1923 Pierce-Arrow Model 33

Sold for $107,800 at 2017 Bonhams : Quail Lodge.
Pierce-Arrow built a prominent reputation and was one of the most recognized and respected names in the automobile industry. Their name became synonymous with opulence and luxury to the point of being a status symbol among the elite of society. Their cars were the preferred choice of Hollywood movie stars, celebrities, royalty, and tycoons. Academy Award-winning actor Sessue Hayakawa famously drove a custom-ordered gold-plated Pierce-Arrow as a statement of the car's prestige.

In 1909, two Pierce-Arrows were ordered by President Howard Taft, who was the first president to use an automobile for official state occasions. This tradition would continue all the way through 1935 and the President Franklin D. Roosevelt administration, when the last Pierce-Arrows, 1935 models, were ordered by the White House solidifying Pierce-Arrow's reputation as the premier automobile manufacturer of its day.

The Pierce-Arrows were given the highest degree of technological sophistication. The company pioneered the use of aluminum, hydraulic tappets, and power brakes, and its engine was a marvel of engineering in its day with its unique multi-valve configuration. Their most enduring styling hallmark was the placement of the headlamps.

The Series 33 was introduced in 1921 and would be the company's flagship throughout most of the Roaring Twenties. It rode on a 138-inch wheelbase chassis and offered ten different body styles available from the factory. The bodies were formed from aluminum over northern white ash frames along with steel fenders and hoods. Power was from a Dual-Valve Six, T-Head six-cylinder engine displacing 414 cubic inches. It had four valves and two spark plugs per cylinder. The two camshafts were located in the aluminum crankcase and were gear-driven off the crankshaft, while the Delco dual-ignition system used two coils mounted on the firewall and a single dual-distributor unit with two distributor caps to fire the spark plugs. The three-speed transmission used a dry-plate clutch.

This particular Model 33 7-Passenger Tonneau Sedan has black leather for the chauffeur while the rear compartment is trimmed in striped beige broadcloth and appointed with jump seats, a folding footrest, smoker's kit, and vanity compartments, fine wood moldings, bud vases and pulldown shades on all five windows.

The integrated fender-mounted headlights were not chosen, instead being the conventional drum style. It has been restored with a light grey body and black fenders. Turn signals have been added for safer driving. It rides on body color wood spoke wheels and whitewall tires.

By Daniel Vaughan | Oct 2017

The Pierce-Arrow Series 33 was produced from 1921 through 1926. The cars were powered by a six-cylinder 'L'-head engine that produced over 70 horsepower. Both the engine and the design were new for Pierce-Arrow, being introduced in the post-World War I era. The cars were elegant and stately, with a price tag that rivaled other luxury marques of their day. Their high sticker price meant these were exclusive machines finished with all of the luxury amenities available.

The six-cylinder engine had a dual-valve setup, integrated by Pierce-Arrow's chief engineer David Fergusson. The design of the engine was influenced by European techniques and its incorporation into an American engine is a rarity. The dual valves resulted in an increase in performance and better fuel economy. The engine was smooth, reliable, and durable, producing adequate horsepower to carry the large and stately bodies. With the large bodies and powerful engines, adequate brakes were required. The Series 33 was among the first Pierce-Arrows to be given four-wheel mechanical brakes. This setup was utilized over the hydraulic-brake configuration, as the company viewed the hydraulic brakes as less reliable and prone to fluid leaks.

In front of the car are the unique headlight design, which sticks up and bulged out from the fenders. As the years progressed, the designs altered slightly.

In the modern era, around 50 examples of the Series 33 have survived the test of time.

By Daniel Vaughan | Jul 2007