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 Dan Vaughan

Runabout

The Pierce-Arrow Motor Car Co. was the most successful early exponent of the six-cylinder engine, a pioneer in power brakes, and was associated with some remarkable early experiments in light alloy construction, streamlined bodywork, and power steering. Of course, on the aesthetic side, there was the patented Pierce-Arrow fender and headlight treatment designed by Herbert Douley, a design feature that endured for the remainder of Pierce-Arrow's existence.

In 1916, this Pierce-Arrow was purchased by A. Atwater Kent in Portland, Maine. Kent was an American inventor and prominent radio manufacturer based in Philadelphia, who later patented the modern form of the automobile ignition coil. The car remained in Bar Harbor, Maine, until 1982, when it was given to his namesake A. Atwater Kent III. Mark purchased the car from him in 1985. It was repainted in its original blue color in 1958, and the top and seats were replaced in 2012. It is the only example of this model known to exist.

Touring
Chassis number: 34739

This is a very original Pierce-Arrow 38-C3 vehicle that includes the tools and spare parts delivered with the car when new. Little is known about it other than it was sold new on June 6, 1914, by the Ellis Motoring Car Company of Newark, NJ.

1914 marked the first year for the trademark fender-mounted headlights and electric starters.

In its heyday, the Pierce-Arrow was the American equivalent of the Rolls-Royce and Pierce-Arrow offered a two-week training course for chauffeurs. In later years, Pierce-Arrow found its way into the White House garage. President Woodrow Wilson's garage housed four Pierce-Arrows including one used as his touring car.

The current owner acquired this vehicle in 2010 and has regularly entered it in HCCP and AACA tours.

Vestibule Brougham
Chassis number: 34258
Engine number: 34258

This 1914 Pierce-Arrow Model 38-C-2 has a body style known formally as a Suburban, with a raised roofline over the rear doors and opera light creating a 'vestibule' effect.

Pat Craig acquired the car from the family of Charles Thompson of Tamworth, New Hampshire. It was then sold by Mr. Craig in 1990 to Robert J. Gottlieb of Beverly Hills, California. In Mr. Gottlieb's ownership, the Suburban was meticulously restored by the late Pierce-Arrow specialist, Eric Rosenau. After the restoration was completed, the car won Third in Class at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in 1991. It remained with Mr. Gottlieb until the fall of 2004, then was acquired by the Gateway Automobile Museum.

This car retains its original cast firewall, serial number plate, original stamping on the frame, and much of its original woodwork. The body number '32' remains stamped in the wood beneath the front seats. The body is finished in a two-tone blue with pale blue striping and detailing, and even the wheel bolts are painted the same accent color. There are cable-operated front curtains in the driver's compartment with their original stamped snap fasteners, and the broadcloth and print fabric-swathed rear compartment retaining a hat net, umbrella holder, and even a small folding coat hanger. Accessories include Westinghouse hydraulic shocks (front and rear), a tubular front bumper, a Talio bulb horn operated from the driver's compartment, a Boyce Motometer, and an air pump, run off the transmission, for filling tires.

by Dan Vaughan

The six-cylinder Pierce-Arrow Model 38 was introduced in 1913 and would remain in production for a number of years accounting for many of the vehicles produced by Pierce-Arrow. The entire range of Pierce-Arrows were built with craftsmanship and a high level of quality. Their use and experimentation with aluminum throughout the years led to successful implementation resulting in lightweight bodies that were rigid and lacked vibration, buckling, or warping with excessive use or in extreme temperatures. The construction with the aluminum was a time consuming and expensive process and accounted for part of the hefty price tag of the vehicle.

In 1919, the Seven-Passenger Touring Model had a base price of $6,500 which was well above the industry average and one of the more expensive vehicles offered for sale. The Seven Passenger Suburban cost $5,000. For that price, the buyer received a car that rested on a wheelbase that measured 142-inches and was powered by a six-cylinder engine that had dual-valve and dual ignition and displaced 414 cubic-inches. The result was 38 horsepower which was sent through the four-speed manual transmission to the rear wheels, which were also responsible for the mechanical braking. The Seven Passenger Touring Model had a wheelbase of 134 inches.

by Dan Vaughan