Museo Stradale
Dominic's Auto Museum
One man's passionate quest to survey finest motorcars in the world
#0026 - Pierce-Arrow Model 133 C Custom Sedan, 1930
Photographed: Radnor Hunt Concours d'Elegance, 2007. Owner: Karl R. Krouch, Sr.
Numbers: Pierce-Arrow used an unconventional system of numbers, bouncing digits back and forth between up-market and down-market cars, designating them based on previous series or on something more practical like wheelbase length. The Model 133 seen here is an evolution of the Model 80 and Model 81, and it was a step up as well; the 133 denotes wheelbase length in this case. Numerical designations were common to the industry, with A, B, or C indicating pillars in the coachwork, a practice associated almost exclusively with the classic era.
The New Eights: The 133, 143, and 144 Pierce-Arrow cars shared new nine-bearing 8-cylinder motors; these were of L-head type as the previous Model 80 and Model 81 sixes, and in true Pierce-Arrow fashion were built to a high standard. Power was 125 horsepower at 3,200 rpm. Reports on the number of bodies available for these chassis range from a dozen to more than twenty, though as I've mentioned the design intrigue was somewhat restricted in keeping with Pierce-Arrow's conservative approach to luxury. All told, however, the new cars were popular, and a decent number of Model 133 examples exist today.
Of course, this was as good as it would get for Pierce-Arrow in the classic era. With each successive year the company would fall to greater peril. Just to rehash some of the reasons, consider that the new Pierce-Arrow 8-cylinder appeared in these chassis during 1929. Cadillac had debuted an 8-cylinder motor three years earlier, and in 1929 managed to get a V-16 to market. Packard, meanwhile, had long used a mix of straight 8-cylinder and twelve-cylinder motors—first the Twin-Six and then the Twelve—while every other earnest luxury marque produced a straight eight of substantial quality. In other words, Pierce-Arrow were far from the leading edge.
As for the styling, the sedan pictured here bears Pierce-Arrow's requisite headlamp set integrated with the fender skirts—a feature since 1913—while The Archer mascot adds some much needed character to the radiator shroud. The lines, however, are still straight, unadorned by inventive turns of metal. The bonnet side cowls are restrained, the windscreen vertical, and the heavy trim a nod to Raymond Dietrich's draughting board. In short, there's little in the way of original styling ideas, except perhaps for the fact that Pierce-Arrow thought it prudent to offer wooden artillery wheels in this new decade. That much was hanging onto tradition in a big way.
Of note, specific to this sedan is a completely convertible rear passenger compartment that folds flat into a sizable bed.
Sources:
The Pierce-Arrow Society: The Record Breaking Years (this refers to robust engineering accomplishments, and unfortunately not commercial succes)
Radnor Hunt Concours d'Elegance: In 2007, the concours featured Pierce-Arrow, with a particularly lovely selection of veteran cars, representing the company's strongest days.
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