Find a for sale Pierce Four It is something truly extraordinary and always worth telling. In fact, the last time we had evidence of one of these was in 2020, and it was precisely the specialized company Mecum that was in charge of the auction. It would end up being sold for nothing less than 197,000 euros and was in a completely original state.
A truly remarkable feat, given that the Pierce Arrow Four that had just been auctioned was 109 years old at the time… not a small feat. Something similar to what happens with this 1912 model, which, unlike that unit, has been fully restored by specialist Fred Lange Restoration.
1912 Pierce Four: One of the most exclusive Yankee saddles in history
The Pierce Four is the first four-cylinder motorcycle designed and built in the U.S. And this example is part of a short production run of less than 500 examples equipped with a 43 CI (707 cc) inline four-cylinder engine with double overhead camshafts and a two-speed manual transmission. With just 125 kilograms maximum weight, was able to propel itself up to almost 100 km/h.
The history of the brand dates back to 1907, when the son of the founder, Percy Pierce, decided to start producing motorcycles in addition to the bicycles that the company was already manufacturing at that time. According to Mecum: “Percy traveled to Europe in search of the best of the world’s motorcycle industry and was impressed by the Belgian FN 4-cylinder engine.”
Continued: “No American motorcycle company was producing a 4-cylinder engine at the time, so Percy brought a 1908 FN Four to the Pierce factory. Pierce was inspired by the FN and ultimately turned the Pierce Four into a better, faster machine.” A few months later he founded Pierce Motorcycle Company and launched the first series of the model, which lacked a clutch and had only one speed.
In 1910, the clutch was integrated and the two-speed gearbox arrived. The engine was self-supporting within the tubular chassis, while the petrol and oil tanks were integrated into the shapes of the frame itself. This particular model is part of that generation of Pierce Fours, of which approximately 3,500 units were produced.
It will be the next one Saturday, August 17 when Mecum finds a new home for this incredible 1912 Pierce Four, for a fee that the expert estimates between $100,000 and $125,000 (90 and 113 thousand euros).
If there is any brave person with a solvent bank account, you can try to get your hands on this piece of living two-wheeled history by clicking on this link.
