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1913 Pierce Arrow

The Logo
(1 of 4) (7867 views)

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The logo on the front of the car was attached to the radiator. Cut from brass and polished, the logo featured the word Pierce (the last name of George N. Pierce) with an arrow run left to right through that name. The date was added later.


1913 Pierce Arrow Automobile   •  Built by the George N. Pierce Company 1872 to 1933 external link   •  San Diego Automotive Museum internal link   •  Balboa Park, San Diego, California   •  (Photo posted Sunday 10 April 2011)   •  (Photo taken 13:11:13 Sunday 17 October 2010)   •  © 2011 Bryan Costales Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License #BCY_1458
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The Car
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The Pierce Arrow had always been marketed as a luxury automobile. Prior to 1914, as in this 1913 model, the headlights mounted on either side of the radiator. Beginning in 1914 the headlights move to be embedded into the front fenders. This car was a convertible and its roof was removed for this exhibit.


1913 Pierce Arrow Automobile   •  Built by the George N. Pierce Company 1872 to 1933 external link   •  San Diego Automotive Museum internal link   •  Balboa Park, San Diego, California   •  (Photo posted Sunday 10 April 2011)   •  (Photo taken 13:10:31 Sunday 17 October 2010)   •  © 2011 Bryan Costales Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License #BCY_1454
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The Instrumentation
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Early automobiles used both an accelerator peddle and a clutch peddle. The brass bar was a foot-rest for the passenger. Gauges were always analog mechanical devices. Notice the straps used to hold the hood shut and that the windshield was mounted on the steering wheel.


1913 Pierce Arrow Automobile   •  Built by the George N. Pierce Company 1872 to 1933 external link   •  San Diego Automotive Museum internal link   •  Balboa Park, San Diego, California   •  (Photo posted Sunday 10 April 2011)   •  (Photo taken 13:10:44 Sunday 17 October 2010)   •  © 2011 Bryan Costales Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License #BCY_1455
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The Steering Wheel
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A close-up showing how the windshield was mounted on the steering wheel. The gear shift was also on the steering wheel and offered four forward gears and one reverse gear. This was the touring Model 38 C and was powered by a six-cylinder Pierce engine that developed 38 horsepower.


1913 Pierce Arrow Automobile   •  Built by the George N. Pierce Company 1872 to 1933 external link   •  San Diego Automotive Museum internal link   •  Balboa Park, San Diego, California   •  (Photo posted Sunday 10 April 2011)   •  (Photo taken 13:10:55 Sunday 17 October 2010)   •  © 2011 Bryan Costales Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License #BCY_1457
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