TEMECULA, CALIFORNIA (February 20, 2009) – Although 1929 is often remembered for the St. Valentines Day Massacre and the infamous Stock Market Crash, believe it or not, it wasn’t all doom and gloom. Good things were also being built. In addition to construction starting on the Empire State Building, 1929 was also the year in which Pierce-Arrow introduced its first, eight cylinder engine. The Pierce-Arrow Society will celebrate 80 years of eight cylinders, along with V-12s, sixes, four cylinders, two cylinders and the single cylinder at its 2009 National Meet in Temecula, CA. This Meet will be the 52nd Annual and […]
TEMECULA, CALIFORNIA (February 20, 2009) – Although 1929 is often remembered for the St. Valentines Day Massacre and the infamous Stock Market Crash, believe it or not, it wasn’t all doom and gloom. Good things were also being built. In addition to construction starting on the Empire State Building, 1929 was also the year in which Pierce-Arrow introduced its first, eight cylinder engine.
The Pierce-Arrow Society will celebrate 80 years of eight cylinders, along with V-12s, sixes, four cylinders, two cylinders and the single cylinder at its 2009 National Meet in Temecula, CA. This Meet will be the 52nd Annual and is being held from June 21 through June 25, 2009, at the Pechanga Resort & Casino. It will include a Welcome Reception, numerous Driving Tours, a Swap Meet, Technical Sessions, a Youth event, Ladies activities, a Car Show and a farewell Awards Banquet.
Pierce-Arrow is well remembered for its mechanical virtue, and the arrival of the straight -eight further demonstrated its engineering integrity. The nine-bearing block and crankcase were integrally cast, and an L-head arrangement was used for the valve train. Displacing 366 cubic inches when it was introduced, the straight -eight continued through 1938. Hydraulic valve lifters were added in 1933. The straight -eight contributed to record-breaking sales in 1929, -of almost 10,000 Pierce-Arrows.
Often defined as “America’s Finest Car,” the Pierce-Arrow automobile was produced in Buffalo, NY from 1901 through 1938. Many Pierce-Arrows are recognized by their signature, fender-mounted headlights (introduced in 1914) and the familiar, Archer radiator ornament. Pierce also produced bicycles, motorcycles, trucks and Travelodge trailers.
The Pierce-Arrow Society was founded in 1957 and enjoys a growing membership from around the world. The Society is further dedicated to the preservation of the Pierce-Arrow marque and its history through its Pierce-Arrow Museum — a non-profit foundation located on the campus of the Gilmore Museum in Hickory Corners, MI.
Visit www.pierce-arrow.org for more information on both the Pierce-Arrow Society and the Pierce-Arrow Museum, along with the 2009 National Meet.
