1936 Pierce-Arrow convertible sedan. Photo courtesy Tony Zappone.
Forty five summers ago, was a young Tony Zappone already well-versed in the history of Pierce-Arrow. While many a casual antique car enthusiast had the economic impact the stock market crash of 1929 on the luxury car manufacturer can recite, Tony had committed to memory finite details, such as the production figures of certain crash models. Then drive that a 1936 Pierce-Arrow coupe, Tony met a truck driver who insisted that summer that he knew where a convertible sedan lay waiting. Skeptical at first, he took a chance on the trucker tip, and at 5: 30 in the morning to investigate the trek to rare convertible. As it turned out the find was legitimate and after the discussion of the vehicle with the owner a purchase price. In April 1968, Tony its new custodian.
The convertible sedan has been finely restored over time. Pictured above, it is a Model of 1936 1601; It's history fully documented, including the original sales of a New Jersey Pierce-Arrow-dealer. Under the corporate-redesigned 1936 is aluminum skin a 150hp, 384.8-cu. in. Straight-eight engine supported Borg-Warner three-speed manual with overdrive, both of which are protected with a wheelbase of 144-inch chassis. Despite the relatively lightweight body car tips the scales at a whopping 6000 pounds.
Basic facts aside, the rarity that Tony was pushed into making the offer. "This convertible sedans [offer straight-eight in the Model 1601 and 1602 Model V-12 disguises] came out so late in the model year that they do not appear in 1936 the company catalog, and although the model was offered in ' 37 in company literature, none were built," said Tony. "Overall, only six of these were assembled, and this was the only one built with a formal Department window. Today, only three of them known to stay; one is a 1602 V-12. "
We cover the details about Tony's Pierce-Arrow largely because the ultra-rare car treasure will go on this year Hemmings Motor News Concours d'Elegance in the Saratoga Automobile Museum exhibited.
Full by the CCCA recognized as a Classic, it is accompanied by a growing list of other full classics, as well as Jaguar E-type, Pre-1976 BMW cars and motorcycles, American fiberglass Specials of the fifties, early Ford V-8s, 1953-1973 corvettes, 1966-1971 Street Hemis, class of 1958, European sports cars, American Muscle Cars, Vintage Trucks and our other standard classes; We are still accepting entries for each class.
The three-day extravaganza begins on Friday 27 September, with our annual opening event and rally from our home office in Bennington (Vermont), to the museum in Saratoga Springs. Our Cruise-In spectacular, open to all cars, trucks and motorcycles, starts at 10 am on Saturday, and the competition itself takes place on Sunday. Visit/events/concours for more information about the Hemmings.com New England Concours d'Elegance.
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