Peerless Model 56 (V8) History
Peerless's pioneering V8 luxury car — among the earliest American V8s, launched to chase Cadillac and the company's mainstay through the late 1910s and early 1920s.
Photo: “Peerless Model 56 7-Passenger Touring 1917” by Lars-Göran Lindgren Sweden / Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
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Peerless introduced its first V8 engine in 1915, following Cadillac's landmark V8 of a year earlier, and built it into the Model 56. It was one of the earliest American V8-powered cars and signalled Peerless's intent to stay at the technical front of the luxury market.
The Model 56's side-valve V8 displaced about 332 cubic inches and produced roughly 80 horsepower, paired with a four-speed transmission, in a range of open and closed bodies. It became the company's staple model and its post-war volume peaked at 6,213 cars in 1920.
The V8 strategy kept Peerless relevant through the late 1910s and early 1920s, but the company would later turn to bought-in engines from Continental as costs and competition mounted in the prestige class.
Generations
Model 56 (V8) · Model 56
Photo: “Peerless Model 56 7-Passenger Touring 1917” by Lars-Göran Lindgren Sweden / Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
Side-valve V8 luxury car of about 332 cubic inches and 80 horsepower — Peerless's post-war mainstay in open and closed bodies.
1917 Photo: “Peerless Model 56 7-Passenger Touring 1917” by Lars-Göran Lindgren Sweden / Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
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