jeff_a

I found some more information on factory colors of Peerless cars. In a September, 1927 magazine ad about the 1928 models, it says that the Model 6-80 colors are Rolls-Royce blue, London smoke and Ohio blue in duo-tone lacquer finish. Cars painted with Rolls-Royce blue have window reveals of Ivory. The Model 6-60's have color combinations of Killarney gray, Ohio blue, and Pine Grove green. These are arranged in duo-tone with window reveals of a lighter shade. In another magazine ad, I read that colors for the 1927 Model 6-60 Peerlesses were Midnight Black, Soft Tan, and Rich Wine.

From a Coffee Shop in Hailey, Idaho Dear Matt, I've enjoyed reading your posts and think it's an interesting question you've posed about the car your're contemplating. Many years ago you had some posts about a neighbor of yours who had an <span style="font-weight: bold">unbelievable</span> collection of Classic cars, but you had never gotten up the nerve to knock on his door and ask to see them. You haven't by any chance struck up a deal with this gentleman, have you? If that's the case, it may be a difficult car to say no to. Once I had a chance to buy a 1910 Buick and a 1926 Elcar at an auction in 1990. I think that I could have bought them both for about $8,000, but I didn't have that much money or a place to keep them. I passed on the opportunity. Maybe I shouldn't have....and should have gotten inspired to find a better job to pay for the autos. Good luck with your decision! Maybe you can't afford to buy the car and send it around to all the best restoration shops in the country, but maybe you could afford to buy it and put it on ice for a couple of years until your job/income/investments change. Maybe you and your wife and The Seller could even go out for coffee somewhere and figure out how to make it happen. ----Jeff

I saw on the peerlessmotorcar.com website ( in the "Guest Book" section ) this week that another restored Peerless -- besides the one brockway mentions -- is in Finland. It is a 1929 Model 6-81 Sedan, was restored in 1998, and is owned by Vesa Elg.

Bryan, I found a reference to the 3 P's that goes back earlier than the 1970's. On the www.vintagepaperads.com site, there is a Saturday Evening Post clipping for sale, which is a Peerless Motor Car Corporation ad from 1930 (the date appears to be February 9, 1930 ). Here is the first line of text for the ad: "Always one of the three great makes known affectionately as the '3 Ps' - Peerless sets out to make its leadership more pronounced than ever before."

Though it doesn't support my theory that the Buenos Aires Peerless for sale is a 1929, I DID find an original 1929 Peerless 6-91 catalog for sale on the Ken Magee Auto Literature site. The site mentions that there are color illustrations that "...show the various models, including the: Cabriolet, Victoria, 5-Pass. Sedan, 7-Pass. Sedan, and Metropolitan Type Sedan." Maybe this Peerless was a 1928 or a special order.

Dear Johnk and Series19, Looking at my files, I find that the car in Argentina has hood side panels that match those of a 1928 Mod. 6-91 Sedan and are similar to those of a 1930 Peerless Six DeLuxe Rumbleseat Coupe. The plated windshield frame matches that of a 1929 Mod.6-61 Sports Roadster. The sidemount tire clamp looks like the ones used on 1930-32 Standard/Master/Custom straight-eight Peerless cars. It's an unusual and stylish Peerless. Probably unique. My educated guess is that it's an early 1929 Mod. 6-91 Roadster. What would clinch the ID would be if one found that the wheelbase was 120" and that the motor was a 288.6 cu. in. Collins-designed, Peerless-built six with an aluminum crankcase. --Jeff

Johnk, Very nice to hear from you about that Peerless Roadster for sale on PreWarCar.com. Do you think it's a Mod. 6-61? I guess if you own a Peerless -- you would know. A lot of the pictures of 1929 6-61's I've seen show horizontal hood louvers, and the one in Argentina has vertical louvers, which is why I ask. Welcome to the Peerless Forum, John! Are you one of our Peerless Motor Car Club Members who lives on Lake Ontario? Regards, ----Jeff

There is an interesting 1926 Peerless for sale until about Oct. 2nd on e-Bay Motors. It's located in Wichita, Kansas.

Dear hearseguy27, Thanks for writing in about your 1927 Peerless 6-80. I actually had seen some messages of yours on the professionalcar.com site, including a photo, several months ago. Very interesting funeral coach. Do you think it might be the only surviving Peerless Hearse in the world? About 4 wks ago I saw a site about "professional cars" on a site put up by a funeral home business back east. It had some great pictures of hearses and ambulances from the 1910's, one of which was Peerless. Have you ever read about the large six motors used on some of the 1912-14 Peerless cars? The largest, used on the Model 60-Six, was 825 cu. in. Supposedly, some of these were fitted with professional car bodies during this period. The photos I mentioned above were from: www.home.att.net/~ohiopcs/bbr.html "A Century in Delaware" from Bennett Brown Rodman Funeral Home in Delaware, Ohio. I talked to someone on the phone today who has a couple of Peerlesses and might be able to help locate some door handles. I'll send his number via the PM feature of this discussion forum (Personal Message). Apparently, there is a source for repro handles. ----Jeff

How about: "PEERLESS: All That The Name Implies"?

Rusty, You had some questions about Packard, Peerless and Pierce-Arrow and whether they were called The Three P's of Fine Motordom, Three P's for Prestige, etc. back in the old days. I was hoping that some more knowledgeable people than myself would have written in about this by now; and that they, or you, would have found out who originated the term. I looked online a little to see if "The Three P's" can be traced back to a particular date, person, etc. No luck. I did find a few references to Peerless and it's reputation, as well as some writers' opinions on the "3-P'S" question. John Bentley, in his "Great American Automobiles", p. 67, in 1957, says: "After the achievements of Barney Oldfield, Peerless had little left to prove at the close of the first five years of this century. Sustained racing has always been a tremendously costly business when organized on the grand scale; the firm had evolved and launched a uniquely successful luxury car that put it among the quality leaders of the automobile industry..." Richard Wager, in the 1986 book about N.E. Ohio carmakers, "Golden Wheels", says: "...in America the motoring public was quick to adopt the popular, wholly unofficial title, The Three P's-Packard, Peerless, and Pierce-Arrow - as typifying motordom's highest quality, with price tags to match." (p.71 ) In the 1973 Automobile Quarterly story about Peerless, which I would highly recommend, Maurice Hendry has 24 pages about Peerless, including this on p. 87 of AQ's Vol. 11, No. 1: "Exactly when the image of the 'Three P's' formed in the public mind is not clear, but it was probably around this time * . It is doubtful whether Packard stood at the front then, as it did in later years - although the spoken order of the holy trinity could vary according to the speaker's car - but Peerless and Pierce probably ranked as joint equals, with Packard a poor third, at least until several years later." "The American Automobile" by Ralph Stein, about 1972, gives this opinion on p. 135, in a 14-page chapter about Packard: "By 1907 the Packard was one of the great 'Three P's,' alongside Pierce-Arrow and Peerless, and sold in greater numbers than either." I don't own a Peerless, but became interested in them after seeing one for the first time about two years ago and have found them to be a fascinating carmaker to study. ----Jeff *this was in a description of 1909 luxury cars

I looks like the Peerless "Green Dragon" at the height of the carmaker's racing era.. Excellent pictures!! Did anyone notice the fellow in the fifth photo, far left, who looks exactly like John Travolta?

Thank you for the suggestions, Peter. I'm a former museum person myself, and realize that the AACA facility is a great resource. I just haven't used it much, being a new member. Sometime I will send the Library & Research Center a raft of questions about obscure topics, undoubtedly. I promise not to ask anything too obscure...like "What Year & Make of car did Jeeves & Wooster ride in when they used a taxi in New York during the 1990's BBC comedy series?" * If it weren't a 2,000-mile drive, I'd be over there a lot, in person, doing research. ----Jeff * A 1927 Peerless 6-80 Landaulet

I agree with TG that the new layout is okay. I have to admit that this is mostly due to the fact that the Three P's of automotive greatness ( Packard, Peerless and Pierce-Arrow ) are arranged in their traditional order. Not every make of car is listed on the Discussion Forum, of course, but fans of makes like Velie, Gardner and Elcar just need to get inspired by the activity level of some of the existing forums and get their club or their owners represented. ----Jeff

I've been doing a little reading about Peerless cars and ran across this name. Mr. Vogler was involved in managing stage lines in Idaho from about 1880-1905, but also was a distributor for Apperson, Auburn, and Reo autos when President of The Northwest Auto. Co. of Portland in 1909. "F.W." was the first person to drive a car to the town I live in, Salmon, ID. The car was a 1904 Peerless Model 9, and the story about his drive over the Continental Divide in his car made it into the 1905 Peerless catalogue called "A Peerless Achievement".

If you want to see a really unusual 1928 Pierce-Arrow, visit the Montana Auto Museum in Deer Lodge, Montana. They have a Pierce-Arrow motorhome about thirty feet long.

Thanks!

I'm doing a little bit of research on a businessman named F.W. Vogler. Canadian-born. In Blackfoot, ID in 1880; Red Rock, MT in 1904; Tonopah, NV about 1905 (ran an auto-stage line to the mines), an established citizen in Portland, OR by 1911. Some of what I read came from Portland, Oregon, It's History, published in 1911. In Portland, Mr. Vogler was the NW distributor for Reo and Apperson cars, as well as the local rep for Auburn. Sales for his Northwestern Auto Co. in 1909 were $750,000. In 1904 he was involved in a stagecoach line from Red Rock, MT to Salmon, ID; but also was the owner of a 1904 Peerless Model 9 touring car. In July, he took an excursion from Red Rock (5,600 ft.) to Salmon (4,000 ft.) over an 8,000 ft. pass on the Continental Divide in his car and was the first person to make it to this remote mining town in a car. His little trip in the 24 h.p. Peerless was a main feature of the 1905 Peerless catalog entitled "A Peerless Achievement", promoting the Model 9. On the site: www.mclellansautomotive.com , there is a copy of that catalog for sale with some neat pictures of the car on top of the Divide and nine women posing with Vogler on the bridge in Salmon. Here is what the local paper said: "F.W. Vogler created a genuine sensation when he whirled into town Wednesday afternoon with his 'red devil.' His coming was heralded by the uncanny 'toot,toot,' which was unfamiliar...and in a twinkling every business house and residence along Main street was quickly emptied, in an endeavor to ascertain what had struck our usually quiet and peaceable town. The machine, with Vogler at the helm, equipped with goggles, cap and regulation suit, whizzed through town at a 40-mile gait, and after slowing up a little at the Salmon bridge, crossed and came back up street surrounded by a gaping, curious crowd, but few of whom had ever seen an auto of any description." -Weekly Idaho Recorder 7/29/1904 Since it's been over a 100 years -- probably no one has heard of this guy, but I just thought I'd ask. I suppose someone who's a computer whiz could post the pictures if they are able.

I agree with you, Peter, the forum moderators do a lot of good work. Most of it's probably unseen and unheard. I don't see how anyone that's an AACA DF moderator could have been seen as similar to Britney Spears. She isn't working there under a pseudonym, I hope. I think she's too busy with her job as spokesperson for the compressed air industry...or whatever it is she does. Haven't you seen the commercials: "Air -- it's what's for dinner! Oops -- Come in for a fill-up, it's, like, cheaper than gas!"?

Bryan, You're right, it's a six. On Tuesday, I was looking on a search engine and found 10 photos of the car, including the engine. I'm not certain -- but it appears to be the same motor used in the Mod. 6-60, which is a Continental 199.1 cu. in. six. The 6-60 was introduced in 1927. Tom was asking if the Boattail Coupes were available with the Peerless V-8's. Appears they were!! Page 1164 of The Standard Catalog clearly shows a photo of one w/ the caption "1927 Peerless, Model 8-69, coupe. HAC". If you were ordering a '27 Peerless, there was a huge selection : 26 different body styles and models, according to The Standard Catalog. Engine choices were good, too. Two Continental sixes ( 199 & 230 cu. in. ) , a Peerless six ( 289 cu. in. ), and a Peerless V-8 ( these were 332 cu. in. ). The Peerlesses w/ the Collins 6's were advertised all the way into 1929 { by then called a Mod. 6-91 }, according to what I've read. In case someone reads this post and starts looking for a 1927 Peerless V-8 Boattail Coupe to buy for their collection...don't get too worked-up about it...there probably aren't any still in existence. I hope I'm wrong...but I've never heard of one surviving to the present. O.K., if someone shows up at my place with one, I'll buy them dinner { What I'm trying to say is that there are only 5 or 10 Peerless Boattails in the world and, if you find one with one of the Peerless V-8's in it [ a Model 8-69 ], it's not just rare, it's the only one on earth }. ----Jeff NOTE: In 2011, a 1928 8-69 Boat Tail Coupe was discovered in Ohio/In 2017, a 1928 8-69 Boat Tail Roadster appeared at the Owl´s Head Museums´s Auction in Maine/As of 2018, the count for 1926 to 1928 Peerless boattails is 20+.

Someone showed up at a small event in Maine in one of these a couple of years ago. I believe it was the Knucklebusters Frozen Custard Car Show. Correction: this was Ralph Cartonio's 1932 Custom 8 Cabriolet, not a Master 8.

This is one of the last-of-the-line Peerless models, either a 1930 or 1931. Straight-eight engine, 115-120 hp, 322 cu. in.; these last two years of production had fairly stylish bodies designed by Alexis de Sakhnoffsky. This Russian designed coachwork for Packards, Cadillacs, Marmons, Mercedes-Benz's, Minervas, Isotta-Fraschini's and Hispano-Suizas, too. It is a 1930, based on the front bumper. Someone had a car identical to this one for sale in the Peerless Club newsletter back in the first issue in 1989...so it is probably still out there somewhere. One of these would be a pretty flashy auto to have if you found one and restored it, seeing how a lot of people still gravitate toward open cars more than closed cars. Personally, I like the closed cars a little more. I've never seen one in person, either. The 8-cyl '30 and '31's came in models A, B, and C -- or Standard, Master, and Custom.

Impressions of New Lamborghini a) Those three women in the coveralls are just the technicians your local Lamborghini dealer is likely to have working on your car, Wayne. I understand the shop rate for a new clutch is $14,000. They better look nice for that kind of dough! I actually like the car's design. I like antique cars more -- but after riding in a Miura once, I have some appreciation for the Italian automaker's work. The '68 Lamborghini I rode in was just as impractical and low to the ground, but I consider these the modern-day equivalent of outrageous cars like Stutz DV-32's, Marmon V-16's and J Duesenbergs.

Dear 1926 Peerless, Thanks for writing about the Peerless that you and your father have had so long. I don't have any repair manuals myself, but I have seen quite a few things like that for sale on sites like AutoLit.com. Last time I looked, I think one had a choice between several repair and owners manuals...plus sales brouchures for your model. The good thing about your model is that it is one of the most numerous of all the surviving years & models. The other side of the coin is good, too! Peerlesses as a brand are incredibly rare *, and you'll really have something when you're done with restoration. Just go to 10 car museums and 10 car shows this summer and tell me how many Peerless cars and trucks you see!!! I'm interested in getting my 1st Peerless in the next year or two, and think that 1926 is a good year for the car; with the unique radiator plus the marque's history. What part of the country do you live in? ----Jeff * About 107,000 Peerless vehicles were built, with less than 1% remaining. Educated guesses of surviving cars range from as low as 35 to as high as 600. Interestingly enough...a lot of the undiscovered ones may be in Europe.

Don't forget, as an honorable mention, the 1984 Toyota Tercel, in the category of 4WD vehicles: mine was rated 29 city/38 hwy. on regular gas. I suspect if these reappeared on lots this summer they'd sell hundreds of thoasands of them. Four wheel drive & economy, too!