1936 Pierce-Arrow Twelve

Limousine

Pierce-Arrow was founded in 1865 in Buffalo, New York, and manufactured everything from ice boxes and birdcages to bathtubs and bicycles. The first car was built in 1901 and in 1903, Pierce introduced the Arrow, a bigger car. This led to the Great Arrow with cast aluminum body panels and helped build Pierce's great reputation by winning the first five prestigious Glidden Tours.

Beginning in 1901, Pierce-Arrow became known as the car of Presidents when William H. Taft became the first president to use an automobile for official occasions. This practice continued until the last Pierces were ordered in 1935. In 1914, Pierce-Arrow introduced its patented integral fender headlamps as an option which became the most recognized design cue for Pierce-Arrows for the rest of the company's history.

The all-new 1936 models were billed as the 'world's safest car' based on the welded and riveted frame comprised of two box side beams, five cross-members, and a center x-brace. They featured 36 major improvements and according to Pierce-Arrow 'set new standards of what a fine car should be like, and how it should drive. The V12 chassis were available in 3 wheelbases, but only 787 cars were built.

In 1936, the V-12 engine found in the Pierce-Arrow Twelve produced 185 horsepower. It had three wheelbase sizes that measured 139-, 144-, and 147-inches. Pierce-Arrow was one of the most recognized and respected names in the automobile industry and for 38 years (1901 - 1938) the company produced some of the finest automobiles made. The cars they produced were large, beautiful, and expensive. For over two decades, Pierce-Arrow supplied cars to the White House for presidential use. They also supplied cars to royal families of Japan, Greece, Saudi Arabia, and Belgium.

This 44,000 original-mile limousine was once owned by the Huntington family, who were owners of a railroad and railway empire.

Club Sedan

The innovative Pierce-Arrow styling for 1936 was aerodynamic and modern looking yet would be the firm's last new design ever built. Production continued through 1937 but dwindled quickly by 1938. While this new Pierce was on-par with its competition - Lincoln, Packard, and Cadillac - the company suffered due to financial difficulty and would not survive beyond 1938.

This 1936 Pierce-Arrow Model 1601 Club Sedan is powered by an eight-cylinder engine delivering 185 horsepower. It sold for the sum of $3,795 when new.

Metropolitan Town Brougham by Brunn

The Pierce-Arrow Company had been launched in 1901 and by the late 1920s was experiencing financial difficulties in a changing marketplace. The company merged with Studebaker in 1928 and the results showed up in improved mechanics and styling. The merger had its benefits but by 1931, sales were in decline, as was the entire American luxury automobile market. By 1933, Pierce-Arrow was back in private hands.

Nevertheless, Pierce-Arrow continued to offer high-quality motorcars. In 1932, the company introduced a V-12 motor in addition to its in-line eight.

This 1936 Model 1601 features custom coachwork by Brunn & Company of Buffalo, New York. It is powered by a 385 cubic-inch, nine main bearings, Pierce-Arrow in-line eight-cylinder motor that develops 150 horsepower. Its mechanical features include a Warner overdrive, free-wheeling, synchromesh transmission, and automatic choke.

This Pierce-Arrow, once part of the famed Barney Pollard collection, received a complete, frame-up restoration to its as-original condition. It has received awards wherever it has been shown, including the Pierce-Arrow Society's Best in Show award.

Limousine by Letourner et Marchand

This 1936 Model 1602 contains a custom body by European coachbuilder Letourner & Marchand. It is powered by a 462 cubic-inch, seven main bearings, Pierce-Arrow twelve-cylinder motor that develops 150 horsepower. Its mechanical features include a Warner overdrive, free-wheeling, synchromesh transmission, and automatic choke.

The Letourner & Marchand limousine body was originally fitted to a 1930s Hispano-Suiza for the Countess Wachmeister. The body became available and replaced the car's original factory-built seven-passenger sedan body. The result is this one-of-a-kind motorcar.

Country Club Roadster

Pierce-Arrow was the most successful early exponent of the six-cylinder car in America. The company pioneered in power braking, and was associated with some remarkable early experiments in light alloy construction, streamlined bodywork, and power steering. Pierce-Arrow installed the first hydraulic tappets. And, of course, on the aesthetic side, there was the famous Pierce-Arrow fender treatment, which was patented before the First World War. Designed by Herbert Douley, the distinctive headlamp-in-fender design endured for the remainder of Pierce-Arrow's existence.

The all-new 1936 Pierce-Arrows were billed as the 'world's fastest car' due to the welded and riveted frame. They featured many improvements over previous models and set new standards for how a car should look and drive. The V12 engine was available in three different wheelbases, but fewer than 80 of this particular model were built out of total production of 843 cars in 1936.

This V-12 Country Club Roadster, one of three built that year, is the last open-topped V12 ever built by the company according to the Pierce-Arrow Society factory records. Sold new in the Washington DC area, it was fitted with a fire truck engine and modern transmission in a field in northern Virginia in the late 1950s. After an exhaustive search, its current owner discovered the original engine and mechanicals. The restored car made its first-ever Concours appearance at the 2016 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.

Pierce-Arrows were stately vehicles that commanded admiration and respect and had a price tag to match. The individuals who bought the most elite Pierce-Arrows were individuals that were high on the social ladder and cost was not an issue. The Pierce-Arrow catered to every demand and request, even keeping special colors on hand for important families and only using those colors for those vehicles and non-others. Most of the vehicle was custom, including the carpets, luggage, trunks, and seats. The Pierce-Arrows were more than just a custom and exclusive automobile, they were also known for their quality, reliability, performance, and sophistication.

The slow demise of the Pierce-Arrow Company began when other marques moved away from custom-built automobiles to production lines. The mass-produced vehicles raised the bar on quality and dependability. Though they could not guarantee exclusivity, they could guarantee a better product at a better price. When Cadillac introduced its 16-cylinder engine in 1929, Pierce-Arrow knew it had to improve its 12-cylinder engine to stay competitive. The Twelve was introduced in 1932 and came equipped with a 452 cubic-inch engine capable of producing 150 horsepower, just slightly below the output of the V16. By 1933, Pierce-Arrow had raised the output of their engine to 175 and the public approved, buying many examples and setting new sales records for Pierce.

1932 was a great year for the Pierce-Arrow Twelve. Ab Jenkins drove a 33,000-mile prototype to the salt flats of Bonneville. he set several records and then drove 2000 miles back to Buffalo. He returned the following year and set nearly 80 new records.

Unfortunately, the Great Depression was taking its toll on the company. Negotiations to merge with Auburn and Reo failed and Pierce-Arrow entered into bankruptcy. Buffalo business rescued the failing company, raised money, and cut the work staff by half. Sales improved for a short while but not enough to sustain the company. In 1937 the company closed its doors forever.

by Dan Vaughan