Frequently Asked Questions about Classic Pierce-Arrow

Who founded Pierce-Arrow, and when did it build its first car?

George N. Pierce founded the company in Buffalo, New York, and its first production car, the single-cylinder Motorette, appeared in 1901. Before that, the George N. Pierce Company made household goods such as ice boxes and birdcages, then bicycles. The four-cylinder Great Arrow followed in 1904, and Percy Pierce drove one to win the first Glidden Tour, a reliability run, in 1905.

Where does the Pierce-Arrow name come from?

The name joins founder George N. Pierce's surname to the Arrow name his company used on its early cars, including the Great Arrow of 1904. The firm had been known as the George N. Pierce Company until it was renamed the Pierce-Arrow Motor Car Company. The Pierce-Arrow Society dates the new name to 1908, while the Forney Museum of Transportation gives 1909.

Where were Pierce-Arrow cars built?

Pierce-Arrow cars were built in Buffalo, New York. The company's plant stood at 1695 Elmwood Avenue, at Great Arrow Avenue, with a factory designed by Albert Kahn about 1906 and an administration building by George Cary. The complex served as headquarters and production plant until 1938 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.

When did Pierce-Arrow start putting headlights in the fenders?

Pierce-Arrow moved its headlights into the front fenders in 1913 or 1914, depending on the source. RM Sotheby's catalog histories say designer Herbert M. Dawley patented the layout in 1913, while the Pierce-Arrow Society dates the fender lamps to 1914. Buyers could still order conventional headlights instead. The Forney Museum of Transportation describes the fender lamp as the marque's most identifying feature.

Did Studebaker own Pierce-Arrow?

Yes, Studebaker controlled Pierce-Arrow from 1928 to 1933. The South Bend, Indiana, company bought a controlling interest in 1928 to reach the luxury market, and the two firms continued to operate largely independently. Pierce-Arrow replaced its six with a new straight-eight for 1929. Facing receivership in 1933, Studebaker sold Pierce-Arrow to a group of Buffalo businessmen, which made the marque independent again.

What was the Pierce-Arrow Silver Arrow?

The Silver Arrow was a streamlined twelve-cylinder show car that Pierce-Arrow unveiled at the New York Auto Show in January 1933. Designed by Phil Wright, it was built in Studebaker's experimental body shop in South Bend, Indiana, and was also shown at the Century of Progress exposition in Chicago. Five were built. For 1934 the Silver Arrow name went on a more conventional production coupe.

When did Pierce-Arrow introduce its V12 engine?

Pierce-Arrow introduced its V12 late in 1931 for the 1932 model year and sold it alongside the straight-eight. Two sizes were offered at first, 398 and 429 cubic inches. Ab Jenkins drove a twelve-cylinder Pierce-Arrow for 24 hours on the Bonneville Salt Flats in 1932 in an unofficial run, then returned in 1933 for officially observed records. Seagrave Fire Apparatus later bought the V12 tooling for its fire trucks.

When did Pierce-Arrow go out of business?

Pierce-Arrow went out of business in 1938. Independent again after 1933, the Buffalo company could not survive the collapse of the luxury car market during the Depression. It tried travel trailers with the Travelodge, introduced in 1936, but in 1938 the company was declared insolvent and a court ordered its liquidation. The remaining assets were sold at auction in May 1938.