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Pierce-Arrow 1901-1938 - American luxury brand

Name: Pierce-Arrow Model 41 1931
Brand: Pierce-Arrow

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Created in 2011

Text:

Roger Gloor

Photos:

Darin Schnabel - Courtesy RM Sotheby's

Bruno von Rotz

Corey Silvia - Courtesy RM Sotheby's

- Courtesy RM Sotheby's

David McNeese - Courtesy RM Auctions

Rick Minor - Courtesy RM Sotheby's

Scott McGuigan - Courtesy RM Sotheby's

Drew Shipley - Courtesy RM Sotheby's

Academy of Art University Automobile Museum

Joshua Rainey - Courtesy RM Sotheby's

Neil Fraser - Courtesy RM Auctions

206'250

Darin Schnabel - Courtesy RM Auctions

Archiv

Darin Schnabel - Courtesy RM Sotheby's

Bruno von Rotz

Corey Silvia - Courtesy RM Sotheby's

- Courtesy RM Sotheby's

David McNeese - Courtesy RM Auctions

Rick Minor - Courtesy RM Sotheby's

Scott McGuigan - Courtesy RM Sotheby's

Drew Shipley - Courtesy RM Sotheby's

Academy of Art University Automobile Museum

Joshua Rainey - Courtesy RM Sotheby's

Neil Fraser - Courtesy RM Auctions

206'250

Darin Schnabel - Courtesy RM Auctions

Archiv

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Pierce-Arrow 1242 Convertible Sedan Le Baron (1933) - at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este 2015 in class A "flamboyance in motion"

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Pierce-Arrow Model 133 Tonneau Cowl Phaeton (1929) - offered as Lot 136 at the RM Auction Amelia Island 2014

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Pierce-Arrow Model 836 Club Sedan (1933) - as lot 148 at the RM Auction Motor City on July 26, 2014

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Pierce-Arrow Series 4 48 HP Seven-Passenger Touring (1916) - offered as lot 179 at RM Auction Arizona 2013

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Pierce-Arrow Model 48 7-Passenger Touring (1915) - sold at RM Auction Arizona (January 19 and 20, 2012) for USD AZ12_r130_02

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Pierce-Arrow Silver Arrow (1933) - offered as lot 214 at the RM/Sotheby's auction "Driven by Disruption" in New York on December 10, 2015

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Pierce-Arrow Model 33 Runabout (1925) - as lot 136 at the RM/Sotheby's auction in Hershey 2015

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Pierce-Arrow Model 38-C-4 Five-Passenger Touring (1916) - as lot 137 at the RM/Sotheby's auction in Hershey 2015

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Pierce-Arrow Twelve Convertible Coupe Roadster (1933) - as lot 167 at the RM/Sotheby's auction in Hershey 2015

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Pierce-Arrow Model 48-B-4 Five-Passenger Touring by F.R. Wood and Son (1916) - as lot 233 at the RM/Sotheby's auction in Hershey 2015

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Pierce-Arrow Model 66-A Seven-Passenger Touring (1913) - as lot 267 at the RM/Sotheby's auction in Hershey 2015

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Pierce-Arrow Eight Two-Passenger Coupé (1934) - as lot 282 at the RM/Sotheby's auction in Hershey 2015

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Pierce-Arrow Model B Five-Passenger Sedan (1930) - as lot 115 at RM Sotheby's Motor City sale on July 25, 2015

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Pierce-Arrow Model 36 Seven-Passenger Touring (1928) - as lot 122 at RM Sotheby's Motor City sale on July 25, 2015

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Pierce-Arrow Twelve Convertible Coupe Roadster (1934) - as lot 136 at RM Sotheby's Motor City auction on July 25, 2015

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Pierce-Arrow Model 81 Runabout (1928) - as lot 150 at RM Sotheby's Motor City auction on July 25, 2015

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The very rare and well-known Pierce-Arrow Silver Arrow (1933) will be at the Arizona Concours 2015

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Summary

There were around 10,000 car brands and designers - most of which have disappeared. Pierce-Arrow can also be counted among these vanished brands. Their most famous vehicle was the Silver Arrow, which broke the record average speed of 203.2 km/h in a 24-hour race in 1934. The luxury brand had emerged from a factory for bird cages and cool boxes and built around 85,500 cars until it went bankrupt in 1937.

Estimated reading time: 3min

Preview (beginning of the article)

From 1913, the Pierce-Arrow was characterized by headlights protruding from the fenders like trumpets, an idea by designer Herbert Dawley. The later luxury brand emerged from a factory for bird cages and coolers founded by George N. Pierce in Buffalo, New York, in 1878. From 1895, bicycles were produced and in 1900, thanks to money from wallpaper manufacturer George Birge, a steam car. From 1901, under the English engineer David Fergusson, Pierce built small cars called Motorette with a single-cylinder engine from De Dion-Bouton. This was followed in 1903 by the four-seater Stanhope and the Arrow, whose two-cylinder engine was now installed at the front instead of under the seats.

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