38hp, 414 cu. in. bore and stroke of 4" x 5 1/2" dual-valve and dual ignition six-cylinder engine, pressurized gas feed, four-speed manual transmission, semi-elliptic leaf springs and rear-wheel mechanical brakes. Wheelbase: 142"

By 1919 the Pierce-Arrow Motor Car Company of Buffalo, New York, once the builder of bird cages, had become synonymous with the term luxury car. It had become one of the famous “Three Ps” building automobiles for the very rich. Pierce-Arrow cars of this period epitomized an era of sybaritic enjoyment of the best things in life. Earlier George Pierce cars had won the famed Glidden Tour in 1905, 1906, 1907 and 1908 and had further proven themselves in other races and hillclimbs.

By 1911 Pierce was building cars featuring four doors, electric lighting, ventilating type windscreens and demountable rims. By 1913 Pierce-Arrows were appearing with headlamps fared into the fenders. It was the styling cue, along with the kneeling archer radiator mascot, that would make every Pierce-Arrow instantly recognizable. During this golden age Pierce-Arrow was the Rolls-Royce of fine American automobiles and were included in the automobile stables of American presidents. President Wilson drove a 1916 Pierce-Arrow Suburban while in office, and after leaving the White House drove a 1919 Suburban (No. 511121) which he drove until his death in 1924.

From 1912 to 1920 Pierce-Arrow assembled its bodies from die-cast aluminum sections. It was known as the companies “mature” die-cast stage, as opposed to the 1904 to 1911 process. Each section varied in thickness from about 1/8" to 1/3" depending on the eventual stress level required. Foundry men poured molten aluminum into often curved wooden patterns. Each piece was carefully inspected and weighed, filled and filed where necessary and adjoining sections were then riveted together. The seams were so tight and so beautifully matched they were virtually invisible when finally fitted to a northern ash frame and painted. Such was the craftsmanship of Pierce-Arrow.

The Pierce-Arrow Seven Passenger Suburban was one of the most exclusive models available at a cost in excess of $5,000 in 1919. It was powered by a 38hp 414 cu. in. dual-valve, dual ignition sixcylinder engine that provided virtually the same power as an eight. So smooth and powerful was this engine that it remained in production through to 1928. The current owner, a West Coast collector and Pierce enthusiast, stated recently that this car is undoubtedly as fast, smooth and exciting to drive as the more expensive Model 48, and in fact there was virtually no difference between the two.

Today, the Pierce shows just under 46,000 miles, which the owner believes to be accurate and true, which is a remarkable aspect of this example’s existence here today.