Vehicle Description
The earliest known owner of this Pierce-Arrow Model 31
four-passenger roadster was Joe W. Buttress of South Pasadena,
California, for whom a 1930 registration is included in the file.
According to an affidavit on file, the car was then partially
dismantled and put in storage with George Metcalf of Los Angeles
until 1952. That year Mr. Metcalf sold the Pierce for $800 to Ray
Nelson, a very early Southern California collector and enthusiast
in whose large museum this car would remain for the rest of his
life. Additional registrations for Mr. Nelson's ownership, as well
as photographs of the car as found and numerous invoices and
receipts, are included in the file. It was shown in his care at the
Pierce-Arrow Society's West Coast Meet in the early 1960s, having
been cosmetically refinished and mechanically rebuilt. In 1978 the
car was sold from the Nelson estate to longtime Pierce-Arrow
Society member and enthusiast Rodney Flournoy, who wrote in detail
of his acquisition and a long-distance trip undertaken in the
roadster in the PAS Arrow (1979, No. 2). In this ownership the car
was first noted to have the current engine, 311270, a correct
replacement unit. The Pierce remained with Mr. Flournoy until 2004
and then was sold to longtime collector Don Short of Port Ludlow,
Washington. Following Mr. Short's passing, the Pierce-Arrow was
acquired by Peter Hageman and was repainted and improved
throughout, with the older interior and top remaining intact and in
wonderfully patinated condition. The most recent collection then
acquired the car, and it has remained well kept since, with its
lifetime of good care by enthusiasts still visible in every nut and
bolt. It is handsomely finished in medium gray with black fenders,
and the body is accented with discreet dark green coachlines.
Natural finish artillery wheels and dual rear-mounted spares
complete the sporty presentation. The appeal of this Pierce-Arrow
is obvious upon inspection: it has been used, but not abused, and
carefully preserved and enjoyed for all its long life. It is ideal
for further touring enjoyment with the AACA, VMCCA, and the CCCA,
or simply for cruising around town and savoring its peppy
performance. It would of course be welcomed back to any number of
Pierce-Arrow Society events, where it would undoubtedly be reunited
with old friends who fondly remember it from decades past. Offers
welcome and trades considered For additional details please view
this listing directly on our website
https://hymanltd.com/vehicles/7154-1919-pierce-arrow-model-31/
