Beschreibung:

302ci T-head inline four-cylinder engine Single updraft carburetor 32hp Three-speed sliding-gear transmission Solid axles with semi-elliptic front and rear leaf springs Two-wheel mechanical brakes with internal foot and external hand brake -One of the most historic and important early Pierce Arrows -Long term ownership by Henry Austin Clark -Recent engine rebuild -Beautiful cast aluminum bodywork The Great Arrow The first Pierce automobiles were light Stanhopes designed by David Fergusson, Pierce's chief engineer until 1921. These vehicles were powered by single-cylinder De Dion engines purchased from the French company. The lightweight Pierces were a natural progression from Pierce's long experience in building and marketing bicycles. Pierce's own bicycle dealer network and distribution system distributed the earliest Pierce four-wheelers, giving the company a natural advantage over its competitors. The first multi-cylinder Pierce appeared in 1903, a front-mounted inline vertical twin with rear wheel shaft drive and a 3-speed transmission with steering column mounted shift controls – an extremely early Pierce innovation. The four-cylinder Great Arrow followed in 1904 with power from a 231 cubic inch 24/28hp engine with 3-speed sliding gear transmission and rear wheel drive. Three years later, in 1907, Pierce entered the six-cylinder era that would so effectively define the company. A massive 5" bore x 5½" stroke monster of 648 cubic inches with individually cast cylinders, a 60hp ALAM rating and 65hp according to Pierce, each car cost $6,500 with catalog coachwork. Even in the first year, Pierce sold a hundred of them. The business was expanding so rapidly and its high quality standards required so much hand work that it outgrew its extensive existing facilities. In 1906 the company acquired a 16-acre parcel that had been the site of the 1901 Pan-American Exposition. There it erected a massive manufacturing facility that was for years the pride of Buffalo, New York. Designed by Albert Kahn the Pierce-Arrow plant was one of the first large-scale uses of reinforced concrete construction. When it had expanded to its maximum there were more than 1,500,000 square feet of office, engineering and manufacturing space in 3- and 4-story buildings. It was not only one of the most complete automobile manufacturing facilities in the world, it was also one of the most progressive in attending to the needs of its workers. The George N. Pierce Company, which had started out making birdcages and iceboxes and proceeded to building bicycles, had reached the pinnacle of automobile size, prestige, luxury, performance and cost. Two years later the company adopted the identity of its premier product, becoming the Pierce-Arrow Motor Car Company. Two Pierce-Arrows were delivered to the U.S. government in Washington in 1909 for the use of President Taft. One of Pierce-Arrow's most notable achievements was its unbroken record of success in the Glidden Tour. This event was established by Charles Glidden as a complement to racing's Vanderbilt Cup to reward automobiles that performed well and consistently over a long distance tour. The first Glidden Tour was held in 1905, a 1,100 mile epic drive from New York through New England and back. Percy Pierce, driving a Great Arrow, scored a 996 out of possible 1,000 points, and was accompanied by his wife, parents and a factory mechanic. The Great Arrow was also chosen by fifteen of the 30-some competitors as the best performing automobile and won the hillclimb up Mt. Washington. Pierce-Arrows competed four more times in the Glidden Tour, winning each year with perfect scores, a performance that retired the Glidden Trophy in effect if not in fact. The Pierce used in the Glidden Tours was the Great Arrow 28/32. This machine was arguably one of the most advanced and modern machines produced in America at the time. Powered by a large T-head four-cylinder motor and equipped with a three-speed transmission, the car