The Pierce-Arrow Silver Arrow show cars were a radical departure for the luxury brand well known for its conservative engineering and design philosophy. The Silver Arrows were designed by P-A designer Phil Wright and feature Pierce’s signature fender mounted headlamps with an aggressively sloped V-shaped grille. Design elements, such as the distinctive fastback tail, were used on the 1934 production model, also named the Silver Arrow.
Five Silver Arrows were built and exhibited at the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair as well as the national auto show circuit. Ultimately Pierce-Arrow sold each example at an astounding $10,000, still losing money on each sale.
Country of Origin |
Engine |
Horsepower |
Number Built |
| United States | V12, 429 C.I. | 160Five |
Exhibited courtesy of the Richard H. Driehaus Collection at Chicago Vintage Motor Carriage, Chicago, Illinois
Did you know? |
| The Silver Arrow show cars were constructed in South Bend in Studebaker’s Experimental Body Shop. Studebaker owned Pierce-Arrow from 1928-1933. |
About this Series
Streamlined: Style on Motion was on display at the Museum in 2019. This series of articles comes for the displays from that exhibition.
