Talking about streamline: 1933 Pierce Arrow Silver arrow

Well, certainly an interesting car, but I wouldn't put it into the same category as true streamlined cars like the Burney Streamline (1929), the Briggs prototype (1933), the Chrysler Airflow (1934), or the Tatra 77 (1934).

While the car's silhouette does follow the streamline shape, its front design hardly reflects serious aerodynamic ambitions.

Quite in contrast to the early streamliners it still features a traditional radiator grill that stands almost upright and strongly increases the car's air resistance.

One finds similar inconsistent design features with a number of other pseudo-streamlined cars of that time. For instance, Maybach built such a car already in 1932 (the Type S8 with body by Spohn), as did Bergholt in the U.S.

From my perspective, they and the Pierce-Arrow are rather examples for an eclectic (and eccentric) adaption of certain design elements perceived to be modern than being genuine streamlined cars.

Hence, Sotheby's claim “the car that inaugurated the streamlined automotive age” is rather bold. Not only were just five of them built (even Rumpler managed to produce more of its visionary "Tropfenwagen" in the 1920s), but also they did not have a similar impact on car design like Chrysler's Airflow (which inspired Peugeot's 402, Toyota's model AA, Adler 2.5 litre "Autobahn" and Volvo's PV 36).

I saw one of the 3 in the now-closed Henry Austin Clarke Auto Museum on Long Island, New York when I was 10 years old in 1965. It made a big impression?!

As I recall that Pierce V-12 had the most unusual included angle of ANY "V" motor ever manufactured in the WORLD, 80 degrees!