Ab Jenkins recreation PA Auction

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This is a recreation, but I thought it gave some interesting reading.

http://www.worldwide-auctioneers.com/auctions/details.cfm?vehicleID=19&id=49

http://www.worldwide-auctioneers.com/auctions/details.cfm?vehicleID=19&id=49&pic=1

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In typical fashion of hasty auction house research, Worldwide Auctioneers have several errors in their story. I feel the need to set the story straight. Here goes:

They talk of only 2 runs that Ab Jenkins made – the initial one in 1932 and the one in 1934:

“In 1934, Jenkins arranged for his second endurance run on the Salt, the first one that would officially go for the record…Jenkins set out on another endurance race with the same Pierce-Arrow, although this time, equipped with a streamlined boat-tail body.”

The facts are that Ab made THREE runs – the initial run in 1932 that was not sanctioned by AAA, in a stripped-down stock 1932 roadster (175hp); the second run in 1933 (sanctioned), in a stripped-down ported and relieved 1933 roadster (207hp); and the third run in 1934, in a custom bodied speedster (235hp)that the car up for auction is fashioned after.

The second misstatement is “The beautiful 1932 Pierce-Arrow presented is a faithful recreation of the vehicle raced by Ab Jenkins in 1934, constructed in conjunction with Ab’s son, Marvin, who was the chief mechanic on all his father’s record setting drives.”

First of all, the car presented is modeled after the 1934, not a 1932.

Second, Marv Jenkins was about 14 in 1934 (12 in 1932), and while present at the run, and has been a wonderful source of information on this car and the Duesenberg “Mormon Meteors”, contributing to several books, had only general handyman and “go-fer” duties at the run.

Continuing, WWA states “He [Marv] actually helped Ab build the original car in the Pierce-Arrow factory in Cleveland.” Marv was in school in LA at the time, and obviously the P-A factory was in Buffalo. Omar Diles was the Pierce engineer that helped Ab boost the horsepower of the V-12 engine.

Regarding the recreation itself, “A 1932 Pierce-Arrow chassis was located in California…” The 1934 car used a 1934 chassis, of 138/139″ wheelbase, not the 147″ limousine wheelbase 1932 chassis. This resulted in a larger overall car body than the original. The recreation, while a great project and interesting car, has several other differences from the original, for those who care. The original 1934 had the fabulous Stewart-Warner power brakes, while the 1932 chassis has conventional cable mechanical brakes. The dashboard of the recreation has a few mismatched modern gauges as opposed to the full instrument panel correct for the period of the original.

I’ll bet it sounds good though!

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Thanks for the update Bob, I knew from the text things were off the mark. Are there any engine photos of the 34 car? I’m interested to know what they ran for carbs and manifolds. I thought the modern gauges were way out of place also. All that work , why not use correct era stuff? Hope to see you get yours back on the front burner. Ed

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