1914 Pierce-Arrow Model 38-C

George N. Pierce was a partner at Heintz, Pierce and Munschauer, a Buffalo, New York, company that made bird cages. The firm branched out into ice boxes and bathtubs as the 19th century progressed. Pierce bought out his partners in 1872 and renamed the company for himself and embarked on pedal-powered transportation. In 1900 he built a steam-powered car, quickly followed by a gasoline-powered car. In 1901 the manufacturing of a de Dion-engined 'Motorette' began. The four-cylinder Great Arrow was added to the lineup in 1904. Pierce's son Percy drove one in the inaugural 1905 Glidden Tour, winning the reliability contest, and Pierces took the Glidden Trophy for the next four events. The public came to associate 'Pierce' and 'Arrow' as one, and both car and company were renamed Pierce-Arrow in 1909. By then, Pierce-Arrows, which sold for $3,050 to $7,200, had joined Packard and Peerless in comprising the 'Three Ps' of luxury American motor manufacture.

The Model 65-Q, introduced in 1907, was the company's first six-cylinder model. Like its predecessors, it had a T-head configuration, and it displayed 648 cubic inches. The 65-Q rested on a 135-inch wheelbase, which was nearly a foot longer than the largest four-cylinder Pierce model. Pierce offered their last four-cylinder model in 1909. The 1910 lineup consisted of three sixes, of 36-, 48-, and 66-rated horsepower. In 1913 the company introduced a new 38-horsepower car, which would remain in production for six years.

The Model 38 was the company's most affordable offering. The 415 cubic-inch six-cylinder engine has a 4-inch bore and 5.5-inch stroke. The Model 38 was built on a 134-inch wheelbase - 7.5 inches longer than a Packard Twin Six - and built from the finest materials available (note, the runabout body style had a shorter, 127.5-inch wheelbase).

1914 Pierce Model 38-C body styles included a four- or five-passenger tourer priced at $4,300, a Brougha and Landaulet (both with seating for seven) at $5,200, a Vestibule Brougham and Vestibule Landaulet at $5,400, and a three-passenger runabout on a 127.5-inch wheelbase listing at $4,300. The cast aluminum coachwork, in typical Pierce fashion, was both elegant and ornate. The interiors were luxurious and well appointed with broadcloth typically used for the driver's compartment and fine print fabric for the rear compartment.

Herbert M. Dawley joined Pierce-Arrow in 1912 and designed nearly every model until 1938. In 1913, Dawley patented the feature that would come to be Pierce-Arrow's trademark, the headlights faired into the tops of the front fenders. Nearly every Pierce-Arrow came with this treatment that not only was instantly distinctive but also gave better illumination. The company still offered conventional headlights for its more conservative clientele.

Part of Pierce-Arrow's success was through their famous owners, whom the company actively sought. Every President of the United States, from William Howard Taft to Franklin Delano Roosevelt, rode in the Buffalo-based company's automobiles. The list of movie star owners included Mary Pickford, Gloria Swanson, and Tom Mix.

by Daniel Vaughan | Apr 2020