Eric Minoff
Vice President, Head of Department - US
LOT 110
1916 Pierce-Arrow Model 38-C-4 Five-Passenger Touring Chassis no. 36793 Engine no. 2402
Estimate: US$130,000 - US$160,000
Lot 110
1916 Pierce-Arrow Model 38-C-4 Five-Passenger Touring
The Audrain Concours Auction|4 October 2024, 17:00 EDT|Newport, Rhode Island, International Tennis Hall of Fame
1916 Pierce-Arrow Model 38-C-4 Five-Passenger Touring
Chassis no. 36793
Engine no. 2402
Chassis no. 36793
Engine no. 2402
414ci T-Head Inline Six-Cylinder Engine
Single Updraft Carburetor
72bhp at 2,500rpm
4-Speed Manual Gearbox
Front and Rear Solid Axles, Semi-Elliptic Leaf Springs
Rear Wheel Mechanical Drum Brakes
*A rare and powerful tourer from Pierce-Arrow's golden age
*Stately 134-inch wheelbase chassis
*Desirable 'Walk Through' body style
*Known history dating, much of it in the Ocean State, back to the 1930s in Providence, RI
*Previously owned by noted collector Manny Souza
*Recognized as a Full Classic® by the CCCA
*Handsome and well-preserved for tours and events
THE PIERCE-ARROW MODEL 38
Pierce-Arrow introduced their refined 4th Series models in 1916 to much enthusiasm from the prestige car market. The company was undergoing significant internal changes, so in a way, these new models represented the pinnacle of refinement for the cars developed under founder George N. Pierce's leadership.
Demonstrating Pierce-Arrow's position at the top of the market, the Model 38-C-4 was their 'entry level' model, costing between $4,300 and $5,300 when new – the equivalent of about $150,000 today. Even in its smallest form, the T-head six was a mighty beast, with a 4-inch bore and 5 ½-inch stroke, totaling over 414 cubic inches and rated for 38.4 taxable horsepower, or about 72 brake horsepower. The imposing Model 38-C-4 was a full 7 ½ inches longer than Packard's flagship Twin Six!
Powerful, refined, and built with the finest materials, Pierce-Arrow was the rightful pride of Buffalo, New York, and of the American luxury car industry in the nickel era.
THE CAR OFFERED
This truly wonderful Pierce Model 38-C-4 wears the factory's beautiful 5-passenger 'walk through' touring car body. Pierce-Arrow famously eschewed outside coachbuilders, choosing to keep control over body production to maintain their exacting quality standards. This car's known history dates back to the 1930s, when it was owned by two brothers who ran a car service business in Providence, Rhode Island. Tucked away into storage at the start of World War II to escape the scrappers, it remained hidden until the 1970s when it was acquired by Laurent Dionne of Warren, Rhode Island.
In the late 1980s, Manny Souza, the renowned collector of high-horsepower brass- and nickel-era cars, added this Pierce to his impressive stable. Souza subsequently undertook an exhaustive, six-year restoration to return the car to authentic, original condition. Finished in a handsome two-tone combination of dark red with black chassis and fenders, it is a particularly fetching machine with excellent proportions thanks to that grand and imposing wheelbase. Details include double side-mounted spare tires, Westinghouse front dampers, and lovely nickel-plated accessories. Of course, it features the signature fender-mounted headlamps, supplemented by faired-in cowl lamps.
Following the restoration, it was eventually sold to a collector in Florida. It traded hands again in 2017, and along the way it has been well-maintained, with the Souza restoration aging gracefully and now displaying a pleasingly light patina. With a marvelous aesthetic, superb quality and Full Classic® status with the Classic Car Club of America, this mighty Pierce-Arrow will surely be a delight on any number of nickel era tours and events.
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