Peerless Photos

[jeff_a]

An extremely nice 1917 Peerless Limousine is for sale on the Vault Classic Cars web-site ( www.vaultcars.com ). Photos of the automobile show a really sumptuous interior -- plus the unusual Peerless V-8 engine restored to perfection. Thank you to Chris Summers for bringing these photos to my attention.

 

___Note: This car is really a 1920 and now owned by Walter Miller

Edited September 10, 2015 by jeff_a (see edit history)

[jeff_a]

There are THREE Peerless cars coming up for auction in the November Hilton Head, SC event. Nice photos and descriptions at: www.WWGauction.com.

The October Hemmings has a photo ad portraying a 1909 & a 1912 Peerless -- but the World Wide Group website shows a 1917 Cloverleaf Roadster as well. If someone wants to create a Peerless Museum then this would be the auction to start at.

I almost regret mentioning it, because the automobile descriptions are so well-written.....but an explanation of the Peerless Company's Dual Power Range Eight feature refers to a carburetor working like a more modern 4-barrel rather than to a two-speed rear end. ----Jeff

[jeff_a]

I looked at the World Wide Group auction results, and it appears that the 1917 1920 Peerless went for $51,700.

No record of a sale price for the 1912 and 1909 Peerless.

Classics:
1929 Stutz Blackhawk: $ 95,200, 1934 Pierce-Arrow 836: $ 47,300. 1938 Buick 40-C Phaeton: $ 77,600. 1931 Chrysler Imperial: $172,000. 1938 Cadillac: $ 286,000.

Post-WWII Collectibles:

1958 Dodge Coronet: $220,000. 3 Ford Mustang-based sports cars sold for: $245,000, total. 1953 Chevrolet Corvette: $440,000.
 

Edited September 10, 2015 by jeff_a (see edit history)

[Guest BJM]

It was a No Reserve auction correct? My 1st thought was Reserve Not Met. Hemmings Classic Cars and/or Hemmings Motor News might cover this auction and have more results.

I don't get it. $51,700 for a Peerless and $220,000 for a Dod ge Coronet????????

[jeff_a]

The Hemmings ad for the auction didn't have the tag "For Sale With No Reserve" on it in the case of 3 cars, including the 1909 and 1912 Peerlesses.

I don't know why the Dodge Coronet grossed so much more than the 1917 Peerless. Maybe the buyer was looking for something with a lot of potential for Cruise Nights, or the Dodge was a rare model ( it was a Super D-500 convertible ). Not counting trucks, I think there are about 4 1917 Peerlesses in the world. Any Dodge/Chrysler experts reading who can tell me how many 1958 Dodge's there are out there? The number of Dodge's built in 1958 was 137,861 and Peerless production for 1917 was 3,915.

Obviously, auction prices are affected by rarity but not dictated by it, or else the relatively plentiful 1953 Corvette would not have sold for so much more than the one Peerless which did sell.

The Peerless was a well-restored Cloverleaf Roadster. Perhaps the Corvette was really well-restored, too, befitting its rareness. I've never seen one myself, but the owner of a 1920 Peerless Cloverleaf advertised for sale on Hemmings earlier this year said that they have dual exhausts, a 4-barrel carburetor, and a 340 cu. in. V-8. Pretty advanced for 1920.

[Guest GP Gleason]

There were around 9000 1917 Peerless made.

Probably tens-of-thousands of 1958 Dodge Coronets but they made 4 different types of Coronet that year.

I'll have to stop you on the Corvette statement, though.

Chevrolet Corvette production was:

1953.. 300 (three-hundred)

1954.. 3640

1955.. 700 (seven-hundred)

1956.. 3467

So...... Peerless 1917 production was far greater than the first 4 years of Corvette production (1953-1956)

That's why the higher price for the Corvette...... besides.... we all know what's left of a Corvette after a bad accident. Not much left to restore.

Still can't figure the Coronet price, though.

Ford Mustangs must have been really nice cars to fetch that kind of money for the three.

[jeff_a]

Thanks for commenting on the Amelia Island Auction discussion, GP.

When I was describing the 1953 Corvette as "relatively plentiful", I was referring to the present. I read an ad for a 1953 Corvette for sale recently that said it was one of only about 50 remaining cars ( I can't remember the exact number - but it was somewhere between 30 and 60 ). So, even though '53 Corvettes are lots rarer than '93 Corvettes; '17 Peerlesses are rarer than '53 Corvettes.

I agree with you that there were way more Peerlesses made in '17 [The Standard Catalog says 3,915] than Corvettes in '53.

---- Jeff

Edited September 10, 2015 by jeff_a (see edit history)

[Guest GP Gleason]

Well......... if ever confronted with the option of purchasing a complete, restored 1950s Corvette OR a 'teens Peerless.......... I would select the Peerless.

I have never owned one but I think, in my opinion, they are one of the most exquisite automobiles ever produced.

[Guest BJM]

That's a tough comparison, in my opinion apples to oranges. I have personally been in 2 Peerless cars, a 1918 and a 1920.

I'm pretty sure I would not want my collection to revolve around these cars but as part of a much larger collection, they would be quite enjoyable.

The two I saw, for instance, were part of at least a 50 car mostly pre 1940 car collection. They have not seen the road in years, and probably won't for another many years.

From my perspective then, these are fine works of art, like a painting on a wall, to view and appreciate. Now a more modern "collectible automobile" can be almost anything, but most of all, they are driveable.

A 53 to 57 Corvette is capable of 'in traffic' cruising. A 1920 Peerless has 2 or 4 wheel mechanical brakes, insufficient top speed, and lacks the smoothness.

It is always tough to make a comparison of values. BUT, not as tough for a 58 Dodge Coronet at such a price vs. a Nickle era car.

Off hand, with no information in front of me, the top of the line 58 Dodge Coronet would be a D500 convertible, in pristine shape, maybe it's a $75,000 car. The D500 was the "Chrysler 300" of the year, with HO V8 and performance upgrades.

It's an interesting topic, but what I don't understand is the comparison of the Old Limited that sold at hershey for 1.6 million $$ or thereabouts and ANY top of the line Peerless, Packard, or Pierce Arrow from the same time.

The 3 P's were virtually hand built and just as impressive as the Olds Limiteds.

[jeff_a]

Regarding the last two posts:

If needing to choose between a 1917 Peerless and a 1953 Corvette, I would pick the Peerless. It is a little rarer, a little older....plus you get a V-8 ( and an early, pioneering make of V-8 at that ).

Not that I wouldn't like to own a 1953 Corvette. About a month ago, I made a list of autos I would put in an 18-car garage if I was building the ultimate car collection, but limited to 18 cars. The list is also limited to cars that have actually been built -- but not necessarily to ones that are still around -- and there's a Corvette on the list:

1. 1900 Peerless Type 1, Model A, 1-cyl., 2 3/4 h.p.

2. 1912 Peerless 60-Six Limousine Straight-6 (the 824.8)

3. 1922 Lincoln V-8

4. 1925 Duesenberg Straight-8

5. 1927 Packard Sedan Straight-6

6. 1927 Peerless 6-80 Sedan Straight-6

7. 1927 Pierce-Arrow Model 80 Straight-6

8. 1929 Auburn Straight-8

9. 1929 Cord L-29 Sedan Straight-8

10. 1929 Gardner Sedan Straight-8

11. 1929 Peerless 8-125 Sedan Straight-8

12. 1931 Peerless All-Aluminum Murphy-Bodied Blind-Rear-Quarter Sedan V-16

13. 1953 Chevrolet Corvette Straight-6

14. 1955 Ford Thunderbird V-8

15. 1963 Studebaker Avanti V-8

16. 1968 Lamborghini Miura V-12

17. 1972 Lamborghini Espada V-12

18. 1989 Lamborghini LM 002 V-12

Like most such fantasy-based lists, this one has no bearing upon my ability to afford them, or even upon what are the 18 most valuable cars in the world. I HAVE covered what are the Two Triple Crowns of car collecting, in my opinion: A-C-D and the Three P's. Number 1 is so rare {15 built, none known to exist} that there aren't even any photos of the car that have survived, as far as I know.

On the subject of actually driving the '20 Peerless and the '53 Corvette, maybe Automobile Magazine or Sports Car Market could do a big article called "Time Warp Road Test" and compare their performance. It would be a colossal mis-match in some ways, considering the 33-year difference in manufacture dates, but they were both kind of "rocket-ships" for their time. If I were putting-together such a story, my biggest problem would be the ethical issue of :

Do we really want to flog these cars up and down the highway (if we can find them) for a road test? Maybe it would be better to just compare the relative merits of each car on paper.

Since we're already pretty far out toward Fantasy Island on this post........let's say I have to write an article for Sports Car Market about a real road trial of the the two cars. First I run the 1953 Corvette against the 1920 Peerless Roadster on a 50-mile drive through rural Indiana. Closed course, no speed limits. The Corvette wins, probably. Then I hold the road race again, but with the 1920 Peerless against a 1920 Chevrolet, any production model. The Peerless wins, probably.

Regarding the idea of stopping a Warren G. Harding-Era Car, don't forget Ettore Bugatti's philosophy of: "I make my cars to go, not to stop!".

[Guest BJM]

Well Jeff, the cool part about the hobby is that some of us can get what we want. My list is not so "high end" in that I grew up prefering Chrysler and GM products. In some cases, these cars are marginally available to me in "project" form, which as you know is how I prefer to buy my cars.

18 cars would go by quick for me.

If I could own one Peerless it would be a very late V8 Touring, perhaps a 1927-28 long wheelbase model.

I am a pre-war Aerodynamic period/Art Deco lover. So I would have a 37 Chrysler Imperial Airflow C17.

I also want a 38 Cadillac 60 Special. This was the 1st year for Bill Mitchell's revolutionary car. It is interesting to note these are both 4 door sedans. Inpost war years I would easily shift to 2 door models, considered more sporty.

The point you make regarding it being a wish list, and being able to drive them - for me - evokes previous posts I have that ask to be a passenger in member's cars at events.

"My Classic Car" host, I forget his name, is one lucky dude - in taht he gets to drive a different cool car very show.

[jeff_a]

Jake -- I have to admit my list has some high-end cars on it, but I was calling it an ultimate car collection. 18 sounds like a lot of cars, but it's a small enough number that you have to be discriminating. No room for "one of every year Ford & Chevrolet 1920-1950" like the Pioneer Village Museum has done. Only about 7 of them are over the $50,000 mark. The '31 Peerless, the Corvette and the Miura would be kind of expensive.

The '31 Peerless is the one I told you about that no one knows the whereabouts of (it may have been melted down to make B-24's). I have heard that the car it resembles - that still survives in Ohio - may be worth 2 1/2 million, so that might be a little pricey if it were to turn up.

But... with that Peerless and the 1900, you'd have one of the first models built and one of the last. The 1900 is a little three-wheeler. It would be hard to find two cars made by the same company less alike! A '25 Duesenberg was on e-bay this summer for $45,000 at one point, but I don't know if it ever sold. Have you ever seen the '22 Lincoln for sale on Photobucket? If you haven't, you should look it up. It would be just the thing to appear at a Lincoln meet in. It has, uh, unusual bodywork. Interestingly enough, it MAY be a Leland-built, pre-Ford Lincoln and qualify for CCCA Full-Classic status (big IF on that one). ---Jeff

[jeff_a]

I hear from Canadian Members John and Sherry that the Peerlesses that did not sell at the 2007 Hilton Head Auction are for sale once again. Apparently, the 1917 V-8 Cloverleaf Roadster that did sell went for a bargain-basement price ( $51,700 ), considering what the asking prices of the other two are:

1909 Model 19 "Roi des Belges" barnfind $650,000

1912 Model 36 concours-quality restoration $1,950,000

I believe that these touring cars are listed in the April HMN. I found a stunning set of photos for these two cars listed on the following website, as well: www.collinsbrosjeep.com .

-Jeff

[jeff_a]

The people with the 1909 & 1912 Peerless cars for sale now have photos up of a restored 1913 Peerless Mod. 48-Six Roadster for sale. You need to go to the Collins Bros. site above, then select "classic cars", to find the photos. This is the car that was written about in the Horseless Carriage Gazette back in the 60's -- it was HELICOPTERED out of a canyon in California before it could be restored, according to the accompanying story, leading it to be called "The car that came from the sky".

[CKK]

Just an FYI all three peerless cars listed above will be in pebble beach this august.

[jeff_a]

Peerless Photos In October, 2015 Hemmings Motor News

 

There are color photos of Peerlesses on pages 39, 137, and 506:

• 1917..........332 V-8
• 1932..........464 V-16
• 1918..........332 V-8
• 1920..........332 V-8
• 1929..........248 I-6

...plus a 1913 Roadster for sale on p. 199 with no photo (578 I-6).

Edited September 13, 2015 by jeff_a (see edit history)

[jeff_a]

photo courtesy of www.gearheads4life.com

 

This Peerless appeared at the April Fest Open Car & Motorcycle Show in Sardis, Mississippi this year. Unknown owner -- but the automotive writer from the site(Shawn Brereton) said it was a stand-out at the 131-car show put on by the the Mississippi Delta Street Rods. This looks like a nicely-restored 1929 Model 6-81...identical to the one Tom Wallace has for sale in Dayton, Ohio...except restored instead of low-mileage original. (See the For Sale - 1929 Peerless 6-81 Sedan thread here - 33,000-mile car/wearin' it's original paint)

 

I like the color, which seems to be tending towards Ultramarine. This would have set you back $1,600-1,700 back in '29. One of only two Peerlesses in Mississippi, the other being a 15-years-older Model 48-Six Limousine in the state's finest auto collection....found in Tupelo.

Edited January 16, 2016 by jeff_a (see edit history)

[jeff_a]

Hopefully I can capture photos of these Peerlesses various people have for sale in Hemmings Motor News:

(most of the fabulous description below is mine unless in quotes)

 

Yellow '28 Peerless 6-80 on pg 479 of the February Hemmings is $48,000. Location: Joplin, MO area. Call: #(417) 434-0236 or email rsavage50@gmail.com for information. I could not find the ad on the HMN site, so used this 10-year-old picture of what I believe may be the same car on the Peerless: The Greatest Car You've Never Heard Of site. "99.9% original. Everything functional". Disc wheels, extremely rare boattail coupe(Roadster Coupe) with rumble seat. 

 

<img src="http://s515.com/PRL/Peerless02.JPG"alt="1928 Model 80 Large"/>

__________________________________________________________________________________________

 

 

There's a Stutz Royal Red & Ivory '29 Peerless 6-81 Sedan I saw on HMN online 1/7/16, listed at $65,995. Location: Florida.

Recent concours-quality restoration. They're calling this Cinnamon and Cream, but I feel it conforms to the earlier-mentioned 1929 factory colors. Disc wheels, full instrumentation including Sterling brand electric clock. Call Streetside Classics at #(813) 501-1630.

 

<img src="http://assets.hemmings.com/uimage/53874863-170-0.jpg?rev=8"alt="1929 Peerless  Sedan"/>

__________________________________________________________________________________________

 

 

Also on HMN today is a Maroon 1930 Peerless Master 8 listed for $30,000. Location: Pittsburgh, PA area(Homer City).

I would describe this as a very nice original Straight Eight Sedan, based on the pictures. From the looks of the paint , it may have been re-painted. Wood wheels, dual sidemounts, 322 cubic inch 115-HP Continental engine, 125" w.b. I talked to the older previous owner once, and know it was in heated storage for many years. The 322 Continentals were used in various permutations from 1929-1932 in the Jordan Speedway Ace, the DuPont, the Elcar Model 140, the Graham-Paige, and the Peerless 8-125, Master and Custom Eight, all CCCA Classics. Elcar fans point out that this was the fourth most powerful car built in the U.S. in 1931. Call the owner and seller at: #(724) 479-4193.

 

<img src="http://assets.hemmings.com/uimage/47974733-770-0.jpg?rev=1"alt="47974733-770-0.jpg?rev=1"/>

Edited January 18, 2016 by jeff_a (see edit history)

[chevnovvette67]

Hopefully I can capture photos of these Peerlesses various people have for sale in Hemmings Motor News:

 

Yellow '28 Peerless 6-80 on pg 479 of the February Hemmings is $48,000. Location: Joplin, MO area. Call: #(417) 434-0236 or email rsavage50@gmail.com for information. I could not find the ad on the HMN site, so used this 10-year-old picture of what I believe may be the same car on the "Peerless: The Greatest Car You've Never Heard Of" site. "99.9% original. Everything functional". Disc wheels, extremely rare boattail coupe(Roadster Coupe) with rumble seat. 

 

<img src="http://s515.com/PRL/Peerless02.JPG"alt="1928 Model 80 Large"/>

__________________________________________________________________________________________

 

 

There's a Stutz Royal Red & Ivory '29 Peerless 6-81 Sedan I saw on HMN online 1/7/16, listed at $65,995. Location: Florida.

Recent concours-quality restoration. They're calling this Cinnamon and Cream, but I feel it conforms to the earlier-mentioned 1929 factory colors. Disc wheels, Sterling brand electric clock. Call Streetside Classics at #(813) 501-1630.

 

<img src="http://assets.hemmings.com/uimage/53874863-170-0.jpg?rev=8"alt="1929 Peerless  Sedan"/>

__________________________________________________________________________________________

 

 

Also on HMN today is a Maroon 1930 Peerless Master 8 listed for $30,000. Location: Pittsburgh, PA area(Homer City).

I would describe this as a very nice original Straight Eight Sedan, based on the pictures. From the looks of the paint , it may have been re-painted. Wood wheels, dual sidemounts, 322 cubic inch 115-HP Continental engine, 125" w.b. I talked to the older previous owner once, and know it was in heated storage for many years. The 322 Continentals were used in various permutations from 1929-1932 in the Jordan Speedway Ace, the DuPont, the Elcar Model 140, the Graham-Paige, and the Peerless 8-125, Master and Custom Eight, all CCCA Classics. Call the owner and seller at: #(724) 479-4193.

 

<img src="http://assets.hemmings.com/uimage/47974733-770-0.jpg?rev=1"alt="47974733-770-0.jpg?rev=1"/>

 

Please visit the ad to see more pictures. http://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/cars-for-sale/peerless/master-eight/1771559.html The engine has 13K-366 on the side. Serial #40316 Model B. Model 127 Type 127 Series B.

[jeff_a]

Possibly a Peerless truck:

 

Thanks to nzcarnerd for spotting this photo from imcdb.com and the film "The Invisible Man", 1933. Nearly all the Peerless Trucks had hard rubber tires and dual rear wheels, but I've never seen a photo of a 2-ton model.

 

Edited October 21, 2016 by jeff_a (see edit history)

[jeff_a]

...a nice side view of the lowest-priced car Peerless ever sold, the Six-61 Roadster. Sold at the Owl's Head Sale this year for over fifty grand. Shown at Hershey in 2012 after its brilliant restoration when Mark Garvin of Massachusetts was owner. New owner unknown(I wonder if he knows these aren't real common......with 2 in existence). The caption for the ads for these was: "Boy! What a roadster!" Available from $1,195.

 

Edited December 22, 2016 by jeff_a (see edit history)

[jeff_a]

 This model was the 1st car in Salmon, Idaho --- 112 years ago in 1904 --- driven over the Continental Divide from Montana:

 

If you want to own the sales catalog this picture is in, autolit.com has it for sale on ebay. 

Edited December 22, 2016 by jeff_a (see edit history)

[jeff_a]

Appeared in TheOldMotor.com January 26th, 2015, a coachbuilt 1908 Peerless Limousine or Berline. Holcker-Elberg was in Kansas City, Missouri

 

Edited December 28, 2017 by jeff_a (see edit history)

[jeff_a]

Except for the Edwardian-Era Peerless sales literature, this is the most beautiful graphic design of any Peerless catalog, IMO, the  one for The  PEERLESS SIX-91. Last time I checked, these were going for $60-$95 on ebay and vintage literature sites. They have 12 pages and show 5 models -- these 4, and a 5-Pass. Sedan(light blue lower body & wheels; orange bands lined up with beltline & bottom of doors; and black upper body): 

Photo: autopaper.com

Exhibit 1   (2-P coupe)  Only one of these 6-91 Cabriolets exists, in Missouri. 

 

_______ _______ _______ _______ ________ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______

 

 

 

Exhibit    (7-P Sedan)Two 6-91 Sedans similar to this known to exist: a 7-Pass. in Iowa and a 5-Pass. in Massachusetts. Photo: autolit.com

 

 

Exhibit    (4-P opera coupe) If I were a car show judge, I would blow the whistle on those lavender tires. Did such a thing exist? Photo: autolit.com

 

 

Exhibit    (5-P blind rear quarter sedan)  Photo: Troxel's

 

 

 

Exhibit 2  (5-P Sedan) Troxel's piccie

 

 

 

Exhibit 3   (7-P Sedan)Two 6-91 Sedans similar to this known to exist: a 7-Pass. in Iowa and a 5-Pass. in Massachusetts. 

 

Edited September 24, 2020 by jeff_a
Three more illustrations added after the Cabriolet to better show the color palette. (see edit history)

[alsancle]

And if you painted it that color today we would all howl!   Most cars were brown, back or some other dark color pre 1930, but ever once in a while something crazy got made.

[jeff_a]

Alsancle makes a good point. I have seen photos of Thirties Packards at events which have been ¨jazzed up¨ in some whimsical bright colors when restored. Invariably, someone uses ¨painted like a circus wagon¨ to describe it if they made really unfortunate choices.  However, the Twenties were  a heyday for colorful cars. There´s an article in Distillations by Regina Blaszczyk, ¨True Blue: Du Pont and the Color Revolution¨ from 2007 that talks about how trends in clothing and autobody color were featuring bright colors that influenced American cars. The colors at a Paris show in 1926 emphasized warm maroons and burnt oranges,(see Exhibit 1 two posts back)  one celebrity was seen in a green & peach roadster, another drove a sports car in Dekkan Brown and London Smoke. At the 1926 NY Auto Show, 12 Lincolns had been painted in shades matching exotic birds like Equadorian Green Tanagers, Haitian Lizard Cuckoos, and  Venezuelan Yellow Woodpeckers. A Pierce Arrow was shown at an Auto Salon alongside a tropical Bird of Paradise in a birdcage....every color of the bird matched by the motor car.

 

Your average bank president in rural Kansas wouldn´t be ordering a Venezuelan Yellow Lincoln -- but a lot of people ordered Oaklands in 1924 when they were offered in Duco two-tone Blue with Red stripes. That caused a rush of orders for these more colorful DuPont shades in this and other GM departments. Someone in my family bought a Lincoln when they first came out...I travelled in it several times...and it was dark forest green.

 

I don´t normally read chemistry trade journals....but I found this article when I was trying to find what the hell the color London Smoke looked like, a color Peerless used in 1928.  The Cabriolet in Exhibit 1, seen in that earlier post, may be the 1929 Peerless factory color Stutz Royal Red. The one surviving ´29 Peerless 6-91 Cabriolet, which came out of the Roscoe Stelford Collection in Pingree Grove, Illinois, is red with wire wheels.

Edited March 18, 2019 by jeff_a (see edit history)

[jeff_a]

A nice-lookin´ '29 Peerless 6-61 Deluxe Victoria which Victory Cars of Florida had for sale 8 years ago. No one knows where it is now.

 

 

 

 

1929peerlesscppside.jpg  1929peercppsidefr.jpg

 

Photo credit: www.victorycars.com

Edited January 3, 2018 by jeff_a (see edit history)

[jeff_a]

https://books.google.com/books?id=qaIAAAAAMAAJ&vq=peerless&dq=automobile journal Peerless&pg=PA835#v=onepage&q=peerless&f=false

 

A link to 2 photos from The Club Journal from March, 1914, Vol. 5, No. 25. It shows a special-order 1914 Peerless Salon Sedan, and it´s interior, including:

 

......mahogany baseboard - quadruple silver plating - English Axminster carpeting - Italian brocade with silk-tinseled velvet borders - wool tapestries -  silk broche´ draperies......

Edited January 25, 2018 by jeff_a (see edit history)

[jeff_a]

In June, 1927, two men drove a Peerless 6-80 from San Francisco to Cleveland in 80 hours. Judging by limited info here, we presume they were 14 hours Los Angeles-to-S.F., then 80 hours to Cleveland on the Lincoln Highway. Nice photo of the 1927 Six-80 boattail Roadster! Maybe someone will get the whole bound set of sales bulletins and read the rest of the story.

This is an excerpt from a large set of Co-Operator  bi-monthly bulletins [1925, 1926, 1927] for sale on ebay for $425.25 by Troxel´s/Paperheaven.

Edited February 22, 2018 by jeff_a (see edit history)

[jeff_a]

 

This is a 1923 Peerless Town Car on display at the Chicago Auto Salon on December 9th, 1922.  From a story in the 12/14/22 MOTOR AGE, Vol. XLII, No. 24, Page 11.

Coachbuilt body by Demarest. This does incorporate the Cadillac-lookalike rad shell brought about by the emigration of many of the key staff at Cadillac to Peerless in 1921. The design was on all 1923 and 1924 Peerlesses, and the 6-70 up through March, 1925. 

Edited March 12, 2018 by jeff_a (see edit history)

[jeff_a]

This is available somewhere on the internet, titled "Mafia Greeting Card -- 1925 Peerless Straight 8". They should have contacted us here on The Peerless Forum to get the year and model right. I ordered several things from them. One can get a throw pillow; a coffee mug; a phone case; a notebook; a tote bag; a tee shirt; an image on aluminum, paper, canvas, acrylic, or wood; or a shower curtain. From Fine Art America. 

 

One of more than 25 Peerless automobile photos available(1909-1931). This one is a 1929 PEERLESS Model 8-125 Sedan:

 

 

...a nice shot of a somewhat rare model. Total output was about the same as Duesenberg, about 1,150 cars. Greater horsepower than anything in GMs 9-car American lineup that year(Chevrolet/Oldsmobile/Buick/Viking/LaSalle/Pontiac/Oakland/Marquette/Cadillac).

Edited April 5, 2019 by jeff_a (see edit history)

[jeff_a]

Fantastic image of a 1926 Peerless 6-72 boattail Roadster from autolit.com:

In twelve years of looking at Peerless literature I have never seen this illustration before. I don't know where Walter found this, but it's some kind of dealer promotional material printed on the back of letterhead stationery from the dealer at Wollaston, Massachusetts. I scanned this from the original. It gives you an idea of paint application and color for 1926.

 

Edited September 12, 2019 by jeff_a (see edit history)

[jeff_a]

This would be the same model as the Peerless on page 98 of the Peerless chapter in the 1973 Automobile Quarterly VOL 11, No.1, in the Harrah Collection at the time. In that photo the top was up, and the car had light yellow or tan body and medium brown fenders.

Edited March 16, 2019 by jeff_a (see edit history)

[B Jake Moran]

Wonder why they called the convertible top mechanism "Burbank Top".  Interesting they say it can be removed.

[jeff_a]

Burbank cloth was a trademarked waterproof fabric. It was a tightly-woven cotton fabric imported from England, used in automotive trim, according to The Haartz Corp.

Factory photo of the top up on an 8-69 Peerless Roadster:

 

 

Period pic of a 6-72 with the top down:

photo from alamy

 

 

 

Another Peerless boattail that showed up at an informal get-together in Denver in 2017 - a '27 Six-90 Roadster:

photo from pelicanparts.com forum

Edited March 17, 2019 by jeff_a (see edit history)

[B Jake Moran]

They say in the ad - it can be removed easily. That's what caught my eye.  Plus, I wondered if Burbank had something to do with Burbank, California, as in customization/accessory that might have come out of So Cal back then.  Thanks for the background. 

[jeff_a]

Photo of a rather rare Type 4 or 5 1902 Peerless:

 

shaft drive/engine in front á la Panhard/pressed steel frame/8 h.p. 1-cyl., or 12 or 16 h.p. 2-cylinder engine/tilt steering wheel

 

If you could cause a discovery of any Peerless, ones like a missing V-16 or V-12; a streamlined race-ready 1917 Sporting Roadster; or maybe a Model Six-60 with the 825 Cu. In. engine would be great....but these were probably the most radical Peerlesses built and none of them survived. This car was introduced at the 1902 NY Auto Show in late 1901. Production for 1902 according to The Standard Catalog was 238, or about 90 according to Maurice Hendry in his A.Q. Peerless chapter, but some were probably the previous year's 1-cylinder Motorettes, plus some 2-cylinder cars intended for the next model year. 

 

 

 

from a 1929 Popular Science magazine, VoI. 115, No. 3

Edited September 5, 2019 by jeff_a (see edit history)

[jeff_a]

I didn't see this until now -- but a beautiful 1909 Peerless Model 19 was shown by Leslie & Roberta Holden at the 2015 Elegance at Hershey. This is the same model, year and body style as the Peerless the late David Baird owned. He showed it at the 2013 Gathering at Gilmore and Fall Hershey Meet as well as the 2014 Bakersfield Swap Meet.

Credit: The Old Motor and Matthew Little Photography

Edited August 13, 2020 by jeff_a (see edit history)

[jeff_a]

A photo from the Vanderbilt Cup Races blog:

 

Henry Austin Clark, Jr. leaving the Garden City  Hotel in his aught-three Peerless on the 50th anniversary Vanderbilt Cup Tour.

Described as a Peerless Racer which needed a  push, 10/9/54. 16 horsepower, four-human-powered, two-cylinder car later belonging to Barney Pollard. It's a 1903...the one in the Nethercutt Museum, the one in the Boyertown Museum, the one in New Hampshire, or the one connected with Bonhams?

Edited November 14, 2019 by jeff_a (see edit history)

[jeff_a]

Not too shabby, as my friend Thud always says:

 

 

A 1928 Peerless 7-Passenger Sedan. Model Six-91...289 Cu. In. seven-main-bearing alloy Superb Six engine, designed by the Cadillac engineering department. The 6-90 and 6-91 models were all supposed to be 120" wheelbase/$500-less versions of the luxury 6-72 model. A 7-P 6-72 Sedan was 133 1/2" w.b./$2,595. 128" wheelbase for this 6-91 body style only. The black color, wire wheels, and Peerless Eagle hood ornament give this a certain cachet. This one would have been $1,995 before the D/S/M and wire wheels.

Edited January 27, 2020 by jeff_a (see edit history)