A Victim of the Depression

The Great Depression saw the demise of a number of the great luxury auto makers in the USA. They all seemed to suffer the same fate. They were smaller firms building magnificent machines with steep prices that were adored by the upper and upper middle classes.

It wasn't just the Depression that doomed these manufacturers prior to the onset of World War II. Part of the blame was the fact that, unlike the Big Three in Detroit, these luxury manufacturers were building cars that were of such high quality they didn't need to be replaced.

Such was the case with Buffalo, NY firm Pierce Arrow. Founded in 1901 when they rolled off a single cylinder, two speed (neither of which was reverse) car called the Motorette, the firm was the offshoot of a household items company called Heinz, Pierce and Munschauser. The older company was noted for such things as birdcages. In 1900 they failed in their attempt to manufacture a steam powered car. By 1903, though, they were making a two-cylinder machine they called the Arrow.

Soon they were making larger and more powerful cars that were winning awards, particularly in running endurance races. In 1909 they garnered the type of publicity any company could only dream of when President William Howard Taft ordered two of the latest models. Other presidents, such as Woodrow Wilson and Warren G. Harding followed suit in owning or traveling in a Pierce Arrow.

By 1928 Studebaker had gained control of the company which was a benefit on one hand but began spelling the downfall of the company on the other. The problem with lack of repeat buyers was already being felt. Studebaker, though, felt that if these very high quality cars were available to more potential customers then there could be more sales. With that in mind they ramped up manufacturing slightly and made some changes to the car so that it could be sold in Studebaker dealerships.

One of the biggest changes was to retire what had become a venerable power plant for the Pierce line. It was a classic straight six that had gradually grown in power over the years. It was replace with an L Head straight eight that displaced 366 cubic inches.

The new marketing scheme put into place by Studebaker didn't really work as the bottom fell out of the economy Oct. 1929. By 1933 Studebaker pulled out it's backing and the people running Pierce made a radical decision. Instead of downsizing their machines or pulling further back toward the dwindling middle class, they decided to go in the opposite direction with the Silver Arrow.

Grossly expensive at over $10,000, the Silver Arrow was a concept car that was shown at the 1933 New York Auto Show. Only five people were brave enough to place an order and the project rapidly died. But one major positive came out of the Silver Arrow experiment and it kept the company limping along for six more years: a 462 cubic inch L Head V-12 that pounded out 175 brake horse power and could easily push that large luxury car over 100 miles per hour.

That engine went on to power such cars as the 1240A Convertible Coup shown here. Sitting on a 139 inch wheelbase this three speed beauty weighs in at over 5000 pounds and is believed to be one of only four examples still remaining.

In the end the fact that Pierce was the only luxury brand in the USA that didn't field a lower priced model to help with its cash flow, eventually became its downfall. By 1939 the Buffalo plant was shuttered. It was the end of a another great luxury line of great American cars.