1933, car, Unknown, Custom Speedster

Type: car • Year: 1933 • Model: Unknown

Vehicle Type	car
Model Year	1933
Model	Unknown
Cylinders	12
Serial Number	--?
Motor Number	360003
Body Style	Custom Speedster
Custom Builder	David B. Kouri, Detroit, MI
Special Features	Engine is Pierce-Arrow V-12, unknown make lengthened chassis and custom body.
Comment	This car apparently built on a previous model lengthened chassis, using a 1933 engine numbered in the “experimental” series. Enamel plaque on front light bar says “ Silver Arrow Custom Body by David B. Kouri, Detroit, MI. June 18, 1933”. From Weis files.

Vehicle History	This information is from owner Stephen Plaster and has not yet been fully documented. DDW 4-2022 WE PURCHASED THE CAR IN JANUARY OF 1999. AND THAT’S ABOUT ALL I KNOW FOR ABSOLUTE CERTAIN. WE WERE ORIGINALLY TOLD THAT THIS CAR WAS BUILT TO BE DADDY WARBUCK’S GOLF CART IN AN EARLY SHIRLEY TEMPLE MOVIE. I HAVE FOUND NOTHING TO SUPPORT THIS. MY NEPHEW, REX SCHAEFER, OBTAINED THE “FILE” FROM NAM, AND FOUND NO GREAT HELP THEREIN. AFTER ALL OF THIS TIME, WE ARE FINALLY FINDING SOME “NEW” PIECES OF HISTORY. DON BOYKO TELLS A GREAT STORY, WHICH I FOUND CREDIBLE. HIS GRANDFATHER DONALD BOYKO AND HIS GRANDFATHER’S BROTHER ELIJAH BOYKO, CAME TO THIS COUNTRY FROM UKRAIN IN 1905. THEY SET UP SHOP IN DETROIT AS THE “BOYKO BROTHERS” REPAIRING THE NEW FANGLED AUTOMOBILES. BOTH MECHANICAL AND PAINT. THEY QUICKLY SPECIALIZED IN PIERCE ARROWS BECAUSE OF THE QUALITY THEREIN. AROUND 1931, A WRECKED (“BROKEN IN HALF”) PIERCE ARROW SHOWED UP AT THE BROTHER’S SHOP. THE BROTHERS USED A MARMON CHASSIS WITH 22 INCH WHEELS, AS A PLATFORM FOR THE DRIVE TRAIN FROM THE PIERCE. WE, AND MR BOYKO, BELIEVE THEY CREATED THIS CAR. SUPPOSEDLY HE HAS A PHOTO OF THE CAR IN FRONT OF THE BROTHER’S SHOP. HIS RECOLLECTION IS THAT IT WAS ORIGINALLY PAINTED A DARK COLOR. (HE HAS PROMISED TO SEND ME THE PHOTO.) THE BOYKO FAMILY HAS BEEN TRYING TO LOCATE THE CAR FOR YEARS, AND REACHED OUT TO ME WHEN THEY SAW IT ON OUR WEBSITE. ALSO RECENTLY, MY BUDDY, MIKE RHODES DISCOVERED SOME NEW EVIDENCE THAT LED HIM TO AN ELDERLY DESCENDANT OF THE KOURI FAMILY. THAT LADY, (I BELIEVE A GREAT GRAND DAUGHTER OF DAVID KOURI) WAS RELUCTANT TO TALK ABOUT THE CAR BECAUSE OF THE “BAD PUBLICITY.” WHEN MIKE FINALLY CONVINCED HER THAT HE WAS INTERESTED IN THE CAR RATHER THAN MUD SLINGINGAT HER FAMILY, SHE SOFTENED UP AND BEGAN TO TELL HIM STORIES. ACCORDING TO HER, KOURI HAD THE CAR BUILT, AND IT WAS MAGNIFICENT. SHE ACTUALLY RODE IN THE CAR. KOURI BEGAN PROMOTING THE CAR AS THE GRAND PRIZE IN A RAFFLE. FOR SOME REASON, THE RAFFLE WAS NEVER HELD. BUT KOURI WAS ABLE TO SELL A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF RAFFLE TICKETS IN SEVERAL DIFFERENT CITIES. THE NEWSPAPER ARTICLE SHE HAD, REPORTS THAT THE CAR WAS VALUED AT $25,000. ANOTHER SHOWS THAT IS COST $30,000 TO BUILD. SHE WENT ON TO EXPLAIN THAT DAVID KOURI WAS INVITED TO SPEND SOME AMOUNT OF TIME WITH ONE OF THE MICHIGAN PENAL INSTITUTIONS. APPARENTLY SOMEONE TOOK A DIM VIEW OF HIS HAVING SOLD SO MANY RAFFLE TICKETS, AND THEN NOT HAVING THE RAFFLE. GO FIGURE! I ALSO BELIEVE THAT THE CAR WAS ACQUIRED BY ONE FRANK GIOMI, WHO OWNED IT UNTIL HE SOLD IT TO WILLIAM HARRAH IN 1963. AND THEN , IN 1986 IT SOLD TO JAMES R. DIEFENTHAL OF NEW ORLEANS. AND WE ACQUIRED IT FROM DIEFENTHAL IN JANUARY 1999. SO AS OF RIGHT NOW, I BELIEVE IT TO BE A 1933 “HOT ROD”, ONE OFF, CLASSIC, WITH A SILVER ARROW SPECIAL DRIVE TRAIN, A MARMON CHASSIS, AND A KISSEL BASED BODY.

Vehicle History

This information is from owner Stephen Plaster and has not yet been fully documented. DDW 4-2022

WE PURCHASED THE CAR IN JANUARY OF 1999. AND THAT’S ABOUT ALL I KNOW FOR ABSOLUTE CERTAIN.

WE WERE ORIGINALLY TOLD THAT THIS CAR WAS BUILT TO BE DADDY WARBUCK’S GOLF CART IN AN EARLY SHIRLEY TEMPLE MOVIE. I HAVE FOUND NOTHING TO SUPPORT THIS.

MY NEPHEW, REX SCHAEFER, OBTAINED THE “FILE” FROM NAM, AND FOUND NO GREAT HELP THEREIN.

AFTER ALL OF THIS TIME, WE ARE FINALLY FINDING SOME “NEW” PIECES OF HISTORY.

DON BOYKO TELLS A GREAT STORY, WHICH I FOUND CREDIBLE. HIS GRANDFATHER DONALD BOYKO AND HIS GRANDFATHER’S BROTHER ELIJAH BOYKO, CAME TO THIS COUNTRY FROM UKRAIN IN 1905. THEY SET UP SHOP IN DETROIT AS THE “BOYKO BROTHERS” REPAIRING THE NEW FANGLED AUTOMOBILES. BOTH MECHANICAL AND PAINT. THEY QUICKLY SPECIALIZED IN PIERCE ARROWS BECAUSE OF THE QUALITY THEREIN.

AROUND 1931, A WRECKED (“BROKEN IN HALF”) PIERCE ARROW SHOWED UP AT THE BROTHER’S SHOP. THE BROTHERS USED A MARMON CHASSIS WITH 22 INCH WHEELS, AS A PLATFORM FOR THE DRIVE TRAIN FROM THE PIERCE. WE, AND MR BOYKO, BELIEVE THEY CREATED THIS CAR. SUPPOSEDLY HE HAS A PHOTO OF THE CAR IN FRONT OF THE BROTHER’S SHOP. HIS RECOLLECTION IS THAT IT WAS ORIGINALLY PAINTED A DARK COLOR. (HE HAS PROMISED TO SEND ME THE PHOTO.)

THE BOYKO FAMILY HAS BEEN TRYING TO LOCATE THE CAR FOR YEARS, AND REACHED OUT TO ME WHEN THEY SAW IT ON OUR WEBSITE.

ALSO RECENTLY, MY BUDDY, MIKE RHODES DISCOVERED SOME NEW EVIDENCE THAT LED HIM TO AN ELDERLY DESCENDANT OF THE KOURI FAMILY. THAT LADY, (I BELIEVE A GREAT GRAND DAUGHTER OF DAVID KOURI) WAS RELUCTANT TO TALK ABOUT THE CAR BECAUSE OF THE “BAD PUBLICITY.” WHEN MIKE FINALLY CONVINCED HER THAT HE WAS INTERESTED IN THE CAR RATHER THAN MUD SLINGINGAT HER FAMILY, SHE SOFTENED UP AND BEGAN TO TELL HIM STORIES. ACCORDING TO HER, KOURI HAD THE CAR BUILT, AND IT WAS MAGNIFICENT. SHE ACTUALLY RODE IN THE CAR.

KOURI BEGAN PROMOTING THE CAR AS THE GRAND PRIZE IN A RAFFLE. FOR SOME REASON, THE RAFFLE WAS NEVER HELD. BUT KOURI WAS ABLE TO SELL A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF RAFFLE TICKETS IN SEVERAL DIFFERENT CITIES. THE NEWSPAPER ARTICLE SHE HAD, REPORTS THAT THE CAR WAS VALUED AT $25,000. ANOTHER SHOWS THAT IS COST $30,000 TO BUILD. SHE WENT ON TO EXPLAIN THAT DAVID KOURI WAS INVITED TO SPEND SOME AMOUNT OF TIME WITH ONE OF THE MICHIGAN PENAL INSTITUTIONS. APPARENTLY SOMEONE TOOK A DIM VIEW OF HIS HAVING SOLD SO MANY RAFFLE TICKETS, AND THEN NOT HAVING THE RAFFLE. GO FIGURE!

I ALSO BELIEVE THAT THE CAR WAS ACQUIRED BY ONE FRANK GIOMI, WHO OWNED IT UNTIL HE SOLD IT TO WILLIAM HARRAH IN 1963. AND THEN , IN 1986 IT SOLD TO JAMES R. DIEFENTHAL OF NEW ORLEANS. AND WE ACQUIRED IT FROM DIEFENTHAL IN JANUARY 1999.

SO AS OF RIGHT NOW, I BELIEVE IT TO BE A 1933 “HOT ROD”, ONE OFF, CLASSIC, WITH A SILVER ARROW SPECIAL DRIVE TRAIN, A MARMON CHASSIS, AND A KISSEL BASED BODY.