Chassis No.
35146
| London, United Kingdom
1914 Pierce-Arrow Model 38-C-3 Five-Passenger Touring
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Offered Without Reserve
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- Offered from long-term enthusiast ownership
- Thorough restoration completed in the ownership of the consignor; now presented in attractive condition
- One of exceedingly few Pierce-Arrows of its era outside the United States
Addendum
Please note this lot has entered the UK on a temporary import bond, which must be cancelled either by exporting the lot outside of the UK on an approved Bill of Lading with supporting customs documentation or by paying the applicable VAT and import duties to have the lot remain in the UK.
A defining moment in the evolution of the Buffalo, New York-built Pierce motorcar came in 1904, with the introduction of the four-cylinder Great Arrow. George Pierce’s son Percy drove one in the inaugural 1905 Glidden Tour, winning the reliability contest hands down, and cars by Pierce took the Glidden Trophy for the next four events. “Pierce” and “Arrow” became so linked in the public eye that both car and company were renamed Pierce-Arrow in 1909. By then, Pierce-Arrows, which sold for $3,050 to $7,200, had joined Packard and Peerless in comprising the “Three Ps” of luxury American motor manufacture.
The Model 38 was the company’s most affordable offering of the 1910s, positioning that clearly indicated the automaker’s strict focus on the luxury market. Powered by a 415-cubic inch inline six-cylinder engine with 4.0-inch bore and 5.5-inch stroke and constructed from the finest materials, the Model 38 rode upon a stately 134-inch wheelbase chassis, 7.5 inches longer than a Packard Twin Six.
The example offered here is one of just six known surviving Model 38-C-3 touring cars and fewer still of the five-passenger configuration, with its distinctive individual front seats creating a “walk-through” interior. It has been long owned by a Pierce-Arrow enthusiast, as one of the few examples of the marque in Europe. The car was restored under his ownership in its present rich carmine and black livery with complementary interior, with extensive work including the sourcing of numerous components from the United States. The chassis was reassembled from an intact frame located in Colorado and shipped to Denmark, while the cast aluminium body was properly reproduced by the noted Canadian Pierce-Arrow specialist Ron Fawcett. Extremely detailed articles on the restoration are included within the history file, noting the efforts made to ensure that the work was performed correctly.
This is a lovely Pierce-Arrow, from a good and well-loved home, for smooth and comfortable touring in the events it is eligible for in the months and years to come.
