For more than three decades, the Pierce-Arrow Motor Car Company, of Buffalo, New York, was among the most respected and renowned automakers in America. It may be hard to believe for some that the company responsible for producing the grandest of luxury cars began by building bird cages! Starting in household products, the company turned to bicycles and then to automobiles shortly after the turn of the 20th century. Pierce-Arrow had the distinction of being the first automobiles to be used by the White House, during the William Howard Taft administration in 1909.

The company pioneered power braking and was associated with some remarkable early experiments in light alloy construction, streamlining, and power steering. Pierce-Arrow installed the first hydraulic tappets. Of course, on the aesthetic side, there was the famous, patented Pierce-Arrow headlight-in-fender treatment, which remained until the end of production. Pierce-Arrow refused to compromise on its luxury product, and it struggled on until it, unfortunately, closed its doors in 1938.

A smaller Pierce-Arrow, the Series 80, was first introduced in October 1924. It was built for the owner-driver, as well as for those who preferred to be chauffeur-driven. It was meant to appeal to those who wanted a Pierce, but who found the Series 33’s size and cost impractical. It remained every bit a Pierce-Arrow, with window moldings of Honduras mahogany, silk window curtains, bodies of hand-hammered aluminum over frames of ash hardwood, and fenders fabricated from cold-pressed drawn steel. The Series 80 was further distinguished by its squared rear quarter roofline and windows.

Power was supplied by a compact 288.5 cid L-head six-cylinder engine that produced 70 horsepower. An aluminum alloy crankcase and camshaft with seven main bearings were typical fashion for Pierce Arrow. Four-wheel mechanical brakes, an adaptation to those used on the Italian Isotta-Fraschini, were employed. The rear compartment is complete with a footrest, as well as his/her accommodations: the gentleman to the right with a cigar lighter and the lady to the left with a handkerchief holder.

The Series 80 Five-Passenger Sedan offered here was purchased by its current owner’s father soon after World War II, having been stored for several years beforehand. It has remained with the family ever since, and it was restored by the owner’s private shop to original condition in the mid-1990s, with work completed in 1997. Since then, the car has been stored in a climate-controlled facility and has been regularly maintained. It was displayed at the Concours d’Elegance of the Eastern United States in 1998, receiving the Best Debutante Award Pre-1940, the Best Foreign Origin Award, and a Bethlehem Star. For the concours’ 20th anniversary celebrations in 2009, it was invited back for display. It was also displayed at the 100 Motorcars of Radnor Hunt in 2007, as well as at the Winterthur Museum in Wilmington, Delaware.

Even with all of its awards and concours showings, the owner’s greatest joy in this car was chauffeuring his wife and family for proms and weddings. As this CCCA Full Classic holds up nicely, presents well, and is one of the most elegant remaining Series 80s, it would be welcomed at any event its owner chooses to attend.