Club Clips: April 11, 2019 Edition

Pierce-Arrow history lesson hits bullseye

The Great Arrow News is much better than a drum beating the virtues of Pierce-Arrow. It expands the horizon of knowledge on automobiles and related history. A copy of the Pierce-Arrow Museum newsletter, the Great Arrow News (editor David Coco, david.coco@comcast.net, Pierce-Arrow Foundation, P.O. Box 309, Whitehall, Mich. 49461), recently came to this reviewer from the Pierce-Arrow Society.

When the decade of the 1920s commenced, the Pierce-Arrow Motor Car Co. was not in a competitive position in the luxury car market against the likes of Cadillac and Packard, says Coco. Those brands offered entry-level models priced to bridge the gap from medium-price cars to the luxury greats, thus encouraging more buyers to rise through automotive ranks. Pierce limited its competitive edge with the Model 33 and its wide range of pricing beginning at $5,000. Then came the realization of the competition’s success. So Pierce, late in 1924, introduced the Model 80 starting at $2,895 in an era of “light” cars with less bulk and more usable power, but still very much “finely built.” That model set Pierce-Arrow on track and extended its reach.

Liz Horne handled the layout for the highly professional eight-page, full-color publication. The magazine goes on to show the Model A Ford Museum in an article by Jim Thomas as part of the Gilmore Partner Museum Series. The Gilmore spot is becoming a magnet for various car endeavors and clubs. Merlin Smith, who chairs the Pierce-Arrow Foundation Trustees, notes: “The Pierce-Arrow Society’s Gathering at Gilmore every August...is an opportunity to enjoy two days of touring the scenic, low-traffic Michigan back roads plus a day at the museum.”

Many old car collectors enjoy seeing more than a single brand of cars. So the article on Ford is natural. Overall, this approach builds and strengthens our hobby.

Likewise, there is an article on preserving the history of “Geo. N. Pierce & Co.” and the discovery of a rare item located in an antique shop, but which now has relocated to the museum!