Pierce-Arrow had cemented its reputation for performance and reliability when the Pierce Great Arrow won all five of the famed Glidden Tours in 1905-1909 while achieving perfect scores in all but one of them.

Both to retain its high standards and to facilitate its continuing innovation and refinement Pierce-Arrow closely controlled all aspects of construction including coachwork for which most other luxury marques relied upon outside coachbuilders.

Instead, Pierce-Arrow worked with its Buffalo, New York neighbor Aluminum Company of America to perfect casting techniques, which produced cast aluminum body panels as thin as 1/8”.

The resulting Pierce-Arrow bodies were exceptionally strong, rattle-free and lightweight.

Body design also was handled within Pierce-Arrow’s Art Department.

Created long before GM recruited Harley Earl to create GM’s Art & Colour Department, Pierce-Arrow had Herbert Dawley designing bodies for Pierce-Arrow automobiles and working with Pierce’s demanding clie...