Chassis No. 2215227

Body No. 438G13

Founded in 1901, the Pierce-Arrow Motor Car Company rose rapidly to prominence, with the White House ordering two for state occasions as early as 1909. Pierce-Arrow soon joined the ranks of luxury motoring alongside Cadillac, Packard, and Peerless. The company attracted high-profile clients, including royalty, heads of state, and celebrities like Emperor Hirohito of Japan, the Shah of Persia, Presidents Wilson, Taft, Roosevelt, John D. Rockefeller, Orville Wright, and Babe Ruth. President Woodrow Wilson even used a Pierce-Arrow for chauffeured rides around Washington D.C., contemplating state matters away from the Oval Office. Like many luxury automotive companies, Pierce-Arrow struggled in the late-1920s. In 1928 sales boosted with a new line of straight-eights, but the Great Depression led to a decline, yet the company kept the candle burning well into the late 1930s.

This attractive and well-restored 1936 De Luxe Eight Coupe represents an uncommonly seen sporting model just two years from the end of Pierce-Arrow production. This car was restored in period-correct Parrot Blue with matching painted wire wheels shod with Firestone wide whitewall tires. The engine is reported as smooth running and powerful straight-eight, featuring a nine main bearing crankshaft. It features dual-mounted spare wheels with locking hubcaps and metal tire covers on both front fenders. Uniquely, this car features a rumble seat and a unique location of the trunk. Inside features a medium blue leather upholstery on the seats, door panels, and even the headliner. Grey Wilton wool carpeting with matching leather binding used on the floors. The dashboard and doors feature beautiful rosewood-colored wood-grained trim with a Pierce-Arrow clock neatly integrated into the locking glovebox door. Additional storage space is provided by a compartment integrated behind the front seat backs. For added privacy, a pull-down silk shade is provided for the crank-down rear window.

Shown with the Antique Automobile Club of America, the car earned a Junior National First Prize in 2017. Eight years later, the car remains attractive, with a nicely-detailed engine bay complete with a stainless-steel exhaust system. With bright chrome work throughout, including the original Pierce-Arrow archer and a sanitary undercarriage, the 1936 Pierce-Arrow De Luxe Eight Coupe remains an AACA award-winning restoration worthy of continued enjoyment and preservation.