I have seen 2 Door 5 Passenger PA’s referred to in the roster as Coach, Sedan,Club Brougham, or DeLuxe Sedan. In the 79-1 Arrow is a listing of PA’s, and the vehicle in question is called a 2 Door Coach. All photos and actual vehicles I have seen with this body style appear to be the same. What is with the name difference? (I have a 26 “2 Door Coach”, and that is why I am interested. Thanks, Tim Eyssen
Hello Tim,
The Series 80 Coach was the lesser expensive of the two sub-models of the Series 80s. The other is the De Luxe, which sold for a premium of approximately 15%. The most noticeable exterior distinction between the Coach and the De Luxe is that the De Luxe has a radius on the rear perimeter of the rear side window. Also, the rear roof line on the De Luxe has more of a radius than does the Coach. In both cases cited above, the Coach has squared features.
In addition to the features mentioned above, the De Luxe had as superior level of finish on the interior and exterior (mahogany versus painted steel interior window surrounds, paint color availability, etc.). I believe I have seen Coach Series 80s with four (4) lug wheels, were as I have only seen six (6) lugs on De Luxe Series 80s.
Regarding your question on distinctions between the Sedan, Club Brougham, etc., The Sedan and Club Brougham are different body styles, with the Sedan being a four (4) door and the Club Brougham being a two (2) door with large front doors and a generous rear seating section. If it were a smaller rear section, it would be a Coupe.
I believe that the Series 80 offerings in 1926 included the following; 5-passenger two-door Coach (yours), 5-passenger four-door Coach and De Luxe Sedan, 7-passenger four-door Coach and De Luxe Sedan, Coach & De Luxe 7-passenger Enclosed Drive Limousine, De Luxe Touring in 5 & 7 passenger, De Luxe 4-passenger Coupe and De Luxe Runabout. I have not SEEN advertisements for a Series 80 Club Brougham.
I may be wrong on some of this, but I believe that the info is credible. Other members will comment as to its accuracy
Good luck on learning about you fine, Pierce-Arrow.
Hi Tim,
Peter’s explanation is spot on.
I believe the confusion is caused by the fact that in 1928 the same basic body style (i.e. a body which has the rear body line ending about the center line of the rear wheels) became known as the 5 Pass. Brougham. Then in 1929 and 30 Pierce-Arrow began using Club Brougham as a description.. Hope this helps.
Happy motoring
Rick
Thank you both Peter and Rick for your responses. My query was prompted by seeing at a recent show a vehicle identical to mine referred to as a Club Brougham. I realize this sounds better than a plain “2 door 5 passenger coach”.
Again: Thank you both.
Kindest Regard,
Tim
The term “Club Brougham” is often misused, even by P-A owners (horrors!).
I concur with comments by Peter and Rick.
Compounding the confusion are the factors that many manufacturers in the mid-1920s called their full-rear-seat 2-door offering a “coach.” Pierce-Arrow called their entire flat-roof Series 80 line the “Coach Series.” So it appears that your car could be described, tongue-in-cheek, as a “Coach coach.” As W.C. Fields was wont to remark, “Pardon my redundancy.”
Your body style in a Series 80 is thus correctly described, as Peter said, a “two-door coach.” The full-rear-seat two-door was only offered in the Coach sub-series.
A little about the Coach sub-series of Series 80 cars: The Series 80 was intended to compete with the Packard 6 (initially called the “Single Six” when Packard still offered the “Twin Six” V-12) but the Series 80 “Deluxe” closed models were priced at about $650 more than comparable bodies on the Packard 6 chassis. To become more competitive at the Packard 6 price point, PAMCC developed the Series 80 Coach (vs Deluxe) sub-series with only closed body styles, and where there were similar models (5-p sedan, 7-p sedan, and even EDL) the Coach series body styles sold for $650 less than comparable body styles in Deluxe sub-series.) Either PAMCC lost money on the Coach series (doubtful) or they had a high profit margin on the Deluxe series. That is, the Coach sub-series was a terrific buy at the time and no one should look down their noses at one.
Other differences between Deluxe and Coach were two-piece (D) vs one-piece (C) windshields, mahogany interior window moldings (D) vs painted woodgrain steel moldings (C), and two (D) vs one (C) external beltline moldings. Certainly not a $650 difference in cost to build….
In my own view, perhaps the best-looking Series 80 closed car is the close-coupled sedan in the Coach sub-series.
Enjoy and take pride in your car, Tim!
Best regards,
George