1905 Pierce Great Arrow
By 1905, the George N. Pierce company was producing some of the biggest and most expensive automobiles available. The mainstay of 1905 was the Model 28-32NN, with about 200 made. Available in four body styles, the 28-32NN had a 4 1/2″ x 4 3/4″ four cylinder engine mounted on a 109 inch wheelbase. The 28-32NN was priced from $4000-$5000. Color was optional. Also available in 1905 were the smaller Model 24-28N and the larger Model 40-P.
1911 Pierce-Arrow 36-UU Toy Tonneau
1911 Pierce-Arrow 36-UU Toy Tonneau
The first Glidden Trophy was awarded in 1905, with the winner being Percy Pierce driving a Great Arrow. There were 33 cars entered in the run from New York City to Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, a distance of 1100 miles. The Glidden Tours were endurance runs with the Glidden Trophy being awarded to the most roadworthy car on the tour. Percy Pierce, accompanied by his parents, fiancee, and mechanic, won the 1905 trophy scoring 996 out of a possible 1000 points. Pierce continued to win the Glidden Trophy for the next four years.
While the Great Arrow’s were winning trophies, the team back at Buffalo was busy too. In 1906, a new factory was opened at 1695 Elmwood Avenue in Buffalo. The 44 acre site was the site of the 1901 Pan-American Exposition, the place President McKinnley was assassinated. The new Pierce factory eventually covered 1,500,000 square feet with all the modern conveniences, including a chemical laboratory, power plant, laundry, two dining rooms, and snack counters offering coffee, pie, ice cream and fruit to the employees.
Pierce brought out their first six cylinder car in 1907. The Model 65-Q Great Arrow had a 135 inch wheelbase and weighed over 4000 pounds. Prices ranged from $6,500 to $7,750. There was little doubt that Pierce was aimed at a very wealthy market. These were good years at Pierce. The reputation earned on the Glidden Tours, as well as other trophies and awards, put Pierce in the very enviable position of being able to sell an entire year’s production before the year began!
The Pierce-Arrow Motor Car Company was officially launched in 1908. Prior to this year, the company had been known as The George N. Pierce Co. The Great Arrow cars were named Pierce-Arrow. This was also the year that the Pierce family left the company. Percy Pierce remained active for a few years, concentrating his efforts in the old Hanover Street factory with the Pierce Cycle Company. Pierce continued to build bicycles and also one and four cylinder motorcycles until 1914. The bicycles continued on, however, as the tooling was sold to the Emblem Mfg. Co., in Angola, New York, that continued to build “Pierce” bicycles for almost twenty years.
Pierce-Arrow Society
THE END
Pierce-Arrow, a luxury automaker known for its high-quality vehicles, ultimately went out of business due to the Great Depression. The economic downturn significantly reduced the demand for luxury cars, and Pierce-Arrow, unlike some competitors, did not introduce a lower-priced model to maintain sales volume. This lack of diversification, combined with the company's existing financial struggles, led to bankruptcy in 1938.
1905 Pierce Great Arrow
By 1905, the George N. Pierce company was producing some of the biggest and most expensive automobiles available. The mainstay of 1905 was the Model 28-32NN, with about 200 made. Available in four body styles, the 28-32NN had a 4 1/2″ x 4 3/4″ four cylinder engine mounted on a 109 inch wheelbase. The 28-32NN was priced from $4000-$5000. Color was optional. Also available in 1905 were the smaller Model 24-28N and the larger Model 40-P.
1911 Pierce-Arrow 36-UU Toy Tonneau
1911 Pierce-Arrow 36-UU Toy Tonneau
The first Glidden Trophy was awarded in 1905, with the winner being Percy Pierce driving a Great Arrow. There were 33 cars entered in the run from New York City to Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, a distance of 1100 miles. The Glidden Tours were endurance runs with the Glidden Trophy being awarded to the most roadworthy car on the tour. Percy Pierce, accompanied by his parents, fiancee, and mechanic, won the 1905 trophy scoring 996 out of a possible 1000 points. Pierce continued to win the Glidden Trophy for the next four years.
While the Great Arrow’s were winning trophies, the team back at Buffalo was busy too. In 1906, a new factory was opened at 1695 Elmwood Avenue in Buffalo. The 44 acre site was the site of the 1901 Pan-American Exposition, the place President McKinnley was assassinated. The new Pierce factory eventually covered 1,500,000 square feet with all the modern conveniences, including a chemical laboratory, power plant, laundry, two dining rooms, and snack counters offering coffee, pie, ice cream and fruit to the employees.
Pierce brought out their first six cylinder car in 1907. The Model 65-Q Great Arrow had a 135 inch wheelbase and weighed over 4000 pounds. Prices ranged from $6,500 to $7,750. There was little doubt that Pierce was aimed at a very wealthy market. These were good years at Pierce. The reputation earned on the Glidden Tours, as well as other trophies and awards, put Pierce in the very enviable position of being able to sell an entire year’s production before the year began!
The Pierce-Arrow Motor Car Company was officially launched in 1908. Prior to this year, the company had been known as The George N. Pierce Co. The Great Arrow cars were named Pierce-Arrow. This was also the year that the Pierce family left the company. Percy Pierce remained active for a few years, concentrating his efforts in the old Hanover Street factory with the Pierce Cycle Company. Pierce continued to build bicycles and also one and four cylinder motorcycles until 1914. The bicycles continued on, however, as the tooling was sold to the Emblem Mfg. Co., in Angola, New York, that continued to build “Pierce” bicycles for almost twenty years.
Pierce-Arrow Society
THE END
Pierce-Arrow, a luxury automaker known for its high-quality vehicles, ultimately went out of business due to the Great Depression. The economic downturn significantly reduced the demand for luxury cars, and Pierce-Arrow, unlike some competitors, did not introduce a lower-priced model to maintain sales volume. This lack of diversification, combined with the company's existing financial struggles, led to bankruptcy in 1938.