Peerless Model Numbering

Jeff

It would help me and maybe others if you would chart what the Peerless numbers mean, maybe starting in 1920 to 1931. For instance, even though you reference 6-61 and 6-81 and so on I am never sure what that means in terms of wheelbase, engine size and engine manufacturer.

This may be a tough project, but it would be helpful.

The 12 years you mention had just 8 lines of cars. It's pretty simple, really:

LINE OF CAR: .. .. .. .. ..YEAR .. .. EVOLVED INTO: .. .. ENG: .. .. WB: .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. CID:

• Model 56 (V-8)....1916-22.....66, 8-67, 8-69..........P.......125"/126"/128"/133"................................331
• Model 6-70..........1924-25....6-72('25-'27), 6-90('27), 6-91('28-'29).....P.....120"/126"/128"/133"...289
• Model 6-80..........26-28........6-81(1929)...................C.......116"..............................................230/248
• Model 6-60..........27-28......6-61, 6-61A(1929/30)....C.......116"...............................................199/215
• Model 8-125........1929..........................................C...130"/138".....................................................322
• Model A..............30-31........................................C..........118".........................................................247
• Model B..............30-32........................................C..........125".........................................................322
• Model C..............30-32........................................C.........138"..........................................................322

The Mod. 6-90 and 6-91 had a 120" w.b.

The 6-91 had a 7-Passenger version with 128" w.b.

The Mod. 56 had a 125" w.b.

The Mod. 66 was sold in 1923 & 1924

The Mod. 8-67 was for 1925

The Mod. 8-69 was a 1926-1928 car

As you know, Peerless came out with the Model 56 V-8 line in the 1916 model year. That Series 1 was straight out of the Herschell-Spillman blueprints, but some problems had to be ironed-out, resulting in the Series 2 re-design by the Peerless engineering department in 1916. That removed a 45 mph vibration, and further new and improved versions were the 56-3 through 56-7(one of those Peerlesses you saw 5 years ago would have been a 1922 56-7). These were replaced by the Model 66(Cadillac takeover years of '23 & '24).

If you went to a car show, went to the Peerless section, and saw half a dozen Model 6-60s in a row and half a dozen 6-80s in another, you would have a hard time telling them apart at first. You've been studying Peerless for years and by now have a great deal of reference material like the 1973 AQ and 2009 Peerless books...and would soon see that they were different. They'd all have the same wheelbase, nearly identical list prices and power outputs. The 6-80 line was a couple hundred dollars up the cost ladder, weighed a little more, and had bigger wheels and tires.

Looking at 1920-1931, they were an important 12 years for Peerless: they outsold Packard in 1920; they weren't quite the same car as Duesenberg, but they did outsell them all of these years, eventually getting up to 10,000 cars-a-year in 1926. The first 4 lines had newer versions continuing on 6, 5, 1, and 1 year, respectively. The last 4 lines were straight eights, of course.

I sent you some photos of a Peerless 1929 6-81 and hope that gave you some insights into that model. You were interested in the car, and I thought you'd find them helpful. I haven't heard anything from you about the pics, so assume they didn't change your mind about anything.

----Jeff

sweet data...

Should be a Sticky here, as it drops down and is hard to find.  That’s my old sign on, done on my birthday 10 years ago.