Joe Cocuzza Posted July 14 Share Posted July 14 A very good friend of mine went to The Gilmore Museum and he went to the Pierce Arrow section. He took a bunch of pictures and he wants to know about (1) car in particular. (see pics) What year PA is it? What does the "RCA" (on the emblem on top of the radiator surround) stand for - if anything? This car is right hand drive It did not have an information placard by it like the other cars and there wasn't anyone around to ask about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trimacar Posted July 14 Share Posted July 14 It’s a car built for Fatty Arbuckle, his real name was Roscoe Conkling Arbuckle, thus the RCA initials. 6 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trimacar Posted July 14 Share Posted July 14 It’s a 1919 Pierce-Arrow, Pierce kept right hand drive until I think 1921. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wayne sheldon Posted July 14 Share Posted July 14 A very interesting man. Surrounded by quite a few well deserved scandals, he was married a couple times, and was known to have had several other affairs. About forty-five years ago, I met one of his ex-wives at a film screening of a couple of his movies. Miss Minta Durfee Arbuckle had nothing but kind words for him, and had devoted much of her life promoting his films and trying to keep his memory alive! She gave quite a talk about him, and his life. There is a very famous photo of him sitting on the forward step plate on the left side of the car, he looking more than a bit distressed. One of the young actresses he had had an affair with, after a big "party" in San Francisco (if I recall correctly?), she had died - - - , well, she died. Police investigated the "circumstances" and after changing their minds back and forth a few time due to public and press pressure, were about to arrest Mr. Arbuckle. The mistrials and trials took about two years before Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle was eventually found not guilty. He was practically black-balled by the film industry through the 1920s, however managed to work behind the scenes under pseudonyms for some time before the public and film industry was finally willing to forgive him and allowed him to continue working openly. He was just beginning to get back on track, and adapting to the new "talkies" when he died young. In the mid to late 1910s, Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle was literally and figuratively one the the biggest things in the film industry! 4 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted July 14 Share Posted July 14 I believe the most valuable Pierce Arrow in the world, but maybe a Silver Arrow brings more. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8E45E Posted July 14 Share Posted July 14 7 hours ago, wayne sheldon said: A very interesting man. Surrounded by quite a few well deserved scandals, he was married a couple times, and was known to have had several other affairs. About forty-five years ago, I met one of his ex-wives at a film screening of a couple of his movies. Miss Minta Durfee Arbuckle had nothing but kind words for him, and had devoted much of her life promoting his films and trying to keep his memory alive! In the mid to late 1910s, Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle was literally and figuratively one the the biggest things in the film industry! Fatty Arbuckle also owned a McFarlan. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
58L-Y8 Posted July 14 Share Posted July 14 Although usually credited to Don Lee Coachworks, the "Fatty" Arbuckle Pierce-Arrow 66 touring was actually the work of Earl Automobile Works and designed by a young Harley Earl. Earl Carriage Works, Earl Automobile Works, Harley Earl, J.W. Earl, Don Lee Cadillac, Earl Bodied - Coachbult.com (coachbuilt.com) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Wells Posted July 14 Share Posted July 14 (edited) 18 hours ago, wayne sheldon said: A very interesting man. Surrounded by quite a few well deserved scandals, he was married a couple times, and was known to have had several other affairs. There is a very famous photo of him sitting on the forward step plate on the left side of the car, he looking more than a bit distressed. My father and "Fatty" Arbuckle's fraternal half-brother were good friends for over 30 years. The brother was a noted and respected author and historian, and naturalist in Northern California and an Olympic bicyclist in the 1920's. Interestingly, to my knowledge, no mention was ever made of the Hollywood Arbuckle. Edited July 15 by Dave Wells (see edit history) 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
31nash880 Posted July 15 Share Posted July 15 In looking at the pictures, what is the purpose of what looks like half a fender in the middle of the car? Was this styling used on others? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wayne sheldon Posted July 15 Share Posted July 15 (edited) 1 hour ago, Dave Wells said: My father and "Fatty" Arbuckle's fraternal half-brother were good friends for over 30 years. The brother was a noted and respected author and historian, and naturalist in Northern California My mother knew that Arbuckle, and attended many of his lectures many years ago! My mother also said he rarely spoke of Fattty Arbuckle. 43 minutes ago, 31nash880 said: In looking at the pictures, what is the purpose of what looks like half a fender in the middle of the car? Was this styling used on others? It was a "style" thing. Quite a few sporting roadsters and touring cars, even sedans and coupes, had step plates hanging out from the chassis rather than running boards. Kissels, Jewetts, Chandlers, among several others built many production sporting cars with shortened front fenders and no running boards. A very good friend has a 1915 Biddle sport touring, originally with no doors, and double level step plate front and rear seats for entry. One of the hottest looking brass era cars ever! Almost forty years ago, I considered buying a 1926ish Kissel convertible coupe/cabriolet with short front fenders and very short running boards (basically step plates?). Marmon also built a number of cars that way. I know a couple people that own them. A very good friend has a Chandler sport touring with the step plates, no running boards. Great looking car in a fabulous collection. The partial "fender" ahead of the rear step plate is unusual. It is to prevent muddy splashes from the front tire circling around the step plats and muddying up the rear step plate/ Edited July 15 by wayne sheldon Additional thought. (see edit history) 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8E45E Posted July 15 Share Posted July 15 1 hour ago, 31nash880 said: In looking at the pictures, what is the purpose of what looks like half a fender in the middle of the car? Was this styling used on others? It was also used on this 1922 coachbuilt Dodge that's in the National Auto Museum in Reno. There is another McFarlan in the same museum with a similar design. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert G. Smits Posted July 15 Share Posted July 15 The knowledge of people on this forum never ceases to amaze me! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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