To Be OFFERED AT AUCTION WITHOUT RESERVE at RM Sothebys' The Hershey Auction event, 7 - 8 October 2026.
Offered Without Reserve | $35,000 - $55,000 USD
- One of 14 known surviving examples
- Unusually specified with free-standing “bracket” headlights
- Attractively equipped and restored in elegant colors
- A CCCA Full Classic
Renowned luxury automaker Pierce-Arrow of Buffalo, New York, merged with Studebaker in 1928, the latter putting its considerable fortunes fully behind the development of Pierce’s first eight-cylinder engine, a replacement for its long-lived six. Debuting in 1929, the new straight-eight was a breakthrough; it weighed some 100 pounds less than the big T-head inline-six that it replaced and delivered 25 percent more power from a 12 percent smaller displacement. It was even less expensive, with prices beginning at $2,775, offering Pierce-Arrow quality to a broader market in no fewer than 12 body styles.
Offered here is an intriguing example of the Model 133, wearing one of the series’ most attractive body styles, the Club Brougham. Records of the late Pierce-Arrow historian Bernard Weis note serial number 2000909 as one of 14 known survivors. It was unusually specified, with steel artillery wheels and dual rear-mounted spare wheels, rather than the more common, optional side-mounted spares. Even more interesting, it was ordered with conventional bracket headlights in lieu of Pierce-Arrow’s trademark headlamps integrated into the tops of the front fenders. Bracket headlights were a no-cost option for more conservative buyers, or those who lived in areas where the fender lights were not legally permitted.
Among this Club Brougham’s distinguished owners are several well-known figures in the Pierce-Arrow world from Michigan, most notably Meadow Brook Concours d’Elegance Co-Founder Del DeRees, G. Jack Ritsema of Zeeland, and Calvin Dyke of Coopersville, who completed its restoration. In 2022, it was acquired from Mr. Dyke by Larry Gardon, in whose ownership it earned a class award at the Amelia Concours and received an Antique Automobile Club of America National First Prize in 2023. It joined the Vehicle Vault Collection thereafter.
Charmingly finished in its present subtle yet elegant livery of Granite Gray and Cameron Heath with yellow striping, this Club Brougham retains its original serial number tag, as well as its original body number tag on the floor sill. The interior is especially lovely and well-detailed, with rich wool cloth upholstery still in fine condition. The odometer recorded 1,962 miles at the time of cataloguing.
This is a beautiful example of the Pierce-Arrow, superbly engineered, carefully built, and magnificently restored, in well-chosen colors and trim—every inch a CCCA Full Classic.To view this car and others currently consigned to this auction, please visit the RM website at
rmsothebys.com/auctions/hf26/.