value of 1927 Peerless boat tail coupe?

[jerry r]

I have found a 1927 Peerless Boat Tail Coupe I am interested in buying. I am trying to determine it's value.

It was restored aprox. 10 years agos. Any thoughts? Here are pictures of it

thanks!

[West Peterson]

Nice looking car, painted in very pleasing colors. My opinion is that $20,000 covers it up, but it's hard to establish its quality of restoration (preservation) from pictures. The interior material does not look correct. How good is the chrome plating? Is it running well? Are the tires cracked? Do you want it to keep, or are you just interested in flipping it?

These are all questions you need to have answers to before buying. If you just want to flip it, I wouldn't pay more than $10,000. If it's something you are interested in having to participate in the hobby, and you're happy with its quality of restoration, then $15,-20,000 wouldn't be out of line.

[jeff_a]

Jerry --

Very, very nice Peerless! Thanks for sending the high-quality photos. I'll try to put down a few of my thoughts on the car.

FROM A SELLER'S PERSPECTIVE:

If you buy this car, you will have one of the "Three P's of Fine Motoring" sought after by collectors. Look online for an investment magazine article* comparing the 3 P's to see how rare these cars are. Particularly around 1903 to 1913, Packard, Peerless & Pierce-Arrow were the ultimate in quality cars. Try to find a Boat-Tail Pierce-Arrow or Packard from the classic era -- and then compare it's price to this one. Actually throwing together the asking prices of 17 Peerlesses offered for sale in the last two years gives us an average of $164,086.

FROM A BUYER'S PERSPECTIVE:

Rare, nice-looking car. However, I don't know it's mechanical condition, completeness, level of restoration or what model it is. A nearly identical auto was for sale in 2006 here on the AACA forums, unrestored and not running, for $14,000; which might make this Peerless seem like a better deal; but the final selling price of the former and the asking price of the latter are unknown. The "average price" of Peerlesses listed above doesn't include too many actual "sold for" prices. As a matter of fact, if you remove two especially-high figures, you come up with $19,298 per car**. More in line with West Peterson's numbers.

If you are able to send me some more details about this Peerless for Peerless Club records, I would appreciate it!!! I have never heard of this particular car before, and would like to know more about its location, previous owners ( if known ), Model, and engine***. Send info either to this thread, or via the Personal Message feature of the AACA forums. Thank You. Models available for 1927 were 6-60, 6-72 ( Peerless Six ), 6-80, 6-90 ( Peerless Six ), and 8-69 ( Peerless V-8 ). It looks to me like a Mod. 6-80 "Roadster Coupe".

* Pietschmann, Richard John, WORTH, April 1st, 2006, "Insatiable Drive".

** This includes everything from nice restorations to cars that are condition # 6.

*** Also, the wheelbase.

[Guest superods]

1927 PEERLESS Model 6-80 Dsp/HP Eng Fair Good Exc Show Loan

SEDAN 2D 231/63 6C 4,000 7,500 12,500 17,000 6,500

BOATTAIL COUPE 231/63 6C 5,000 9,000 14,000 19,000 8,000

ROADSTER 231/63 6C 8,000 12,000 18,000 26,000 10,500

Data updated December 2007 .

I cut and pasted the Manheim Gold Book classic pricing for you.

I have found it to be most conservative...but useful if you are a buyer.

I think you peeked West at it before he submitted his pricing !!! Else you are pretty dam good at this stuff !!!

At any rate....the NADA classic car price guide does not even list the Peerless.

[West Peterson]

Nope. No peek.

I appraised collector cars professionally, but haven't for 10 years. For obscure cars such as this, I don't even bother looking at the books. I base its value on comparables...

Is it more or less desirable than other cars in its class?

Is it more or less desirable than other cars outside of its class?

Based on those two questions alone, and with a little interpolation, you can come pretty close, usually much more accurate than any value guide.

Some value guides simply punch in a number and increase all numbers across the board. That's how they end up with values like $25,750. Can anyone come so close to valuating a car between two condition classes that they can pinpoint the figure down to the tens spot?

Not in my opinion.

Then there are the users trying to figure out what condition a car is in. Most people don't realize that a restored car, even a first-place winning car, is more than likely NOT a "Class 1" condition car. Most nicely restored cars fall in the Class 2 condition range. Class 1 means, and I paraphrase from memory from a letter witten by the editors of OCPG: A Class 1 car is THE BEST car of its type in the world. Usually there are only one or two that will fall under this condition rating. It will win Best of Class at ANY show entered, and be a contender for Best of Show."

Value guides are just that... "guides." They are not bibles.

[West Peterson]

I really like this particular Peerless. I love the color combination. The only thing I would do is to paint the door above the belt molding a dark color. This would give it a much sleeker look... not breaking up the nice horizontal line with the vertical door in the middle.

[West Peterson]

Is jerry r ever coming back to let us know if he was successful???

[alsancle]

If he is keeping it he will. If he is flipping it then he got what he wanted.

[West Peterson]

I feel so... used.

[Guest BJM]

West, sigh, new members, the bain of the AACA forum IMO. The editors should require all New Members who want to know values or basically just sell their car with minimal content ads and will never be back - to go to a special area.

[jerry r]

I just want thank everyone for there input on the Peerless. Sorry i havent got back sooner,Ive been gone for the last few weeks.

The owner was asking alot more than the stated value. I told him about the results of my inquiries, he said for that amount, he would just keep it.

Thanks, again, Jerry R.

[jerry r]

I talked to the owner of the peerles today, and he said he would sell it for $20,000.00. His name is Paul Lewis,phone# 360-494-5980, so if there is anybody out there that wants a 27 peerless, give him a call.

Jerry R

[West Peterson]

Hey, Jerry

Thank you for getting back with us with updated information. That is one sweet-looking car. I'm curious as to what his initial asking price was? At $20,000, he's in the ball park, and it would make a nice car for someone at that price (I wish it were mine). I still think that is it's retail value, though, so it's going to have to go to an end user. If he needs to get rid of it quick, he may have to drop his price.

[Tom Laferriere]

Is this a 6 or 8 cyl?

[West Peterson]

Tom

I could be wrong (geez, more and more often, it seems), but I don't think the boattail was available on the eight-cylinder chassis.

[Guest BJM]

6 cylinder. Unless "maybe" custom ordered, all coupes were the Continental 6. 8's went into long wheelbase. There might have been some leftover Collins 6 motors around as well.

Things were not cut and dried at Peerless around this time.

[jeff_a]

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+.

Edited February 22, 2018 by jeff_a
8-69 boattails, correction of 6-60 engine size, & correction of numbers of existing boattail coupes and roadsters. (see edit history)

[Guest BJM]

Thanks for the clarification Jeff. I was going off the top of my head.

[Spad-driver]

I have a 1927 Peerless model 6-90 boat-tail roadster. I purchased it in 1959 for $700. Maintained it, but never restored. About 3 years ago I replaced the leather. It runs well, but not without some adventures. I have used it in many displays but it’s certainly not fit for judging. Nice to hear that there is still interest in the Peerless. It’s bright yellow with black fenders etc and dark green hood and deck lid. Always a head turner and great fun. 

[jeff_a]

Was your Peerless at the Buick National Meet in Denver last year? I saw some photos of it and the background matched that of some taken at that BCA Meet, and thought maybe you stopped by. 

 

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