1938 Pierce-Arrow Twelve Convertible Phaeton

James Davis September 15, 2022

The Pierce-Arrow car brand, produced from 1901 to 1938, was known for having one of the first Town Cars, or open coach designs, beginning in 1905. Pierce-Arrow Town Cars were predominantly owned by the very wealthy, including the royal families of Japan, Persia, Saudi Arabia, Greece, and Belgium. Town Cars were produced in various models: Brougham Town Car, Metropolitan Town Car and the Limousine Landau Town Car.

Pierce was the only luxury brand that did not field a lower-priced car (e.g., the Packard 120) to provide cash flow, and without sales or funds for development, the company declared insolvency in 1938 and closed its doors. The final Pierce-Arrow assembled was built by Karl Wise, the firm’s chief engineer, from parts secured from the company’s receivers. Pierce’s remaining assets (which probably would include the forty Arrows made in October 1938) were sold at auction on a Friday, 13 May 1938.

The Pierce-Arrow’s engine displacement started at 453 cu in (7.4 L), continuing to a massive 11.7 L (714.0 cu in) and was increased later to 5 inch bore and 7 inch stroke for 13.52 L (825.0 cu in), at the time making it by far the largest Otto engine offered in any production automobile in the world. In 1910, Pierce dropped its other 4-cylinder models and focused exclusively on 6-cylinder cars until 1929.

The model 6-36, 6-48, and 6-66 continued for the next decade. Starting in 1918, Pierce-Arrow adopted a four-valve per cylinder T-head inline-six engine (Dual Valve Six) and three spark plugs per cylinder, one of the few, if only, multi-valve flathead design engines ever made. The company did not introduce an 8-cylinder engine until the 1929 Model 126, and a V-12 engine was offered in 1931 until the company closed in 1938.

Despite valiant efforts and superb world-beating cars sales decline until insolvency is declared in 1938, caused in part by crippling conditions placed upon loans to the firm by the Banks which ended up actually restricting how many cars the company could produce! Another case of Banks interfering in things they know nothing about and bringing down a perfectly good manufacturing concern. If the Banks had held off one more year WW2 would have undoubtedly saved Pierce-Arrow as it did the re-financed Studebaker (who made trucks, tanks, and aircraft) Willys, (the world-beating jeep, trucks and various armoured vehicles), Packard, (staff cars, tank engines, and under licence, more Merlin engines than Rolls-Royce themselves!) to name a few. Everyone could see WW2 on the horizon in 1938 except apparently, the Banks!

Luxury-car makers dealt with the situation in various ways. Cadillac, though sheltered under the large General Motors umbrella, cut back hard on production, but Lincoln output tapered almost to a halt, then was restored by the streamlined, medium-priced Zephyr starting in 1935. Packard, still proudly independent, sought salvation with its slightly lower-priced 1932 Light Eight, failed, then planned a still-cheaper volume product that emerged in 1935 as the company-saving One Twenty.

All three of these leading luxury makes brought out specials and show cars for the round of 1933 automobile shows, culminating with the Chicago fair. Their onetime archrival, the still highly respected Pierce-Arrow Motor Company, followed suit with its own stunning creations.

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