating as the market for independent coachbuilding contracted. Derham also undertook notable experimental and specialized projects. In 1956 it built a prototype convertible version of the Lincoln Continental Mark II, although Ford did not proceed with a production program based on the concept. By the 1960s, the business had narrowed substantially, concentrating on armoring Cadillac and Lincoln limousines and restoring classic cars. Albert A. Garthwaite, an heir of Lee Tire and Rubber, purchased the company and its building in 1964. Derham's decline continued after the Second World War as mass production, changing consumer preferences, and the earlier destruction or disappearance of many competitors during the Depression reduced the market for custom bodies. After the retirement of the last of Joseph Derham's sons in 1971, the premises were converted entirely to a Porsche-Audi and Ferrari dealership. The company's historical archives are preserved by the Classic Car Club of America.

Joseph Derham, an Irish wheelwright, founded Derham Body Company in Philadelphia in 1887 as a maker of horse-drawn carriages. Its landaus, Victorias, Meadowbrooks, phaetons, and broughams were sought by Philadelphia's wealthy residents. The arrival of the automobile changed the company's commercial direction: existing carriage customers began asking Derham to build bodies for their cars, allowing the firm to transfer its woodworking, metalworking, upholstery, and finishing skills to motor vehicles. The growth of automobile work required a larger facility, and Derham established a purpose-built plant in Rosemont, Pennsylvania. The location placed the company close to many of its customers and supported both individual commissions and limited series production. Derham's traditional business was one-off coachbuilding, but dealers increasingly ordered multiple examples of a particular design. These short runs, sometimes involving twenty or more cars, reduced unit costs while preserving a degree of exclusivity. The company's early automobile output was predominantly formal and intended for chauffeur operation. By the late 1920s, Derham was also producing stylish convertibles, which became a substantial share of its work. It developed a recognizable treatment of automobile bodies and built many cars on Packard and Hudson chassis, while continuing to work on virtually any chassis selected by a customer. The Floyd-Derham partnership exhibited in the fall of 1928, but the Great Depression soon ended William Floyd's participation. Philip Derham later worked for Duesenberg. Economic conditions in the 1930s forced diversification. Derham built some bodies on Ford V8s and operated a Plymouth-DeSoto dealership. During the Second World War it moved into defense-related work, producing mobile canteens for Philadelphia shipyards and aircraft components. After the war, independent coachbuilders faced higher costs and competition from increasingly sophisticated factory-built automobiles. Derham responded by modifying standard sedans into limousines and applying padded-top and other exterior treatments that changed the appearance without requiring a completely new body structure. A 1950 Business Week article discussed the company and identified an extensive list of reported clients, including prominent figures from politics, religion, business, entertainment, and design. In 1956, Derham built a prototype Lincoln Continental Mark II convertible, but Ford did not authorize further cars from the project. By 1964, the business had contracted to limousine armoring, particularly for Cadillac and Lincoln vehicles, and restoration of classic automobiles. Albert A. Garthwaite acquired the business and its building that year. Derham's decline continued after the war. The Great Depression had already eliminated or weakened many competing coachbuilders, but postwar industrial consolidation and changing buying habits further reduced demand for custom bodies. When the last of Joseph Derham's sons retired in 1971, the premises ceased to function as a coachbuilding operation and became a Porsche-Audi and Ferrari dealership. The company's surviving archives are held by the Classic Car Club of America.

• 1971

  Coachbuilding operations end

  [1]Derham Body Companyen.wikipedia.org

  After the retirement of the last of Joseph Derham's sons, the premises are converted entirely to a Porsche-Audi and Ferrari dealership.

• 1964

  Acquisition by Albert A. Garthwaite

  [1]Derham Body Companyen.wikipedia.org

  Albert A. Garthwaite purchases the Derham business and its building.

• 1956

  Lincoln Continental Mark II convertible prototype

  [1]Derham Body Companyen.wikipedia.org

  Derham builds a convertible prototype based on the Lincoln Continental Mark II, but the project does not lead to additional production cars.

• 1928

  Floyd-Derham exhibits

  [1]Derham Body Companyen.wikipedia.org

  The Floyd-Derham partnership exhibits custom automobiles for the first time in the fall of 1928.

• 1887

  Joseph Derham establishes the company

  [1]Derham Body Companyen.wikipedia.org

  Irish wheelwright Joseph Derham founds the Philadelphia carriage business that later becomes an automobile coachbuilder.

• Rosemont plant is established

  [1]Derham Body Companyen.wikipedia.org

  Derham moves automobile-body production into a purpose-built facility in Rosemont, Pennsylvania.

• Wartime manufacturing begins

  [1]Derham Body Companyen.wikipedia.org

  During the Second World War, Derham makes mobile canteens for shipyards and adds aircraft-component work.

A high-end American coachbuilder serving affluent private clients, dealers, institutions, and public figures with bespoke, semi-custom, formal, and restoration work.

• Carriages · 1887

  Horse-drawn carriages

  Derham's original business produced high-end carriages for Philadelphia's affluent customers. Documented forms included landaus, Victorias, Meadowbrooks, phaetons, and broughams. This carriage-building expertise supplied the technical and stylistic foundation for the firm's later automobile coachbuilding work.

• Automobile coachbuilding

  Custom automobile bodies

  Derham built individual automobile bodies to customer specifications, often using a chassis selected by the client. Its work included formal sedans, chauffeur-driven cars, open cars, convertibles, and distinctive body treatments. Packard and Hudson chassis were especially common, although the company was not limited to those makes.

• Automobile coachbuilding

  Semi-custom and short-run bodies

  In addition to one-off commissions, Derham produced small batches of similar bodies for dealers. These limited runs combined some economies of repetition with the exclusivity of coachbuilt automobiles and helped stabilize the business financially.

• Luxury automobiles

  Derham-style limousines

  As fully custom construction became more expensive, Derham modified standard sedan bodies into limousines and applied exterior changes such as padded tops. Retaining much of the factory structure allowed the company to offer a more formal and personalized appearance at lower cost than an entirely new body.

• Special-purpose vehicles

  Armored Cadillac and Lincoln limousines

  By the 1960s, Derham's surviving commercial work included armoring Cadillac and Lincoln limousines. This specialized activity reflected the company's shift away from broad custom coachbuilding toward security modifications and other high-value niche services.

• Automotive restoration

  Classic-car restoration

  Restoration of classic automobiles became another important late-period activity. It drew on Derham's continuing bodywork and finishing capabilities while serving owners of older vehicles at a time when demand for new custom bodies was declining.

• Prototype automobile · 1956

  Lincoln Continental Mark II convertible prototype

  Derham constructed a convertible prototype based on the Lincoln Continental Mark II in 1956. The project demonstrated the firm's ability to alter a high-end production car, but Ford did not continue the concept with additional vehicles.

• 1964

  Sale to Albert A. GarthwaiteM&A

  Background

  By 1964, Derham's business had contracted to limousine armoring and classic-car restoration.

  Action taken

  Albert A. Garthwaite acquired the company and its building.

  Aftermath

  The acquisition preceded the final phase of the business before the premises were converted to an imported-car dealership after 1971.

  Source

• 1956

  Lincoln Continental Mark II convertible prototypeProduct launch

  Background

  Derham was commissioned or engaged to explore an open version of Ford's Lincoln Continental Mark II.

  Action taken

  The company built a prototype convertible.

  Aftermath

  Ford's project did not result in additional cars.

  Source

• Diversification into dealership and non-coachbuilding workStrategy

  Background

  The Great Depression and later postwar cost pressures reduced demand for fully custom automobile bodies.

  Action taken

  Derham added a Plymouth-DeSoto dealership in the 1930s, undertook wartime canteen and aircraft-component work, and later concentrated on limousine armoring and classic-car restoration.

  Aftermath

  These activities helped the company continue operating, but they did not reverse the long-term decline of independent coachbuilding.

  Source

1. 1Derham Body Companyen.wikipedia.org