The 1930 Pierce-Arrow automobile designed by Pierce-Arrow and built by Studebaker Corp., of South Bend, Indiana, which owned Pierce-Arrow at the time, was noted for its “silent gear shift” and for having “the fastest traffic acceleration in America.”
Of the three Pierce-Arrow cars sold in 1930, the Model B Convertible Coupe outsold the Model A and 133 C Custom Sedan.
A mini history lesson
- Studebaker Corp., of South Bend, Indiana, owned 1928-1933
- 1930 Model B Convertible Coupe, cost $3,350
- Pierce-Arrow, 1901-1938
- 1930 Model A, top cost $8,000
- 1930 133 C Custom Sedan, priced as low as mid $2,600’s
- Pierce-Arrow originally of Buffalo, New York
The Pierce-Arrow Society, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, knows of only six Model B Convertible Coupes that remain intact from among about 3,640 that were manufactured in 1930.
Believe it or not, a car collector paid the whopping sum of $88,000 for a vintage Model B Convertible Coupe in 2008.
Described at the time as a vehicle that was “so fine tuned, it ran like a Swiss watch,” Model B Convertible Coupes were equipped with L-head eight cylinder engines and had two sizes of wheelbases
for buyers to choose from.
The Pierce-Arrow might have been America’s first luxury car. Seen as a status symbol, Pierce-Arrow cars often were owned and driven by the rich and famous .
Although many designs and engines were manufactured during Pierce-Arrow’s auto making career, it was the 1930 model, and most specifically the Model B Convertible Coupe for which the company is best remembered. Unique to that vehicle were its arched hood ornament and patented fender headlights.
The largest of Pierce-Arrow’s cars in 1930 was the Model A, which carried with it the highest price tag. Because the Model A’s price went as high as $8,000 during the Depression, it’s easy to see why it wasn’t a top seller. Unique to the Model A was a space called the “fifth door”. During Prohibition, the “fifth door” was a hiding place for contraband alcohol.
The lowest priced car among the three released in 1930 by Pierce-Arrow was the 133 C Custom Sedan which included a price tag as low as the mid $2,600’s.
People interested in old car memorabilia, especially if $88,000 is out of reach, always have the option of buying diecast replicas of 1930 Pierce-Arrow cars in miniature. Although the original is more than 80 years old, you can place a 1:32 scale 6” diecast model on your desk or mantle just for the fun of it.