Weird Wednesday: A Pierce Arrow in London

• 
• 
• 

When RM holds a sale in London you expect to see British cars on the auction block. Indeed there are lots and lots of them, but there’s also this spectacular American car, a 1920 Pierce-Arrow Model 48 2/3-Passenger Coupé. In itself already an interesting automobile, but this one is rather special. The standard 48 was delivered new to Emerson Carey, founder and owner of the Carey Salt Company. In 1945, the Pierce was acquired by another wealthy Kansan. He wanted to create something really different, sort of “the Hope Diamond of antique cars”. The aluminium body was covered with 23-carat gold. Every inch of the chassis and engine was also plated, either gold or nickel. The bonnet and wings were nickeled, and all the interior fittings were silver plated. Even the hickory-spoke artillery wheels were done in 23-carat gold leaf. Did you notice the characteristic wing-mounted headlamps? RM’s London sale will be on October 27th.
(photos courtesy RM)

Kommentar abgeben...