Tag Archives: peerless

1909 Peerless

Posted on by
Reply

1909 Peerless Model 19 Touring

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Hershey, Pennsylvania | October 8, 2021

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

By 1909 Peerless was pretty much just that – without peers. They built some of the highest-quality cars money could buy in America before WWI. The company’s 1909 range consisted of the four-cylinder Model 19 and the six-cylinder Model 25.

This is one of two 1909 Model 19s known to exist and is powered by a 30-(or 40?)-horsepower, T-head inline-four. An array of body styles were offered by the factory, but you really couldn’t go wrong with a seven-passenger touring car like this one. A then-astronomical $4,300 was required to take one home in 1909.

This car has known ownership history back to the 1950s, and it was restored for the first time around 1960. It was refinished again in 1991 and is an accomplished historic tourer. The catalog estimate is $100,000-$150,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $286,000.

Three Classics from Bonhams

Posted on by
Reply

1904 Peerless Type 8 Style K King of Belgium Touring by Quinby

Offered by Bonhams | Amelia Island, Florida | March 7, 2019

Photo – Bonhams

Peerless was one of the finest American motor cars you could buy before WWII. And their obsession with quality started early, even if these early cars were a little more innovative than their later creations.

The Type 8 was one of three models you could buy from the company in 1904. This car carries “King of Belgium” coachwork from the J.M. Quinby Company of Newark, New Jersey, and power is from 24 horsepower inline-four.

This car has been in collector hands since the 1950s and was first restored in the 60s. It’s the type of car you only ever see in museums. But it can be yours – for between $400,000-$480,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $698,000.

1904 Thomas Flyer Model 22 Rear-Entrance Tonneau

Offered by Bonhams | Amelia Island, Florida | March 7, 2019

Photo – Bonhams

The first Thomas cars were sold in 1903, but the 1904 Flyer would be the car that would take the company to great heights before they ultimately went out of business in 1918. In 1904, the Flyer was the company’s first multi-cylinder automobile: a 24 horsepower, 4.3-liter inline-three.

This car is being sold from the estate of Harold Coker, who owned quite a few Thomas Flyers. It is said that this is the only Model 22 Flyer remaining, making it the earliest such example of the legendary name that won the famed New York to Paris race in 1908. It should bring between $400,000-$500,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $489,000.

1906 Stevens-Duryea Model U Five-Passenger Touring

Offered by Bonhams | Amelia Island, Florida | March 7, 2019

Photo – Bonhams

After the Duryea brothers parted ways, Frank teamed up with the Stevens Arms Company to begin production of a finely engineered automobile called the Stevens-Duryea. The company existed in Chicopee Falls, Massachusetts from 1901 through 1927. These big early tourers were really their best stuff.

The Model U was technically a 1907 model, but it doesn’t matter. Because it’s awesome. Power is from a 35 horsepower, 5.5-liter inline-six. Ten examples of the Model U are said to exist, which is good news. Hopefully, they’ll be around for a long time to come. This particular car should bring between $175,000-$225,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $173,600.

Peerless “King of Belgium”

Posted on by
Reply

1904 Peerless Type 8 Style K King of Belgium Touring by Quinby

Offered by Bonhams | Amelia Island, Florida | March 7, 2019

Photo – Bonhams

Peerless was one of the finest American motor cars you could buy before WWII. And their obsession with quality started early, even if these early cars were a little more innovative than their later creations.

The Type 8 was one of three models you could buy from the company in 1904. This car carries “King of Belgium” coachwork from the J.M. Quinby Company of Newark, New Jersey, and power is from 24 horsepower inline-four.

This car has been in collector hands since the 1950s and was first restored in the 60s. It’s the type of car you only ever see in museums. But it can be yours – for between $400,000-$480,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $698,000.

Peerless GT

Posted on by
2

1959 Peerless GT

Offered by Russo & Steele | Newport Beach, California | June 5-7, 2015

Photo - Russo & Steele

Photo – Russo & Steele

The Peerless GT is a very attractive four-seat grand tourer that was built in limited numbers in the U.K. between 1957 and 1960. It was the only car Peerless ever built, even though the company could trace its roots back to World War I, when they serviced American Peerless trucks.

It’s a fiberglass body and uses the drivetrain components from a Triumph TR3. The engine is a 2.0-liter straight-four making 100 horsepower, so it slightly out-powers the TR3. Some of these were used in racing and there was even a factory Le Mans effort in 1958. When Peerless folded in 1960, the car lived on through 1962 as the Warwick GT.

Only about 325 Peerless GTs were built. They certainly aren’t common but they are around. Seriously, this is a pretty car, isn’t it? Even if it’s a little Aston Martin-ish, it’s still distinct. $45,000 will buy you the best one around. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Not sold.

April 2015 Auction Highlights, Pt I

Posted on by
Reply

Well this might be titled April 2015 auction highlights, but the first few auctions are actually from March, starting with Bonhams’ all-Mercedes auction in Stuttgart. The top sale was this 1938 Mercedes-Benz 540K Cabriolet A that sold for $2,993,220.

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

Our featured 770K was close behind, selling for $2,506,821. Check out full results here.

Next up is Silverstone Auctions’ Restoration Show Sale where there were a few cars on offer in need of a restoration. But the top sale was the newest car in the sale, a 2010 Porsche 911 GT2 RS which brought $349,650.

Photo - Silverstone Auctions

Photo – Silverstone Auctions

We featured a Renault Sport Spider from this sale and it sold for $33,300. Check out full results here.

The third sale of this rundown is Auctions America’s large Ft. Lauderdale sale. We featured a number of cars and the top seller of those feature cars was the “Shorty” Mustang Prototype. It went for $511,500. The overall top seller was this 1959 Ferrari 250 GT Coupe for $715,000.

Photo - Auctions America

Photo – Auctions America

All of our five featured Shelbys sold, with the Dakota being the only one to meet the lower end of its estimate, selling for $24,200. The Lancer sold for $16,500 while the CSX brought $17,600. The Omni was next at $15,400 and the cheapest of the bunch was the Charger at $11,000.

The Renault Camionette sold for $39,600 and the Cupelle brought $45,100. The Westland Prototype failed to sell and the D.F.P. was apparently withdrawn from the sale.

Next we move to Mecum’s Houston sale where our featured Duesenberg was the top sale at $500,000 – which was an excellent buy. The Buddy Stewart pickup failed to sell but the other pickup, the Rugby, sold for $35,000. An interesting sale was this 1910 Peerless Model 27 for $275,000.

Photo - Mecum

Photo – Mecum

Another similar car that we featured, a 1910 Parry Model 40 was an good buy at $50,000. The 1906 Packard was a little more expensive at $300,000. Check out full results here.

And finally, H&H Auctions’ sale held at the Imperial War Museum, where this 1969 Aston Martin DB6 Mk II was far and away the top seller at $417,200.

Photo - H&H Auctions

Photo – H&H Auctions

We featured two cars from this sale and they both sold. The super interesting Vinot et Deguingand brought $42,554. And the Riley Gamecock sold for a similar $47,144. Check out full results here.

Peerless Truck

Posted on by
Reply

1915 Peerless TC4 4-Ton Open Back

Offered by Bonhams | Staplehurst, U.K. | June 14, 2014

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

This sale from Bonhams includes quite a number of really awesome commercial vehicles. I don’t have enough time to feature them individually, but because they’re so cool (and you so rarely see them at auction), I thought I’d do two posts that cover the coolest among them (which is pretty much all of them).

This truck is from one of America’s premier luxury car manufacturers. They started building trucks in 1911 and the U.S. Army loved them. The British government bought 12,000 of them between 1915 and 1918, during the First World War. This thing uses a 6.8-liter four-cylinder and was in service with the British government until 1956. It’s beautiful. And it should sell for between $34,000-$42,000. Click here for more.

Update: Sold $72,173.

Awesome Classic Commercial Vehicles

Posted on by
Reply

The Michael Banfield Collection

Offered by Bonhams | Staplehurst, U.K. | June 14, 2014

 1915 Peerless TC4 4-Ton Open Back

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

This sale from Bonhams includes quite a number of really awesome commercial vehicles. I don’t have enough time to feature them individually, but because they’re so cool (and you so rarely see them at auction), I thought I’d do two posts that cover the coolest among them (which is pretty much all of them).

This truck is from one of America’s premier luxury car manufacturers. They started building trucks in 1911 and the U.S. Army loved them. The British government bought 12,000 of them between 1915 and 1918, during the First World War. This thing uses a 6.8-liter four-cylinder and was in service with the British government until 1956. It’s beautiful. And it should sell for between $34,000-$42,000. Click here for more.

Update: Sold $72,173.

1922 Tilling-Stevens TS3A Open Top Double Deck Bus

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

Continue reading →

1910 Peerless Victoria

Posted on by
1

1910 Peerless Model 29 Park Phaeton/Victoria by Brewster

Offered by Bonhams | Carmel, California | August 16, 2013

1910 Peerless Model 29 Park PhaetonVictoria by Brewster

The early years of the automobile industry saw a lot of scrambling among manufacturers to decided who stood where with regards to prestige and customer base. Peerless ended up on top, at least in the prestige category and at least in the early years of the market. They were among the three famed American “P”s – Peerless, Packard and Pierce-Arrow.

And it was cars like this strange coachbuilt luxury convertible that put Peerless at the top. This was not a practical car by any means – it’s obviously to be driven by a chauffeur, and the “convertible top” really doesn’t do you much good if it starts raining (unless you’re driving in reverse).

The Model 29 was introduced halfway through the 1910 model year (and may have only been built through 1911). It features a 6.7-liter straight-four making 25 horsepower. The custom bodywork is by Brewster – who provided many early extravagant coachbuilt bodies for wealthy customers in the New York area. And this car spent some time in the New York City area. It was owned by Doris Duke, a wealthy heiress, and it was apparently in the family of her husband, the Vice President of Peerless – perhaps from new.

The car has known ownership history since and is coming from a European museum collection. Close inspection by experts revealed that this car might be in original condition – possibly being “refurbished as needed” throughout its life – but never outright restored. I’d imagine it’s the only Model 29 in existence with this coachwork – and perhaps the only one like it built. It is expected to sell for between $300,000-$350,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this awesome Bonhams sale.

Update: Sold $176,000.

Update II: Sold for $231,000 at Bonhams Simeone Foundation sale.

1915 Peerless Touring Car

Posted on by
1

1915 Peerless 48 HP Seven-Passenger Touring

Offered by RM Auctions | Hershey, Pennsylvania | October 11-12, 2012

This big WWI-era touring car is beautiful. Then again, I’m usually pretty crazy for these cars – but to be one from the “Three P’s” (Peerless, Packard, Pierce-Arrow) makes it even more special. Peerless got off to kind of a slow start in the early 1900s, but by the Teens, production was in full swing and they were turning out some of the finest cars you could buy.

The cars were built in Cleveland and this one has a 48 horsepower 9.5-liter T-head straight-six. The car seats seven and the original owner had five kids – making this their minivan. When the owner, a wealthy Pennsylvanian businessman, died in 1933, the car was put into storage for the next 30 years.

Light work was done on the car over that period by the purchaser’s grandson, but it wasn’t until 2003 that the car was fully restored, making its show circuit debut in 2010, reaping awards wherever it went. It is believed that this car has only covered 24,500 miles since new and it is the only 1915 Peerless 48 HP Seven-Passenger Touring known to exist and it is being sold from the same family that bought it in 1915. For more information, click here. And for more from RM in Hershey, click here.

Update: Not sold.