Pierce-Arrow Big Six (6-36 / 6-48 / 6-66) History

From 1910 Pierce-Arrow committed almost entirely to six-cylinder cars, building its range around three engine sizes designated 6-36, 6-48, and 6-66 (the suffix indicating rated horsepower). These cars defined Pierce-Arrow's identity through its golden age, sold to industrialists, financiers, and heads of state as the equal of any luxury car in the world.

In 1914 the company adopted its signature styling feature: the headlamps were moved off the radiator sides into flared housings faired into the front fenders. Pierce patented the fender-mounted headlamp, and it remained a Pierce-Arrow hallmark until the final 1938 cars. From 1918 these engines became the celebrated Dual Valve Six — a four-valve-per-cylinder, twin-ignition T-head six prized for its smoothness and durability. In its higher-priced form (the Series 33, then the Series 36) the six continued past this early range's numbering until 1928, when the Series 36 became the last six-cylinder Pierce-Arrow and the straight-eight took over for 1929.