Stunning Time Capsule: 1929 Pierce-Arrow Phaeton Spent 77 Years in Hiding

If I had a dollar for every defunct American automaker, I'd have well over 1,500 bucks. Yup, there are that many! Of course, most of them are still unknown, mainly because they were around for only a few years. Others used to be industry leaders, but they're largely forgotten because they went bankrupt during the Great Depression. The Pierce-Arrow Motor Car Company is one of them.

Pierce-Arrow was established in 1901 and produced its first car, the Arrow, two years later. In 1904, founder George Norman Pierce decided to focus on making a larger, luxury car, and introduced the four-cylinder Great Arrow in 1905. In 1909, Pierce-Arrow provided two of the first official cars of the White House under President William Howard Taft.

Pierce-Arrow soon became one of America's most renowned luxury car manufacturers. It competed against Peerless and Packard, which became known as the "Three P's of Motordom." The Pierce-Arrow was a status symbol, with its vehicles owned by Hollywood stars, royal families, and tycoons.

Unlike most luxury car manufacturers, Pierce-Arrow also produced trucks and buses. In 1936, the company also began making a line of stylish camper-trailers called the Travelodge. While many luxury companies developed lower priced vehicles in order to survive the Great Depression, Pierce-Arrow refused to do so. This decision led to its demise in 1938. 

Although it remains a rather unknown carmaker, Pierce-Arrow has somewhat of a cult following thanks to vehicles like the Eight and Twelve. Its most iconic model is perhaps the Silver Arrow, an art deco and very futuristic (for the era) luxury car unveiled at the 1933 New York Auto Show.

A highly streamlined sedan powered by a V12 engine, the Silver Arrow was the undeniable star of the 1933 auto show tour, but the company's financial issues and the vehicle's ridiculous price led to only five hand-built units being finished. The Silver Arrow cost $10,000, the equivalent of nearly $260,000 in 2026 dollars.

The 1929 Model 133 Dual Cowl Phaeton is not quite as prestigious, but it's nearly as rare. It's one of only 10 known dual-cowl phaetons known to still exist, and it may very well be the only unrestored survivor out there.

The vehicle emerged from Spencer, Massachusetts, with the seller claiming that's it's been in storage for a whopping 77 years. The Pierce-Arrow came out of hiding in 2025, meaning that it had been parked sometime in 1948. The vehicle is in stunning condition for an unrestored automobile that spent over seven decades off the road.

The phaeton was dragged out of storage in remarkably original condition. Unlike many vehicles from the era, it still had the air duct handles, and dash knobs still intact. It's still wearing the original black finish, as well as the original side-mounted spare wheels. The green rims are reportedly finished in the factory green paint.

The Pierce-Arrow still relies on the original inline-eight engine, which was brand-new in 1929 (having replaced the company's older inline-six). Despite the heavy weathering and not sipping gas for over seven decades, the powerplant runs and drives after proper maintenance. The mill maintains good oil pressure but will require an exhaust system to become road worthy.

Although these survivors usually pop up at high-profile auctions, this Pierce-Arrow is for sale via Barn Finds Classifieds. The 97-year-old classic is offered by Simko Motorcars for $49,500, but the dealership is accepting offers. For reference, a restored 1929 Model 133 with a Touring body was auctioned off for $175,000 in February 2026. Is this a cool barn find or what?