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Just watched the episode of American Pickers from last night, featured collection of the late Dick Roy from New Jersey. One brief camera shot showed a very nice Pierce phaeton, I see he’s listed in the roster, it’s a 1930 Model B.
That episode was actually filmed a while back.
Anyone know the car, is it still in the collection, or is the family selling cars? Looked like a very nice bunch of 20’s and 30’s cars.
I saw it too. The daughter or niece was very noncommittal on the sale of the cars, probably for the show. He must have had 40 open cars, and a Bunch of nice collectible stuff. That episode is worth taping so you can see the stuff inthe background.
Here is an interesting listing
http://https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/2421962/richard-roy-collection.txt
Be sure to take the first http:// off. It seem every time I copy to the “optional URL”” space it doubles the http”
Here’s the correct link, interesting reading.
Seems the 1930 phaeton came out of Tom Lester’s collection.
After further research, found that many of these cars, including this and two other Pierce Arrow’s. were sold at Hershey Sotheby’s auction last year.
http://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/2421962/richard-roy-collection.txt
Ten of twelve years ago a number of us formed a touring club (VCCA) and Tom Lester was a member. If in fact this was his car, you can almost guarantee that the car is a real runner. The process that he rebuilt and modernized mechanical components he referred to as being “lesterized”. It was not unusual to be passed by a 1913 gigantic brass car going 70 miles per hour. He was a great guy, and politically and ultra conservative.
When I restored my second Pierce, a ’35 coupe, I sent the engine (
to Lester’s shop in Florida. He’d done a ’34 for me and I was really pleased. I remember the conversation on the second engine, he asked me what I was going to do with the car, light tours and shows, or drive across country, because he could rebuild to either task. This was in the 1980’s, and I remember the pricing was $500 “per hole” for general use, $1500 per hole for cross country touring, which included a lot of modernizing inside the engine! I opted for the local option, and the engine was excellent….
As a follow up, I now see that the Model B phaeton I first asked about is for sale by Hyman, for somewhat more than paid at auction.
tom lester lived about 5 miles from me in chagrin falls ohio. when i got out of college (’62) i had a series 81 coupe . tom and some of the other “big time” collectors (al ferrara, joe loecy and others) spent a lot of time mentoring me in the fine points of their cars and didn’t mind a bit if i hung around and listened to them. tom was known for some modifications to his collection and could make a car go a little faster. before he moved his operation to florida he opened lester tire here in bedford ohio and he also manufactured racing rims for motorcycles. if it wasn’t for men like tom taking the time to help a young kid i am not sure i would still love antique cars so much.
I met Tom Lester at Art Austria’s Auction in 1971. He had a gorgeous
woman on his arm, that I assume was his wife. He manufactured the
Lester Tire that my Pierce-Arrow was so happy to wear. No more was
she embarrassed to be seen in Firestone Mud and Snow tires that would
cup and wear out prematurely(the only new tires available at the time
of her restoration).I still prefer Lesters when I can find them.
On one of Rodney Flournoy’s legendary Tours, Tom Lester flew out in
a private plane. The 1913 Peugeot(a 75+MPH big car)was sent by a truck
with a crew. A strong wind came up with some moisture. Lester didn’t
stay very long and left on his plane. The Peugeot, one of my favorite
brass era cars, left the next day without a California mile on it.
Tom Lester taught me how to drink bourbon, I was not yet 21! 😃
That’s a neat story, Ed! Or, at least I assume it was neat…..
One should always drink fine spirits neat!
Yes……neat it was!