Beschreibung:

TWO OWNERS FROM NEW 1917 PIERCE-ARROW MODEL 48 SEVEN PASSENGER TOURING CAR Engine No. 15123 Dark brown with black leather interior Engine: six cylinders in line, T-head with dual side valves, 524 cu. in., (5900cc), 48bhp; Gearbox: manual four speed, shaft drive; Suspension: beam axle to front, live axle to rear, half-elliptic leaf springs all round; Brakes: mechanical by rear wheel drum. Right hand drive. The Pierce-Arrow was the finest among the 'three P's' - the others being Packard and Peerless - that dominated the American luxury car market in the 20 years from around 1910. There may have been more costly automobiles, others may have made a greater reputation on the race tracks, but the mighty Pierce-Arrow yielded to no other car in terms of mechanical silence, sheer refinement and perfect road manners and was constructed from the very best alloys available for any car in the world. The cars were not without their competition successes, for Pierce concentrated on reliability runs as the most suitable arena for a fine touring car. The demanding Glidden Tour, which traced 1,000 miles from New York out through New England and back, was won for the first time by a Pierce-Arrow in 1905 and the marque went on to record more victories in this demanding event than all other makes combined. Refined, reserved, often the car of first choice for America's great families, the Pierce-Arrow was chosen by every president of the United States from Taft to F. D. Roosevelt. In many respects the Model 48 marked a pinnacle of the company's achievement; its impeccable workmanship applied to bring to near perfection a conservative design. The big, slow-turning engine, smooth and quiet, was so flexible it made few demands on the gear-shifting skills of the driver. Controls were finger-light, and particularly easy to use. The delightful Model 48 went on to become the company's biggest seller. There were minor eccentricities. The company clung to right-hand drive long after the rest of America switched the steering wheel to the left-hand side. The built-in headlamps fared into the front fenders were not to everyone's taste; Pierce obligingly made conventional lamps an option. Acquired from the original owner, a bank president from Pennsylvania, this most original Pierce-Arrow joined the Pettit Collection in about 1951 and displays a wonderful patina. The factory original high quality leatherwork is remarkably well preserved. The paint and double pin striping are original, however, much of it is flaking from the aluminum coachwork. The top and the side curtains are complete, yet the headliner will need replacing. Rather than the typical nickel-plated brass, the brightwork is polished brass, a factory option, and it appears complete down to the small oil cans and tools stored in the doors. The odometer reads 20,363 miles, a figure that the car's superb condition suggests may be correct. No attempt has ever been made to start the Pierce, however the engine is free turning. This two-owner Model 48, sympathetically recommissioned, will provide the successful purchaser with a notable example of one of America's greatest cars. WITHOUT RESERVE