Two Peerless Cars Spotted at Brooklyn Navy Yard

[jeff_a]

I found a great Peerless automobile picture on a Library of Congress site. Cars appear to be about 1909. NOTE: picture taken in 1911.

[hddennis]

Jeff, not only have you found a photo of two very nice cars but also a moment in history I knew nothing about until I Googled the photo label and found out about Japanese Admiral Togo or the "Nelson of the East" on his worldwide shipyard tour. Very interesting fellow.

Howard Dennis

[Chris Paulsen]

Great photo. It looks like a 1910 NY license plate on the front of the one on the right.
Chris Paulsen

[jeff_a]

I wanted to let the picture speak for itself, then see if anyone noticed the notation at the top of the photo or noticed that this was a special occasion of some kind. Admiral Togo had fairly recently defeated the Russian Navy in the Russo-Japanese War, if I recall correctly.

Peerless was at the top of their game a hundred years ago. Richard Wager said in his book Golden Wheels, after describing the company price range of $4,300 for a 4-cylinder Touring up to $7,300 for a 6-cylinder Landaulet: "The latter topped the list as the most expensive American gasoline pleasure car."

We had a poster on the Peerless Forum a couple of years ago ("Peerless Records??" thread) who sent in a photo of his great-grandfather chauffeuring a businessman named F.J. Logan from N.Y. City. These cars are very similar and the photo is still on the Photo Gallery at the top of the page if you search and type in "Peerless".

[kps529]

Hi Jeff,

I am Kevin, and was the one that posted a few years ago about my great grandfather and his peerless.

Its been a few years, a new job and a move has had my busy, and I have been cold on my Peerless activities.

I realize that this post itself is now two years old, but am compelled to reply. FJ Logan ran Logan Iron Works, which was located at the Brooklyn Navy Yards, so its possible that one of the cars in the photo belonged to him. The photo is too small to tell if my g'grandfather is behind the wheel, would need a higher res image.

Neat stuff? I need to get back involved....

Best,

Kevin

[jeff_a]

Hi Kevin,

Thanks a lot for stopping in again. As luck would have it -- I just got in from a 16-hour, 650-mi. workday and saw your message. I remember your posts from years ago about your relative and the Peerless he chauffeured. Since then I have learned much more about these cars. The Peerless Forum is now book-length, and my little list of known Peerless vehicles is up to about 300.

I have read some new data about these Peerlesses transporting the Admiral Togo party around, but it would take awhile to retrieve it.

----Jeff

P.S.: You didn't say where you moved, but here are a couple of cars from this era that will give you an idea of what great grandpa was tooling around in. At the California Automobile Museum in Sacramento there is a 1910 Model 27 Touring Car very close to what he was driving. At the Western Development Museum in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan there is a new 1912 Peerless Model 48-Six Limousine on exhibit. It belonged to Sir James Lougheed of Cochrane, AB (Alberta Senator, Businessman and Attorney) and has only 100 miles on the odometer. That's less than any new car I bought ever had when purchased.

[prs519]

Never was too thrilled with kids who got the nice toys, then never played with them for
fear of whatever! Nevertheless, do you have any digital pics of this time warp Peerless?
Maybe this guy was spoiled bad, and made his chaueffer sit up front while he gave orders from the back seat? Figure?

[jeff_a]

Please go to Peerless Research Findings thread, Sept. 6th, 2009 (second page of P.R.F. thread) and there is a great photo of this motorcar. Owner Sir James Lougheed also owned a 1910 Peerless Limousine.

[jeff_a]

Dear Kevin,

Haven't found the article yet*, but it said a couple of Peerless touring cars were made available to Admiral Togo's party, including the "black box men" (photographers).
----Jeff

* I found the story -- will post it later. Some limousines were provided to a group of British royalty & touring cars went to the Japanese.

[jeff_a]

Kevin,

This was in the Peerless Motor Car Club News Letter 2 years ago as part of a 15-page reprint of the August, 1912 Peerless Company magazine The Green Dragon, thanks to Richard Lichtfeld, Club President:



"The Peerless and the Princess Pat"

It happened that the two most distinguished parties of visitors entertained last year in New York were conveyed from place to place in Peerless Motor Cars.

Whitelaw Reid, the American Ambassador at the Court of St. James, when he was about to entertain the Duke of Connaught, the Dutchess and the Princess Patricia, asked the Peerless Motor Car Company of New York to take charge of all the arrangements so far as they concerned automobiles.

Four Peerless Limousines, driven by employees of the Peerless Motor Car Company of New York, were supplied by Manager A. N. Dutton. A drove of newspaper reporters and "black box" men were constantly on the trail of these cars as long as the visitors remained in the city. The four chauffeurs were kept in the Reid house day and night when their cars were not busy so that they might not be beguiled into giving out any too intimate information concerning the guests.

Admiral Togo, the much admired and applauded Japanese sailor, also made the acquaintance of the Peerless. It carried him to the many banquets by which his digestion was ruined.

It is not merely by chance that when New York wishes to put its best foot forward Peerless Motor Cars find a place in the arrangements.

[kps529]

Jeff,

Thanks for the article about the Togo visit, great stuff. Would love to get out to see the Sacramento 1910 Model 27. I'm in Charlotte, NC now, so it would be quite a trip.

Does anyone know where the unrestored 1909 that was auctioned off a few years ago wound up?

K

[jeff_a]

Dear Kevin,

I know this all has connections to your great grandfather who chauffeured Mr. Logan in a car much like what's in that Library of Congress photo.

I believe RM auctions sold it at Pebble Beach in 2008. I do know of the only other identical model car...and it's in the Carolinas.

---Jeff

[jeff_a]

Jeff,

Thanks for the article about the Togo visit, great stuff. Would love to get out to see the Sacramento 1910 Model 27. I'm in Charlotte, NC now, so it would be quite a trip.

Does anyone know where the unrestored 1909 that was auctioned off a few years ago wound up?

K

Kevin,
The car now belongs to David Baird of California. It is one of three Peerlesses for sale by Dennis Collins at the 2008 Monterey Auctions.
----Jeff

[jeff_a]

kps529,
Interesting to note that the 2008 Monterey Auctions would have been the only time in recent memory three Peerlesses were for sale at the same place. I think it would have taken six or eight bills with President Woodrow Wilson on them to buy them all, though(the two cars advertised for seven-figures sold for six-figures)!