1902 Pierce Motorette | RM Sotheby's | The Hershey Auction

To Be OFFERED AT AUCTION WITHOUT RESERVE at RM Sothebys' The Hershey Auction event, 7 - 8 October 2026.
Offered Without Reserve | $60,000 - $80,000 USD

• One of just four known surviving 1902 Pierce Motorettes
• High-quality restoration with known history dating to the 1950s
• Among the earliest surviving automobiles produced by the company that would become Pierce-Arrow
• A CCCA Full Classic

George N. Pierce's Buffalo, New York, company earned its reputation producing exceptionally well-crafted birdcages before expanding into bicycles and, at the dawn of the automobile age, motor cars. Those pioneering efforts ultimately evolved into the legendary Pierce-Arrow, one of America's most prestigious pre-war luxury automobile manufacturers. The Motorette represents the very beginning of that remarkable legacy—a compact, elegantly appointed horseless carriage featuring buggy-style coachwork, tiller steering, and the proven 3.5-horsepower De Dion single-cylinder engine, one of the era's most respected powerplants used by leading manufacturers on both sides of the Atlantic.

Longtime Pierce-Arrow Society historian Bernard Weis recorded only four surviving examples of the 1902 Motorette, making this automobile one of the rarest early American motor cars in existence, confirming its incredible historical significance.

This Motorette is chassis number 32 and engine number 2175, both of which correspond to a 1902 model per Mr. Weis’ records. He noted that the car with engine number 2175 had been purchased in the 1950s by John Wittich of Reading, Pennsylvania. Following his passing in 1961, the car remained with his daughter, Kitty Wittich, until the mid-1980s, when Lawrence and Jane MacElree of Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, purchased it.

The MacElrees reportedly commissioned a high-quality restoration by the respected specialists at D.L. George Historic Motorcars of Cochranville, Pennsylvania. Upon completion, the Motorette is understood to have traveled to England to participate in the famed 1989 London to Brighton Veteran Car Run before returning to the United States, where it appeared at concours and Pierce-Arrow Society events throughout the East Coast.

In 2017, the Motorette joined the distinguished collection of noted collector Henry Petronis before being acquired by James G. Robinson, where it became the oldest automobile in his collection and one of the highlights on display.

Believed to be one of approximately 23 Motorettes produced for 1902 and one of only four known survivors, this extraordinary automobile represents the earliest chapter in the history of one of America's most celebrated pre-war automotive manufacturers. Combining exceptional rarity, known provenance, event history, and outstanding historical importance, it offers a remarkable opportunity to acquire one of the foundational automobiles of the Pierce-Arrow legacy and would stand as a centerpiece in any significant Brass Era or marque-specific collection.
To view this car and others currently consigned to this auction, please visit the RM website at rmsothebys.com/auctions/hf26/.