1926 Peerless Model 6-80

The Peerless Motor Car Company was established in Ohio in 1865, at the time they were known as the Peerless Wringer & Mfg. Company. In 1892 it became known as the Peerless Mfg Company, originally a washing-machine wringers producer. In the early 1890s, the company moved to new facilities and began soon began making bicycles. By the turn of the century they were making automotive parts, and then automobiles. In 1902 they became the Peerless Motor Car Company.

Their craft was in the luxury car segment, hand-building elegant and stately machines that rivaled all others that traversed the roadway. They were one of the 'Three P's', sharing that title with Packard and Pierce, of which were the dominant players that catered to the wealthy in society.

Peerless ran advertising that touted their product as having 'Silence and Comfort, all that the name implies.'

In the post-war recession of the 1920s, Peerless, like many other prominent nameplates of the time, was forced to cater to a wider audience to stimulate sales. They lowered their prices and attempted to promote medium-sized cars. As the 1920s came to a close and followed by the Great Depression of the 1930s, the Peerless Company was forced to close its doors forever. The company went out of business in 1931.

For 1926, Peerless offered the Model 6-80, the Model 6-72, and the Model 8-69. The Model 8-69 was the only eight-cylinder car in the lineup, while the others were powered by six-cylinder units. The six-cylinder found in the Model 6-80 delivered 63 horsepower while the other six-cylinder versions offered 70 horsepower, the same amount produced by their eight-cylinder engine. The Model 6-80 had the smallest footprint, with a wheelbase that measured 116 inches. The 6-70 measured 126 inches and the 6-72 had a 126 and 133-inch wheelbase, depending on the body style. The 8-69 had a 128-inch wheelbase. The larger models often were fitted with limousine and 7-passenger bodies while the smaller models often featured 5-passenger coachwork. The Model 6-80 could be purchased as a touring, roadster, sedan, coupe, two-door sedan, and close-coupled sedan.

by Daniel Vaughan | Sep 2015