1931 Pierce-Arrow Model 42 Dual Cowl Sport Phaeton
Fender-mounted headlights served as the unmistakable signature of Pierce-Arrow automobiles, allowing recognition from a distance long before the car arrived.
The 1931 Model 42 Dual Cowl Sport Phaeton represented the company’s premier eight-cylinder offering, with only about 14 examples built that year. Optional chromed artillery wheels and hood louvers provided distinctive visual accents to the elegant dual-cowl coachwork.
Power came from a 366-cubic-inch (6.0-liter) L-head inline eight-cylinder engine producing approximately 125 horsepower at 3,000 rpm through a single updraft Stromberg carburetor. The nine-bearing straight-eight marked Pierce-Arrow’s transition away from its earlier six-cylinder engines.
A four-speed manual transmission delivered power to the rear wheels, while semi-elliptical leaf springs front and rear and four-wheel Bendix mechanical drum brakes completed the mechanical specification.
Pierce-Arrow’s clientele included presidents, royalty, and celebrities, with the White House ordering two cars as early as 1909. During its peak years, the marque ranked alongside Cadillac, Packard, and Rolls-Royce in prestige and craftsmanship.
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