Stored 60 Years! 1929 Pierce Arrow Series 133
Even if this old car isn’t your favorite, I don’t think you can argue that it’s not classy! Hailed as one of the most original Pierce Arrows in existence today and one of only twelve 7-passenger 1929 Pierce’s known to survive, you are truly looking at a piece of history here. After being stored over 60 years in a heated garage, the car has had more than $15,000 spent in the last year on mechanical refurbishment and recently completed 600 miles of tours at the 2015 Pierce Arrow national meet. In other words, this isn’t the type of car you get a chance to own every day!
I’m sure there’s a reason the car is perched up in the air like this, I just can’t figure it out unless they decided to sell the car in the middle of doing some maintenance. You can truly appreciate the size of the car in this picture–if my research is correct, that’s a 133″ wheelbase. To give you a modern comparison, an entire Ford Fiesta is only 27″ longer!
Given the fact that this car is completely original, including paint and brightwork, as you can well expect it’s somewhat the worse for wear. Dare I use the dreaded P-word? I think it would fit in this case. I certainly wouldn’t restore this car and I sincerely hope no one ever does!
Look at how much room is in the back of this car! Wow! And look at the ornate patterns and fittings. This is truly elegant in a way no modern car is.
Of course, the driver doesn’t get as plush accommodations, but it doesn’t look like they are exactly living it rough, either. I’m hoping the cover seen here is just to protect the original upholstery, as the seller states it’s all original and in good condition. Unfortunately, the seller doesn’t share any under body or under hood pictures, which is really surprising considering the amount of work recently done on the car. If you are interested in following up on this classic, it’s available here on eBay, where the buy-it-now price is $45,500 but as they say, “make offer”! What kind of offer would you make on this true classic?
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Comments
What a stunning car. Thanks for posting this one. It’s a car to dream on for me.
133″ wheelbase. To give you a modern comparison, an entire Ford Fiesta is only 27″ longer!
WAIT! Sorry..the Fiesta has a 98″ wheelbase…. sorry to bust your bubble….
http://www.edmunds.com/ford/fiesta/2015/features-specs/
But beyond that, this is a wonderful car…I’d be proud to own such a car…beautiful…just beautiful…
Not the wheelbase :-) The entire car!
…always a jagoff trying to correct you.
Meanwhile, they drive a beat down ’92 chevy… people like this are the reason I hate to take my cars to shows…. 😕
Seller says this is a sorted turn key car. Well after you take off and rechrome all the bright work and repaint the car it might be.
Why would you do that to an original car like this?
Truly an elegant, craft built example of what automobile manufacturing was. Quality materials, exacting detail in assembly, and pure style. All it needs are Cut Crystal Bud Vases to round out the opulence. If Al Capone didn’t have his Cadillac, I imagine he would have one of these, all armored up.
Mr Leno your PA has arrived.
The reason that there’s so much legroom in the back is that it has fold-down jumpseats. Good looking Pierce for sure.
These cars were among the best. It’s too bad the depression killed off so many grand marques. I sometimes wonder what would’ve happened had the Depression only been a couple of years? But then, maybe we’d all be on the soup line today. I tend to think that the vendor is outside of the envelope here. Without a barrage of photos how do you know what you’re getting? Someone could’ve ‘upgraded’ the motor to an SBC to make it more suitable for modern traffic for all we know. Don’t laugh; someone did that to a ’31 Cadillac 16 not so long ago…
What? How anybody be so stupid (and rich)?!
That should be punishable by confiscation!
Really a beautiful car! I’d leave it as is. It is only original once.
I couldn’t ask for a better driver!
In 1955 this exact Pierce in dark green was my dad’s daily to work and the shore etc.
We kids loved it. At nearly 30 the pictures of it show just dull paint with everything else looking only a few years old.
Someone is going to love owning this.
This site needs a “Like” button. My dad’s daily driver in ’55 was a 34 Packard touring car. Oh well.
A little lingo help, please….I understand all the synonyms for “patina.” And I understand what “turn key” means. But what does “SORTED turn key” mean?
Thanks to all you greasy linguists!
My take on that is that I could get into the car and drive it a reasonable distance for that type of automobile without experiencing mechanical difficulties, or at least having a reasonable expectation of doing so. Considering it was used on 600 miles of tours, I think this one meets that description. Other commenters, feel free to disagree/add your thoughts!
I love this car but, and don’t hold it against me but I did record some Barrett Jackson.
They sold a Pierce that I would think was very comparable to this for $28,000
A fantastic Packard that went for $33,000.
If we buy the cars we grew up with, the guys who collected these are in the holly car museum in the sky.
The highest quality American cars before the Depression were considered to be the “Three P’s”: Packard, Peerless and Pierce Arrow. Their engineering and materials were second to no one. The Rolls Royce built in Springfield MA were imports with only 6 cylinders until the PIII, Cadillac and Chrysler were close but not yet quite top tier. Marmon was close, very close, and Dusies was yet to reach their peak with the J and SJ. Until you stand next to one of these you really don’t have a feel for how well proportioned, but massive they really are. But you’d better have some arm strength to drive them. During the 20’a they weren’t often owner-driver cars, the owners and families were driven.
Chris, you are right. The chauffer drove this car to deliver his boss to the office.
It’s a pierce arrow but it’s not a convertible coupe or sedan or a phaeton or (boattail) roadster. $45k is a little optimistic IMO. I’d say it’s in $25-35k range, depending on closer inspection, and the history of the engine. An overhaul of the original engine done right by qualified mechanics that know these engines (maybe only a dozen left in the country) will set you back $20k.
Wonderful car and just my type of car. However, it is a closed car and it does need work. 45g is reaching high. This Pierce-Arrow should find a home for 30g.
Love the car. No comment on the price. Every time I see a Pierce Arrow I think about the Galloping Goose rail conversions some of these cars received.
http://www.buffalonews.com/business/museum-owner-plans-old-time-train-ride-for-downtown-buffalo-20140307
Charles, thanks for sharing! I’ve never heard of those before!
You’re welcome Jamie! From what is written about the history of the Galloping Goose rail cars is that the Pierce Arrow was chosen for two reasons. At the time, the cars were cheap to buy as just a used car. The other reason was the well known reputation for power and dependability of the Pierce Arrow. The cars were modified with railroad wheels, and the freight car body was like a trailer that was towed along. I don’t know if they changed the gear ratios to handle the extra weight, but the engines and transmissions were stock. The freight trailer had brakes to assist the vehicle to stop on the steep mountain grades in the Rocky Mountains.
I work in an independent garage where we work on a lot of old, collector cars. Most cars that come in after purchase at one of the auctions look wonderful but are not sorted. Most of them are indeed, SORDID!!!!!
My only problem with thsi is i would need a manservant/chauffeur to drive me around. I want to live in the rear compartment!
I remember back in 1953 when the Pennsylvania Turnpike extension that was being built hooking into the Jersey Turnpike our new house was about 500 yards away and I noticed an old auto junkyard on the other side of the construction going on. One day I decided to check it out and found several luxury cars from the late 20’s and early 30’s all complete with mohare interiors in excellent condition even with bud vases in them. I couldn’t believe their pristine condition for 20 some year old cars. I’ve often wondered what became of them and it’s likely they were just destroyed and scrapped. I guess today those cars would have been valuable restorable classics very much like this featured Pierce Arrow.
I believe most or all of the bright ware on these was nickle plating. Chrome was just coming into the industry. Ford went to stainless and chrome about this time.
The radiator shells were chromed, as were bumpers and other exterior trim, because chrome is much harder than nickel. The interior bits were triple-nickeled on Pierce, Packard and most other high-end cars. Earlier autos with the exterior parts nickeled had trouble with the plating getting rubbed thin by over-vigorous polishing.
This is apparently the season for Pierce Arrow barn finds…
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Other-Makes-8o-Series-5-passenger-coach-/252353262732?forcerrptr=true&hash=item3ac16d348c:g:RAgAAOSwoudW7sat&item=252353262732
If any of you guys find a left rear door latch for a 1929 Pierce Arrow Model 133, let me know. I have been driving our restored Pierce these past 50 years. Put more miles on it than daily driver. At 82 & 87 I and hubby having hard time finding parts. He say this car in 1947 going down ally in Seattle, WA while taking short cut to bicycle shop for parts. This car stored in garage for 37+ years. I want to let it keep running until they take it’s keys out of my hand.