1933 Pierce-Arrow Model 1242 Twelve

The economic prosperity of the Roaring Twenties birthed a unique cultural and artistic dynamism, best personified through music, style, and dance. It was an era that embraced modernity and a break with tradition, from automobiles and aviation to moving pictures and radio. While a few automakers decided to rest on their laurels, most used their financial freedom to explore new styling directions and technologies. The fruits of their efforts manifested with the so-called 'cylinder wars' of the early 1930s. Among the measures of luxury were the size of the engine, its output, and sophistication. Cadillac and Marmon led the charge with their range-topping sixteen-cylinder engine, while Duesenberg's engine with half the cylinders but produced approximately double the output. Durability, smooth and quiet operation, and of course power was paramount.

Pierce-Arrow, along with Packard and Peerless, was a member of the 'Three Ps,' a group of luxury automakers that had always featured large engines. Pierce-Arrow relieved on T-head sixes from 1910 to 1928, and from 1929 forward, a range of straight-eights. The public approved of the change and sales doubled from the year before. When Cadillac, Packard, and Lincoln introduced twelve-cylinder engines, and Marmon and Cadillac their sixteens, Pierce responded with a twelve-cylinder engine of their own.

The new V-12 engine was designed by chief engineer Karl Wise and was given an unusual 80-degree angle between the cylinder banks. The wide vee gave excellent access to the valvetrain and also helped minimize vibration. It was introduced late in 1931 for the 1932 model year, and the twelve-cylinder models were sold alongside the Eights, with common bodies but differing wheelbases. Two versions of the twelve-cylinder engine were initially offered, with the 389 cubic-inch version offering 140 horsepower and the larger 429 cubic-inch unit developing 150 horsepower. For 1933, the smaller twelve-cylinder was discontinued and the 429 was complemented with an even larger bore 462 CID unit, good for 175 bhp.

Pierce-Arrow sales had reached their apex in 1929 before declining in the wake of the Great Depression. A merger with Studebaker in 1928 benefited neither company and soon began to unravel. Just 1,843 Pierce-Arrows of all types were built for 1933 and the company would ultimately go out of business in 1938.

Pierce-Arrow's 1933 model lineup included the Model 835 resting on a 136-inch wheelbase and powered by an eight-cylinder engine developing 135 horsepower. Prices ranged from $2,385 for the Club Brougham and rose to nearly $3,000 for the Enclosed Drive Limousine. The Model 1236 had a 136-inch wheelbase and its twelve-cylinder engine offered 160 horsepower. Five body styles were offered with prices that ranged from $2,780 to $3,375. Most of the Model 1242 body styles rested on a 137-inch wheelbase while the seven-passenger sedan and tourer used a 142-inch platform. Its twelve-cylinder engine, the same 462 cubic-inch L-head unit in the Model 1247, produced 175 bhp and was paired with a three-speed manual transmission. Five of the body styles used on the Model 1247 measured 142 inches while the remaining body styles had a 147-inch platform. Prices ranged from $4,300 to $7,200.

Body styles on the Model 1242 included a five-passenger tourer and a five-passenger club sedan priced at $3,950, a sedan at $3,785, a sport phaeton and club berline at $4,150, and a club sedan at $3,950. The club brougham listed at $3,650, the Custom Roadster at $3,900, the seven-passenger sedan at $3,985, and the coupe at $3,785. The seven-passenger tourer, enclosed drive limousine, and five-passenger convertible sedan listed at $4,250.

1933 was the first year of hydraulic valve lifters and Stewart-Warner power brakes.

As Pierce-Arrow sales continued to slow, the company entered talks with Auburn and Reo, but after these were unfruitful, the company went into bankruptcy. A group of Buffalo area businessmen resurrected the company, raised $1 million, slashed the workforce, and set about introducing a new model. Sales improved initially, but just 787 cars were built the following year, and in December 1937, the company was out of business.

by Daniel Vaughan | Sep 2022