Minneapolis Fire Truck Pierce

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Seeing the wonderful Pierces scheduled to go across the auction block at RM’s Hershey auction, including one re-bodied back into a car after being a Minneapolis fire truck made me want to post the following picture. It shows my father seated at the wheel of a 66 which MFD had converted. The fire truck was probably at the old fire station at 35th and Hennepin Ave S which would only have been a couple blocks from his parent’s home on 34th and Fremont. I believe that he or his brother Frank or Sam spotted the Pierce parked outside and they ran home and got a camera and the others, and took turns taking pictures of each other at the controls. This would have been just before the war. Dad’s grandfather had owned a 1913, Dad’s folks had a Series 81, and Dad’s brother Frank may have had his first PA by this time also.

Hopefully, some of you may be able to shed more light on the vehicle.

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I wonder if it was this one? This is a photo from 1949 Glidden Tour.

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The Pierce Arrow in the 1949 Glidden Tour photo is the 1916 “66”” owned for many years by the late Henry Austin Clark.The body on his car was a custom.The car is very well known and now I believe the “”66″” is in a museum.

It was on the 1954 Anglo-American Vintage Car Run in Great Britain in 1954.”

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Back in the forties, great cars were passed over by collectors or

were obtained by junk yards due to lack of useable tires. Cars with

odd sized tires suffered the worst. Around 1949, Firestone

remanufactured their Non-Skid line of high pressure early tires and

car collecting took off. Firestone gained a great deal of advertising

from their efforts. We take our supply of tires for granted, but we

shouldn’t.

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Dean, I was very fortunate to have met your Uncles, Sam and Frank,

through my attendance of Rodney Flournoy’s amazing tours. They were

P-A experts and had a vast collection of P-A cars and motorcycles. My

memories of them are of a Pierce “66”” and their good humor. I always

regretted making the long trip to see their large collection.”

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I also remember Frank and Sam very well. Fine gentlemen both. I had one of Sam’s cars for 43 years. A 1929 Club Brougham. They had a wonderful Pierce collection. They saved many a Pierce. Most of them are still are in the PAS They were always full of knowledge and stories to share.

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