1930 Peerless Custom Eight

Peerless was an American automobile produced by the Peerless Motor Company of Cleveland, Ohio. The company was known for building high-quality, precision luxury automobiles.

Established in Cleveland in 1900, Peerless Motors began producing De Dion 'machines' under license from the French Company. At the time, Cleveland was the thriving center of automotive production in the United States. Peerless employed Barney Oldfield as a driver of its Green Dragon racecar; in early speed races, Peerless proved the durability of the product and set world speed records.

As the Peerless evolved, it along with makes Packard and Pierce-Arrow, became known as the 'Three-P's' of premium vehicles in the United States.

In 1930-1931, Peerless commissioned Murphy Body Works of Pasadena, California to design what the company envisioned as its 1933 model. The task was assigned to a young Frank Hershey. Hershey's design for Peerless was a remarkably clean, elegant vehicle, powered by the company's planned V-16 engine.

The 1930 Peerless model lineup included the Standard 8 resting on a 118-inch wheelbase, the Master 8 on a 125-inch wheelbase, and the Custom 8 on a generous 138-inch platform. All three were powered by eight-cylinder engines with the Standard 8 producing 85 horsepower, and the Master and Custom 8 sharing a 120 hp powerplant. The sedan and coupe of the Standard 8 were priced at $1,495, the Brougham and Club Sedan at $1,545, and the Cabriolet at $1,595. The Master 8 was priced from $1,995 to $2,095.

The range-topping Custom 8 was priced at $2,945 for the Sedan and coupe. The seven-passenger sedan listed for $3,145, and the Limousine at $3,345.

A five- and seven-passenger Metropolitan Sedan was part of the Master 8 and Custom 8 lineup but pricing was not specified.

Comparison
The Peerless Custom 8 cost less than the Cadillac Series 353 (the 8-cylinder Cadillac), had a similar wheelbase, and produced nearly twenty-five more horsepower. It was similarly priced to the Cord L-29, the Marmon Big 8, and Ruxton Model C. It was slightly less than the Pierce-Arrow Model B and the Packard Series 740 Custom Eight.

Peerless produced approximately 3,642 vehicles in 1930, compared to 13,892 produced by Cadillac, 7,989 by Packard, 6,795 by Pierce-Arrow, and 3,212 by Lincoln.