Pierce-Arrow Twelve Sedan 1934, Estados Unidos

Pierce-Arrow Twelve Sedan 1934, Estados Unidos
Fotografia

1934 Pierce-Arrow Twelve Sedan
Registration no. not UK registered
Chassis no. 400144

One of an estimated 90 Model 1248A (147" wheelbase) V12s built in 1934
Reputedly purchased new by a Hollywood movie director
Earlier full restoration with no expense spared
Purchased by the Key Collection in 2012

Based in Buffalo, New York State, Pierce built 

birdcages, ice boxes and bicycles before introducing its first petrol-driven automobile - the 3.5hp single-cylinder De Dion-powered Motorette - in 1901. (The Pierce-Arrow name was first applied to the company's twin-cylinder model in 1904). In 1908 the firm became the Pierce Arrow Motor Car Company and within a few years had switched its attention exclusively to the production of luxury cars, pioneering many technological developments including servo-assisted braking and hydraulic tappets while building some of the most prestigious motor cars ever to grace America's highways.

Some idea of the rapidity of Pierce-Arrow's rise to prominence may be gauged from the fact that as early as 1909 The White House ordered two for state occasions. From then onwards the name Pierce-Arrow would be synonymous with the ultimate in motoring luxury, ranking alongside Cadillac, Packard, and Rolls-Royce. Clinging to traditional styling and handicapped by a range of sixes in an increasingly multi-cylinder marketplace, Pierce-Arrow saw its sales decline throughout the 1920s. In 1928 an alliance was forged with Studebaker, which viewed Pierce-Arrow's acquisition as a means of gaining entry to the luxury car market. A new range of straight-eights - already under development before Studebaker's arrival - was introduced and Pierce-Arrow sales doubled in 1929.
A 429ci (7.0-litre) V12 joined the Eight in November 1931 and would serve as the company's mainstay for the next seven years, top-of-the line models being built on a lengthy (147") wheelbase. By now both Pierce-Arrow and Studebaker were finding life tough in the post-Wall Street Crash years, and when the latter filed for bankruptcy in 1933, Pierce-Arrow found itself independent once again. Despite the critical acclaim lavished on its futuristic Silver Arrow show car – five of which were sold costing $10,000 each – the firm was severely handicapped by the lack of a lower-price range, unlike its major rivals. Sales dwindled throughout the 1930s and the once-great Pierce-Arrow folded in 1938.
Reputedly, this five-passenger V12 sedan was sold new to a Hollywood movie director. The Key Collection purchased '400144' at a US auction in 2012, at which time it was stated that it had been treated to a full 'ground upwards' restoration with no expense spared. The car features twin side-mount spares and a trunk rack, while the 12-cylinder engine emits barely a whisper. Attractively finished in tan and dark green livery, it exudes enormous presence like all Pierce-Arrows.