pierce - arrow motor car company
1927 pierce arrow pierce - arrow motor car co. buffalo, ny 1901 - 1938
the records of pierce - arrow motor car company consist of the company' s legal papers between 1906 and 1936 .
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in 1907, pierce sold all of his rights to the company and in 1908, pierce motor company was renamed the pierce - arrow motor car company. pierce died in 1910. herbert dawley joined pierce - arrow in 1912 and designed most of the new models until the company’s demise in 1938 .
the company from which the pierce - arrow motor car company developed was organized in buffalo in 1870. it changed its name to the george n. pierce company in 1896, and then again in 1909 to become the pierce - arrow motor car company. for several decades the company manufactured high quality luxury automobiles .
pierce - arrow motor car company, 1906 - 1936 (bulk 1918 - 1934), are open for research .
pierce - arrow motor car company legal records, 1906 - 1936 (bulk 1918 - 1934) at the buffalo history museum. research library
the pierce - arrow motor car company represents a significant era of buffalo' s growth, prosperity, innovation and ingenuity. the museum honors and preserves the company’s prestigious history .
after studebaker failed in an attempt to buy the white motor company in 1932, they sold all their stock on pierce - arrow for one million dollars. they still went into receivership the next year and officers of white motor company were appointed to run studebaker in 1933. pierce - arrow motor car company was sold at auction in 1938 .
it was in 1909 that george pierce added the arrow to the name and changed the company name to the pierce - arrow motor car company. the famous fender headlamp was added in 1913 and remained their most identifying feature .
the pierce - arrow motor car company was a symbol of one of buffalo’s most significant eras of growth, prosperity and of american innovation and ingenuity .
in 1957, , the pierce - arrow society was founded to promote the preservation of pierce - arrow products. the pierce - arrow society sums up the legacy of the pierce - arrow this way :
in november 1932, the company sold its truck business to the white motor company, a studebaker subsidiary. from that date forward pierce - arrow manufactured passenger automobiles exclusively .
1928 reo flying cloud reo motor car co. lansing, mi 1904 - 1936
in late 1906, the pierce arrow motor car company moved into their new location at 1695 elmwood avenue at great arrow, on the northwest corner of the site of the pan - american exposition .
the george n. pierce company became the pierce - arrow motor car company in 1908 and began manufacturing larger luxurious automobiles for an affluent market. pierce - arrow’s luxury brand was featured in advertisements that were quietly artistic and sophisticated. pierce - arrows were marketed as much more than a car. they were symbols of wealth and status .
starting in 1936 pierce - arrow produced a line of camper - trailers, the pierce - arrow travelodge .
things were going well for the pierce - arrow motor car company. really well. but, as you know, nothing lasts forever. tune in as scott and ben discuss the eventual fate of this once - great american car company .
the buffalo transportation pierce - arrow museum honors and preserves the company’s long and prestigious history .
this early 20th century luxury - car manufacturer was at one time better known for producing common household items. join scott and ben as they explore the rich history of the pierce - arrow motor car company .
1927 peerless 6 - 72 peerless motor car co. cleveland, oh 1900 - 1931
1927 moon sedan moon motor car co. st. louis, mo 1905 - 1930
1927 jewett sedan paige - detroit motor car co. detroit, mi 1923 - 1927
the depression years took a toll on the luxury car manufacturers of the country, pierce - arrow included. as it became increasingly difficult for pierce - arrow to survive as an independent maker of luxury automobiles, the pierce - arrow motor car company was reorganized as the pierce - arrow corporation and made a final effort at staying alive with an all new line for 1936. as the final pierce - arrow cars were being built, pierce - arrow also tried to enter the travel trailer market with the pierce travelodge .
- - the depression years took a hard toll on the luxury car manufacturers of the country, pierce - arrow included. as it became increasingly difficult for pierce - arrow to survive as an independent maker of luxury automobiles, the pierce - arrow motor car company was reorganized as the pierce - arrow corporation and made a final effort at staying alive with an all new line for 1936. as the final pierce - arrow cars were being built, pierce - arrow also tried to enter the travel trailer market with the pierce travelodge .
in the court of the united states, the pierce - arrow motor car company versus the united states, no. b - 422; plaintiff' s reply brief. page 461 .
1928 elcar coupe elkhart carriage & motor car co. elkhart, ind. 1915 - 1933
in the matter of the pierce - arrow motor car company, debtor. proceedings for the reorganization of a corporation, no. 22145, rudder section 77 - b of the bankruptcy law .
in 1928 the company merged with studebaker, although pierce - arrow apparently operated as a separate entity .
the 1919 pierce - arrow model 48 - b 7 - passenger touring car is shown above .
an outgrowth of the former george n. pierce company of buffalo, new york - - one - time bicycle manufacturer and, earlier, bird cage maker - - the pierce - arrow motor car company had achieved a position of prominence by the mid - teens .
court of claims of the united states, no. b - 4223336 (decided nov. 5, 1923), the pierce - arrow - motor car company versus the united states. 8 pp .
by 1934, pierce - arrow was losing money and the company was reorganized with a loan from new york bankers. in 1936, the company brought out its last all new model. pierce - arrow declared insolvency in 1938. the company’s chief engineer, karl wise, assembled the final pierce - arrow a few months later from parts obtained from the company’s receivers .
1925 pierce arrow expermential sedan the george n. pierce co. buffalo, ny 1901 - 1938
in the court of claims of the united states, no. b - 422; the pierce - arrow motor car company, plaintiff, versus the united states of america, defendant. evidence. page 444 .
topics in this podcast: pierce - arrow motor car company, george n. pierce, percy pierce, american automobile manufacturing, new york, luxury cars, upscale cars, expensive cars, presidential cars, william howard taft, bicycles, motorcycles, trucks, fire trucks, studebaker
in the court of claims of the united states, no. b - 422; the pierce - arrow - motor car company, plaintiff, versus the united states of america, defendant. pp. 403 - 443 .
in 1903, pierce brought out the arrow, a two - cylinder car. the following year, the company brought out the great arrow, a larger, more luxurious car for an upscale market. the four - cylinder car was successful and had a reputation for reliability .
[ description and dates ], box / folder number, mss. c76 - 1, pierce - arrow motor car company legal records, 1906 - 1936 (bulk 1918 - 1934), research library, buffalo history museum .
court of claims of the united states, no. b - 422; the pierce - arrow motor car company, plaintiff, versus the united states of america, defendant. evidence for the plaintiff. pp. 301 - 390
in the court of claims of the united states, no. b - 422; the pierce - arrow motor car company, plaintiff, versus the united states of america, defendant. evidence. pp. 391 - 401 .
1929 hupmobile sedan model m opera coupe hupp motor car corp. detroit, mi cleveland, oh 1908 - 1940
the pierce - arrow motor car company was officially launched in 1908. prior to this year, the company had been known as the george n. pierce co. the great arrow cars were named pierce - arrow. this was also the year that the pierce family left the company. percy pierce remained active for a few years, concentrating his efforts in the old hanover street factory with the pierce cycle company. pierce continued to build bicycles and also one and four cylinder motorcycles until 1914. the bicycles continued on, however, as the tooling was sold to the emblem mfg. co. , in angola, new york, that continued to build
pierce
bicycles for almost twenty years .
- - in addition to the passenger car line, the pierce - arrow motor car company had other product lines. the commercial line built heavy - duty trucks for commercial and military uses for twenty years. the bicycle business, headed by percy pierce, produced some of the finest bicycles and motorcycles of the time .
pierce - arrow sales did not do well and in 1933 studebaker sold pierce - arrow to a group of buffalo, new york businessmen for $ 1 million. studebaker had spent $ 5. 7 million to acquire pierce - arrow .
by 1920, pierce - arrow offered models in about 60 combinations of body styles and chassis. colonel george mixter, president of the pierce - arrow motor car company, trimmed the offerings back to one chassis with ten factory body styles. leon rubay and james way designed the bodies and the steering wheel was moved to the left side .
in 1934, the pierce - arrow models featured more rounded bodies with less chrome. the tail lights were formed into the rear fenders, similar to the pierce - arrow headlights. pierce - arrow offered ten body styles with both eight and twelve cylinder engines. in 1934, pierce - arrow made only 1, 740 cars .
1925 rollin model g sedan rollin motor co. cleveland, oh 1923 - 1925
the george n. pierce company started toward the line that would make them famous in 1903 with the introduction of the arrow. a bigger car with the engine mounted in the front of the car rather than under the car, the arrow carried four adults and was powered by a 15 - hp dedion engine. a pierce made engine followed in 1904. the arrow paved the path for the great arrow, which made its debut in 1904. the great arrow used a 93 inch wheelbase and featured a four cylinder pierce engine. the great arrow also introduced the user of cast aluminum body panels. the great arrow also had a great price: $ 4000! the great arrow defined the basic car that pierce would produce, with refinements, for the next several years. it was the great arrow that helped gain pierce its great reputation by winning the first five glidden tours .
pierce company / pierce - arrow company - table of contents... ...... ...... ...... ...... .... automobile industry in buffalo
1926 rickenbacker boattail coupe rickenbacker motor co. , detroit, mi. 1922 - 1927
1926 model r rugby 1922 - 192durant motor co. of new jersey 1922 - 1928
during the late nineteenth century, a number of the fledgling automobile companies had been originally carriage manufacturers. the history of pierce - arrow, however, starts in 1865 with a company which was known for making delicate, gilded birdcages. in 1872, george norman pierce bought out his partners in heinz, pierce and munshauer and changed the name of the company to george n. pierce company. in 1896, the company expanded to bicycles. in 1900, the company made its first venture into automobiles with a steam - powered car. the venture failed .
pierce - arrow, called
the american rolls royce
, is arguably the finest american car ever made, began at the turn of the century, but its founder, george norman pierce started a manufacturing company long before his car venture. by world war i, pierce - arrow quality and engineering was beyond reproach. its name alone evoked all that wealth could buy. but, resistant to change, the company died a slow death. pierce - arrow, reflecting on the premise that
the company would never compromise quality and make a cheap car
. pierce - arrow was the forerunner in aluminum bodies, dual - valve engines, power brakes and hydraulic tappets. about 85, 000 pierce arrows were built, but fewer than 2, 000 exist .
xiv. action: court of claims, pierce - arrow vs. the united state .
in the hatter of the pierce - arrow. motor car company, debtor. no. 22145. first report of edward r. bosley, special master, second report of edward r. bosley, special master, and third and final report of edward r. bosley, special master .
1927 gardner 8 cylinder sedan gardner motor co. st louis, mo. 1919 - 1931
. it was a process unique to the pierce - arrow motor car co. the necessity for this innovation was the same as that which forced the simultaneous development of the conventional automobile body technology of the time: stresses brought on by the ope
pierce - arrow also supplied 8 and 12 cylinder engines to the seagrave corporation for use in fire engines. these engines continued to be made even after pierce - arrow ceased operation in 1938. seagrave continued to deliver fire apparatus with the
pierce - arrow
v - 12 until 1970 .
the 1920' s ended for pierce - arrow with another overhaul of the product line and renewed optimism based on financial soundness. while rumors about mergers with companies such as general motors, lafayette and rolls - royce circulated in the 20' s, none came true until controlling interest of the pierce - arrow motor car company was purchased by the studebaker corporation in 1928. while the two companies maintained independent engineering and manufacturing operations, pierce - arrow' s future was influenced by its major stockholder, studebaker .
in august 1928 the controlling stock of the company was sold to the studebaker corporation, and many of the pierce - arrow executives were replaced by employees of studebaker .
“for 38 years, the pierce - arrow motor car company in buffalo, new york, produced some of the finest automobiles made. at the time, pierce - arrows could be found anywhere the rich and powerful worked and played. for over 20 years, pierce - arrow supplied cars to the white house for the use of the president. they also sold cars to the royal families of japan, persia, saudi arabia, greece, and belgium. ”
1929 ford model a coca cola truck ford motor co. detroit, mi. 1903 - date
boxes (nos. 23 & 24) were donated by mr. william b. h. sawyer in june of 1977, and are additions to the existing collection. they concern the creditors committee - davidson, wurster, and fisher. the papers are legal documents, correspondence concerning claims against the company and a suit brought against the united - states by the pierce - arrow motor car company .
during the late months of 1937, pierce - arrow' s creditors began to lose faith in the company' s viability. on may 12, 1938 at 11: 36 a. m. , pierce - arrow' s buildings and machinery were sold to william emblidge .
- - by the end of the first decade of the twentieth century, the pierce automobile was well on its way to becoming the large, expensive automobile pierce - arrow was famous for. the success of the pierce great arrow in the glidden tours made the pierce automobile famous for quality and reliability .
in 1933, pierce - arrow unveiled the radically streamlined silver arrow in a final attempt to appeal to the wealthy at the new york auto show; the car was well received by the public and the motoring press. the car was announced with the phrase
suddenly it' s 1940 !
and pierce sold five examples of this car, but since it was priced at $ 10, 000 during the worst of the depression, the rich were hesitant to spend so much on a car. the company subsequently issued a production model named
silver arrow
; however, it did not incorporate many of the features of the show car and failed to generate sufficient sales for the company .
pierce - arrow introduced larger, more powerful cars in 1915 and 1916, that offered more luxury options. the company realized profits of $ 4 million per year. pierce - arrow’s success reached its peak during world war i, producing a great number of trucks to be used in the war in europe. the war ended and pierce - arrow’s success and popularity continued to grow .
in 1933 pierce - arrow introduced the silver arrow model at the chicago world’s fair century of progress exposition. the futuristic design was so well received that in 1934 a 12 - cylinder silver arrow model was made available to the public. this is one of the earliest production examples painted to match the original catalog car. all silver arrow production models were similar in design to the world’s fair car .
1927 essex super 6 aluminum sedan deluxe hudson motor co. , detroit, mi. 1908 - 1932
the collection of historic automobiles, bicycles, pierce - arrow memorabilia and much more is unlike any other .
the president of the pierce - arrow society said george pierce was always dedicated to the finest materials and workmanship .
in the decade before 1900, his bicycles had a reputation which justified prices well above the market average. the same standards were applied when motor car production began in 1901 ,
said arnold romberg .
headlights on typical american cars were placed on either side of the radiator. in 1914, pierce - arrow moved the headlights into flared housings molded into the front fenders. this gave the pierce - arrow a distinctive look and at night the car appeared to have a wider stance .
this collection documents the legal activities of pierce - arrow motor company legal records such as correspondence; minutes; organization papers; contracts; legal documents concerning lawsuits regarding trademarks, compensation claims, and patents; and other legal records kept by buffalo law firm of dudley, stowe and sawyer .
n 1907, the pierce cycle company was formed, separating the bicycle business from the automobile business. percy pierce, son of george pierce, was the company' s president. in 1909, the first pierce motorcycle was introduced. at $ 325, the 4 - cylinder motorcycle was a costly alternative to the other motorcycles of the time. a one - cylinder version was added in 1910. production continued through 1913. the pierce cycle company went bankrupt in 1914 .
as the great depression loomed, pierce - arrow drastically changed its approach and released a new line of automobiles .
- - as the great depression started, pierce - arrow entered a new era in its own history. the new straight - eight models of 1929 set record sales for pierce - arrow. a few years later, ab jenkins would shatter existing speed records by driving a twelve - cylinder pierce - arrow on the salt flats of utah .
in 1928, the studebaker corporation gained control of pierce - arrow. the acquisition of pierce - arrow made studebaker the fourth largest automobile manufacturer in the united states. however, the engineering departments of the two automakers continued to function independently. with studebaker control, pierce - arrow gained a dealer network as their cars could be sold through studebaker dealerships .
as was true for most automobile firms in those early days, pierce - arrow had no foundry of any kind .
when the company split in 1906, the pierce cycle company was formed and the nameplate changed accordingly. these models were continued with little change until the company dissolution in 1918. bicycle production diminished during the period due to automobile popularity and focus on motorcycle production. in 1918, the emblem manufacturing company purchased the pierce assets and again revised the nameplate to reflect the change from buffalo, new york to angola, new york and produced bikes under the pierce name until 1940 .
this 1929 model 133 victoria coupe is part of a collection of original pierce publicity photos. see more classic car pictures .
by dennis adler © car collector magazine, llc. (click for more car collector magazine articles) originally appeared in the february 2004 issue
as the company grew, pierce demanded an emphasis on quality be maintained. he continually surrounded himself with executives, engineers and a work force who believed the same. in his book ,
pierce - arrow
, author marc ralston has written that executives of the george n. pierce company (incorporated in 1896 with pierce as president) were
gentlemen of integrity, wealth and culture, and the quality of their product reflected their character .
the company continued the quality approach until the end in 1938. it has been written that pierce - arrow, which survived financial crisis in 1913, 1919, 1928 and finally in 1937, because of quality, but higher prices finally got the best of the company because officials refused to introduced lower - priced car, even if it meant closing up shop .
pierce - arrow advertisements were artistic and understated. unusually for automobile advertising, the image of the car was in the background rather than the foreground of the picture. usually only a portion of the automobile was visible. the pierce - arrow was typically depicted in elegant and fashionable settings. some advertisements featured the car in places an automobile would not normally go, such as the west and other rural settings, a testament to car' s ruggedness and quality .
hile the pierce - arrow became one of the most prestigious automobiles made, the beginnings of pierce - arrow were humble. at the time of the civil war, george pierce began his career in manufacturing household items, including ice - boxes, birdcages, and bathtubs. after being associated with several companies, he formed his own company, the george n. pierce company, in 1878. at first, the new company followed the product line of earlier companies. as the bicycle craze hit the country in the late nineteenth century, pierce found that the experience gained making wire products, like their bird cages, easily transferred to the manufacture of bicycles. high quality standards and an attractive price made pierce cycles highly desired .
packard motor car company bought studebaker corporation in 1954 and formed studebaker - packard corporation. the resulting company had a hard time competing with general motors, ford and chrysler, and from 1954 to 1958, studebaker - packard didn’t turn a profit. the 1957 and 1958 packards were actually studebakers with special interiors and trim, and packards were discontinued in 1958 .
an example of the lavish décor in pierce - arrow cars was a 1930 parade car built for the shah of persia. the car cost $ 30, 000 and featured silk upholstery, gold hardware, siberian wolfhound fur rugs and the royal crest in jewels. with inflation, that car would cost $ 318, 000 to build today .
after over a year without any truck production, a new line of pierce - arrow trucks were introduced in late 1930. the four models ranged from the 70 - horsepower, 2 - ton model pt to to the 130 - horsepower, 8 - ton model pz. all trucks used a six - cylinder engine specifically produced for the trucks. in late 1932, all truck production at pierce - arrow was ceased. the studebaker corporation, who owned controlling interest in pierce - arrow, shifted all truck production to the white motor corporation. trucks with the pierce - arrow name continued to be available from white until 1935 .
pierce was the only luxury brand that did not field a lower price car (e. g. packard 110) to provide cash flow, and without sales or funds for development, the company declared insolvency in 1938 and closed its doors. the final pierce - arrow assembled was built by karl wise, the firm' s chief engineer, from parts secured from the company' s receivers. pierce' s holdings were sold at auction on friday, may 13, 1938 .
the forerunner of pierce - arrow was established in 1865 as heinz, pierce and munschauer. the company was best known for its household items, and especially its delicate, gilded birdcages. in 1872, george n. pierce bought out the other two, switching the name to george n. pierce company and in 1896, bicycles were added to the product range. a failed attempt to build a steam - powered car was made in 1900 with license from overman, but by 1901 pierce built its first single - cylinder two - speed (no reverse) moterette with the engine licensed from de dion. in 1904, a two cylinder was made named the arrow .
pierce - arrow had arrived at the forefront of social preference by 1918. its most impressive offering that year was the model 66a, a car of such staggering proportions that it literally dwarfed all others .
was once one of the most recognized and respected names in the automobile industry. for 38 years, the pierce - arrow motor car company in buffalo, new york, produced some of the finest automobiles made. at the time, pierce - arrows could be found anywhere the rich and powerful worked and played. for over 20 years, pierce - arrow supplied cars to the white house for the use of the president. they also sold cars to the royal families of japan, persia, saudi arabia, greece, and belgium. scores of congressmen, ambassadors, governors, businessmen, and entertainers chose pierce - arrows for their transportation. a list of some
while world war i was raging in europe, the pierce - arrow line matured into a lineup of three models that would define the pierce - arrow line for a decade. the top of the line was the enormous model 66 with an 825 cubic inch engine. pierce - arrow was also involved in the war effort, sending hundreds of trucks from its commercial line to england and france .
in 1914, pierce - arrow adopted its most enduring styling hallmark when the headlights of the vehicle were moved from the traditional placement to either side of the radiator into flared housings molded into the front fenders of the car. this gave the car an immediate visual identification from the side; at night it gave the car the appearance of a wider stance. pierce trademarked this placement and it remained in place until the final model in 1938. hence it is only beginning with the 1939 model year that other american car manufacturers put the headlights in the fenders. through 1914 pierce - arrow also produced a line of motorcycles .
in the 1870’s, the george n. pierce company produced common household items such as ice chests and birdcages. pierce used his expertise in metal cage work to transition into the transportation field by manufacturing bicycles .
pierce - arrow was known for many automotive innovations. the most notable and distinctive was the fender light designed by herbert dawley in 1914. he also designed the hood ornament known as the “helmeted archer, ” which was used on the 1928 pierce - arrow. more stylized archers were used on pierce - arrows through 1938 .
the original company was founded in 1865 as heinz, pierce and munschauer. their products were household items such as iceboxes and birdcages. in 1872 pierce bought out the other two and named the firm the george n. pierce company. bicycles were added to the line in 1896. in 1900 an attempt was made to build a steam car. that effort failed, but in 1901 they came out with the single cylinder motorette. they made a two - cylinder car named arrow in 1904. their four - cylinder model was named great arrow. they entered the newly formed glidden tours and won it for the first five years in a row .
by 1909, pierce' s health was failing and george k. birge, a wealthy man, who had invested a tidy sum into pierce - arrow, became president in 1910, a post he held for six years. pierce died in 1910 .
in 1928, the company was put up for sale as a result of weak sales in the 1920s. the south bend, indiana automobile company studebaker acquired a controlling interest in pierce - arrow. studebaker president alfred r. erskine had hoped that adding the prestigious product to its lineup would allow studebaker to compete with the likes of packard and cadillac for a portion of the luxury car market. under studebaker’s ownership, pierce maintained virtual autonomy over its product and product development. approaching bankruptcy in 1933, studebaker sold out their interest in pierce - arrow to a group of buffalo businessmen .
- - while world war i was raging in europe, the pierce - arrow line matured into a lineup of three models that would define the pierce - arrow line for a decade. the top of the line was the enormous model 66 with an 825 cubic inch engine. pierce - arrow was also involved in the war effort, sending hundreds of trucks from its commercial line to england and france .
engineering was always a pierce - arrow characteristic. for example, george pierce introduced the first production four - cylinder motorcycle in 1909 and the first automatic power - assisted brakes on an american car in 1933. the company also introduced the first practical self - adjusting hydraulic valve lifters, also in 1933, and have been widely used since in almost all automobile engines .
shown above is a 1931 pierce arrow model 41 limousine on display at the western antique aeroplane and automobile museum in hood river, oregon .
my wife was driving and spotted a car she didn’t recognize that was going to the show. she asked me, “what kind of car is that? ”
this article originally appeared in the january, 2005 issue of hemmings classic car .
originally published in the january, 2005 issue of hemmings classic car. order backissues
pierce - arrow' s final attempt at the commercial market was in 1935 when they made some 9 and 15 passenger sight - seeing buses .
pierce - arrow continued to manufacture automobiles. prices were dropped considerably in an attempt to appeal to a larger market. toward the end of production, pierce - arrow manufactured its own line of travelodge trailers, complete with gas stoves, ice chests, water tanks and dining areas. 450 travelodge trailers were produced, but the company continued to falter and filed for bankruptcy in 1938 .
ten years later, while speaking to a dealer conference at the factory, herbert m. dawley, one of the important influences on the pierce - arrow cast aluminum body, remarked that
the cast aluminum body is a thing that is distinct and unique in the pierce - arrow factory. it is the one thing that has been developed that you will not find in other cars .
at the time he spoke these words dawley knew the pierce - arrow car occupied the very summit of prestige in the luxury car market, seen in enclaves of social prominence and the loci of great financial and governmental power that included the white house itself. the company�s earlier decision seemed quite justified .
underestimating the impact of the great depression, studebaker president albert erskine inadvertently led the corporation into receivership in 1933. paul hoffman and harold vance ultimately rescued the company, but much of studebaker’s momentum had been lost. studebaker introduced another small car, the rockne, in 1932, but dropped it again in 1933. for the 1934 model year, studebaker launched several advanced body designs, including the fastback land cruiser, a car styled after the famous pierce - arrow silver arrow showcars .
kenneth r. kingsbury, president, standard oil company of california (now chevron corp. )
these x - 1 was replaced by the r - 5 in 1915. the quality of the pierce - arrow truck was recognized by the the military powers of world war i. pierce - arrow delivered over 14, 000 trucks to the french and british governments by the end of the war .
under studebaker, pierce - arrow dropped their six - cylinder engine and introduced a straight - eight engine. the 1929 pierce - arrows were long, low, and very successful: nearly 10, 000 cars were sold .
the completed body was then mounted on the chassis of the car. this so - called
composite
body was the standard method used to construct car bodies for the next thirty years. pierce rejected this solution for more than a decade .
in 1928, pierce - arrow was bought by studebaker. this resulted in a number of engineering and design alterations. studebaker invested money in research and new developments at the buffalo factory, but investments did not result in sales. studebaker went bankrupt in 1933, and sold pierce - arrow to buffalo management .
with studebaker' s south bend complex working around the clock, erskine also saw the production of trucks as one way to better utilize pierce - arrow' s underused facilities, and get the company into the heavy truck market, a segment that studebaker was not involved with. to accomplished this spa truck company (studebaker - pirece - arrow) was formed to build high - quality trucks, which began rolling off the assembly line in 1929. erskine also moved to start talks with white motor company of cleveland, ohio, which he hoped would complement spa' s product. talks with white failed in early 1933, and the spa venture was terminated when studebaker filed for receivership in march, 1933 .
in 1928, another chassis was added to the truck line. the fleet arrow wagon, model fa, used a modified series 81 passenger car engine. mounted on a 140, 160, or 180 inch wheelbase, the fleet arrow was primarily intended for inner - city delivery service. the fleet arrow could be ordered with either single or dual rear wheels equipped with pneumatic tires. the brakes applied to all four wheels plus the drive shaft. houdaille hydraulic shock absorbers were supplied on the front axle. pierce - arrow advertised a top speed of 49 miles per hour using 34 inch tires and a 5 2 / 7: 1 rear axle ratio. unlike earlier pierce - arrow trucks, the fleet arrow did not use a worm - drive rear axle. production of the fleet - arrow ceased in 1929 after slightly over 500 were made .
the pierce - arrow was a status symbol, owned by many hollywood stars, corporate tycoons; royalty of many foreign nations had at least one pierce - arrow in their collections. in american luxury cars it was rivaled only by the peerless and packard, which collectively received the accolade three p' s of motordom. industrial efficiency expert frank bunker gilbreth (cheaper by the dozen) extolled the virtues of pierce - arrow, in both quality and in its ability to safely transport his large family .
the company abandoned the six cylinder engine in favor of a straight eight cylinder used by its competitors. the new pierce - arrows sat lower to the ground and were considerably longer than the previous models. the new roadsters, touring cars and sedans proved to be a success in the years leading up to the depression. however, when the economy collapsed, the auto industry was hit especially hard, specifically luxury lines like pierce - arrow. this led to drastic price drops and pierce - arrow struggled to sell vehicles .
of all the great american marques - - stutz, lincoln, duesenberg, packard, and the rest - - none was more synonymous with meticulous craftsmanship and refined luxury than the noble pierce - arrow, one of the fabled
three ps
of u. s. automotive royalty. here is the history of pierce - arrow .
to publicize the new twelve, pierce - arrow arranged for the race driver, ab jenkins, to drive a pierce - arrow on the bonneville salt flats. an unofficial, 24 - hour run was done in 1932, with an average speed of 112. 91 miles per hour. in 1933, pierce - arrow repeated the run, this time with aaa observing and conducting the run. this time, jenkins drove 3000 miles in 25 1 / 2 hours, averaging 117 mph. this trial broke 66 official aaa speed records. in 1934, another run set a new worlds speed record of 127 mph for 24 hours. the virtues of the pierce - arrow twelve continued long after pierce - arrow ceased production. the basic engine, with some modifications, was made well into the 1970' s for use in seagrave fire trucks .
the mechanical virtues of the pierce - arrow in the early thirties would be enough to secure pierce - arrow a page in automotive history. however, just as impressive as the eight and twelve cylinder engines was the pierce silver arrow. original built for the 1933 new york automobile show, the cars were also a hit at the 1933 century of progress exposition in chicago. the cars features streamlined styling that included an all - steel top, and side mounted spare tires concealed in compartments in the front fenders .
as demand for improved bicycles grew, pierce met high demands and industry innovation with the introduction of bicycle advancements such as the cushion frame and coaster brake. the george n. pierce company built a 75, 000 square foot factory on hanover and prime streets on buffalo’s waterfront at canalside. in 1901, the company produced its first, one single - cylinder automobile and also had a bicycle display at the pan - american exposition. the company continued manufacturing bicycles and motorcycles at this location until 1915 .
during the first half of 1934, the company' s working capital was depleted by losses resulting chiefly from a tool and die maker' s strike which made it impossible for the company to complete its 1934 models until after the peak selling season had passed. working capital was also depleted as a result of the disruption of the company' s selling organization brought about by the dissolution of corporate relations with studebaker, and also by a generally unfavorable public reception of pierce - arrow' s new lower - priced model .
the pierce - arrow was a luxury automobile and as such it was a status symbol that tended to be owned by presidents, royalty, business tycoons, and hollywood stars. the pierce - arrow became one of the first official cars at the white house when president william howard taft ordered two of them in 1909 to be used for state occasions .
braun cadillac showroom (1995): art deco showcase of the fabulous pierce - arrow painting by dr. roger lalli; text by david m. rote (online july 2015 )
studebakers of the late teens and early 1920s used names like big six, special six, light six and standard six, but for the 1927 model year, these generic names gave way to the president, commander and dictator series. also introduced in 1927 was a new quality small car called the erskine. in 1928, studebaker took over the ailing pierce - arrow motor co. of buffalo, new york, and nursed it along for five years .
pierce brought out their first six cylinder car in 1907. the model 65 - q great arrow had a 135 inch wheelbase and weighed over 4000 pounds. prices ranged from $ 6, 500 to $ 7, 750. there was little doubt that pierce was aimed at a very wealthy market. these were good years at pierce. the reputation earned on the glidden tours, as well as other trophies and awards, put pierce in the very enviable position of being able to sell an entire year' s production before the year began !
in 1933, pierce - arrow unveiled the radically streamlined silver arrow in a final attempt to appeal to the wealthy at the new york auto show. the car was well received by the public and the motoring press, being announced with the slogan
suddenly it' s 1940 !
the bodies were built at studebaker, which subsequently assisted in rolling out a lower - priced production model. this, however, lacked many luxury features of the show car and still failed to generate enough sales .
on august 18, 1934, pierce - arrow filed a petition in bankruptcy court under section 77 - b of the bankruptcy act. under these provisions the company continued to operate by the same management without the appointment of trustees. it continued to produce a limited number of automobiles under the bankruptcy provisions until 1937 .
in 1909, u. s. president william howard taft ordered two pierce - arrows to be used for state occasions, the first official automobiles of the white house. an open - bodied pierce - arrow carried woodrow wilson and warren g. harding to harding’s 1921 inauguration .
in august 1933, a syndicate composed of certain investment banking firms and individuals from buffalo, new york city and boston purchased pierce - arrow stock from the studebaker corporation, including a $ 2, 000, 000 note owed by pierce - arrow for advances. subsequently the capital structure was reorganized, providing for the exchange of the $ 2, 000, 000 note for common stock. however, this reorganization did not provide adequate working capital, and the company had to borrow funds for this purpose .
in the early years, company advertising promoted the image of the pierce - arrow owner as one not only of considerable means but discriminating taste and astute judgment. leading artists and illustrators such as frank leyendecker, adolph treidler, and myron perley vied for commissions, and their efforts were among the finest in this medium .
in 1933, pierce - arrow introduced a new design, the silver arrow. the car was featured at the 1933 chicago world' s fair and caused quite a stir by those who saw it. it was streamlined, had a steel top, fastback styling, enclosed running boards, rear wheel skirts, recessed door handles and faired - in head and tail lamps. more than 70 years after its introduction, the silver arrow is recognized as one of the 10 most influential automotive designs of all time .
the silver arrow, a radically streamlined automobile was unveiled at the 1933 new york auto show. intended for the ultra - wealthy, the silver arrow carried a price tag of $ 10, 000. it was the height of the great depression and while the car got rave reviews, only five were initially sold .
in 1931 pierce - arrow introduced the 12 - cylinder car. they entered it in the bonneville races and broke 14 international records with it. as the story goes, in the final hour of a 24 - hour race, at the speed of 125 mph. , the driver, a. b. jenkins, took out a safety razor and after winning the race, exited the car clean - shaven .
- - before becoming one of the foremost prestige automobiles, the george n. pierce company made a variety of household items, including ice boxes and birdcages. the early ventures into motorcars included the dedion powered motorette .
fter years of discussion and planning, the first pierce - arrow truck was shown in january, 1911. the five - ton stake - bed truck featured a worm - drive rear axle and hard rubber tires. the pierce - arrow worm - drive trucks were quieter and more reliable than the chain - drive mechanism used by most trucks of the time. the first pierce - arrow truck, the x - 1, had a four - cylinder t - head engine with 4 7 / 8
bore and 6
stroke. the truck had three forward speeds and sold for $ 4500. the pierce - arrow truck set a new standard for trucks made in america. the x - 1 was augmented by a two - ton model, the x - 2 in 1913 .
rare automotive collectible and very desirable item. awesome certificate with a vignette of a classical male figure seated above the company logo. pierce - arrow logo is repeated in the bottom seal. issued and cancelled. piece missing out of lower left edge that just touches the border as shown (would mat out when framed) .
in 1901, pierce brought out the motorette, powered by a single - cylinder, two speed engine licensed from de dion, a french automobile manufacturer. the car did not have a reverse gear .
over 1, 500, 000 square feet was built with buildings arranged to permit additions when necessary. in 1915, the company boasted that it was the greatest user of aluminum in the world. during wwi pierce - arrow employed almost 10, 000 men and women. the factory stands today and is occupied by several businesses .
- - as the country entered a new age, so did pierce - arrow. starting with the series 32 and progressing to the series 36, the dual - valve six, with its embroidered upholstery and gold trimmed interiors, defined elegance for the top - of - the - line pierce - arrow through the twenties. meanwhile, the series 80 & 81 were targeted toward a larger market .
by the turn of the century, the pierce company began experimenting with automobiles. while early efforts involved a steam - powered unit, the first production pierce automobile of 1901 used a single cylinder, 2 3 / 4 hp dedion engine. in 1903, pierce replaced the dedion engine in the motorette with one of their own manufacture. about 170 pierce motorettes were made between 1901 and 1903. in mid 1903, the pierce stanhope was introduced. similar the the motorette, the stanhope used a pierce made engine mounted beneath the driver' s seat. an additional fold - out seat was added in front of the driver. the stanhope had two forward speeds, plus reverse .
at this point george k. birge and some friends bought into pierce' s business, which in 1899 birge reorganized and brought in scottish engineer david fergusson. reliance on steam power was abandoned, and in 1900 a gas - powered motorette was placed on the market. two years later the company was making its own engines and a year after that was selling the fifteen horsepower arrow and the twenty - four horsepower great arrow. pan - american exposition g eorge n. pierce & company built two cars early in 1901, and they exhibited them to the public at the pan - american exposition along with their bicycle line when the exposition opened in may. pierce introduced his
motorette
at the pan - american exposition in 1901 in a novel way :
i told her “just a 58 year old car that could probably outrun everyone of the cars in that show. ”
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as demand for improved bicycles grew, pierce met high demands and industry innovation with the introduction of bicycle advancements such as the cushion frame and coaster brake. in 1901, the company produced its first, one single - cylinder automobile and also had a bicycle display at the pan - american exposition. the company continued manufacturing bicycles and motorcycles at this location until 1915 .
history tells us that more automakers fail than succeed, and the fields of cars at any collector car show contain ample evidence. part of the fascination is that a company on the brink is often moved to stretch its creative resources in the search for one
the company had built trucks before, but it launched a line of cab - overs in 1936 for urban and long - distance hauling .
for 1910, the pierce - arrow line was established in a form that would continue for the next decade. three basic chassis were offered, the 36, 48, and 66. all cars now had six cylinder engines. prices ranged from $ 3850 for the 36hp runabout to $ 7200 for the 66hp landau. this triple line of cars would continue to propel the pierce - arrow reputation of quality and luxury .
the series 81 was introduced in 1928 as a refinement of the series 80. the series 81 maintained the basic 130 inch wheelbase chassis of the series 80 with minor changes to the engine. james way designed all new sheet metal for the series 81 which continues to be controversial. although pierce - arrow president myron forbes was enthusiastic about the new cars, the dealers and public were a little more reserved. the traditional pierce - arrow radiator design had been changed as had the curve of the fender headlamps, which now sported an
eyebrow
. the famous archer mascot made its debut on the series 81 as did a badge on the radiator shell showing the pierce family crest. the badge was removed for 1929, however, when mrs. percy pierce informed the company that it was the coat - of - arms for the wrong pierce family.
pierce-arrow motor car company was an american automobile manufacturer based in buffalo , new york , which was active from 1901 to 1938 . although best known for its expensive luxury cars , pierce-arrow also manufactured commercial trucks , fire trucks , camp trailers , motorcycles , and bicycles . 
pierce-arrow motor car company was an american automobile manufacturer based in buffalo, new york, which was active from 1901 to 1938. although best known for its expensive luxury cars, pierce-arrow also manufactured commercial trucks, fire trucks, camp trailers, motorcycles, and bicycles.
pierce-arrow motor car company was an american automobile manufacturer based in buffalo, new york, which was active from 1901 to 1938. although best known for its expensive luxury cars, pierce-arrow also manufactured commercial trucks, fire trucks, camp trailers, motorcycles, and bicycles.