Location:
Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, 2009
Owner: Kristina, Aubrey, Garrett & Bryant Gavello | Atherton, California
Prologue:
Image Source: Nikon D200 (10.2 MP)
A rather unusual Pierce-Arrow to feature, the more I look at this Miniature Tonneau the more I like the car; it is suspended in a transitional stage, representing the last of old styles while also adopting elements that will define Pierce-Arrow cars throughout the decade. Curious, how this mix of obsolete trappings and modernized features came to be. But it is a remarkable car, and one of only a few Victoria-top cars we've encountered. The others are French, of course.
References:
- "Pierce-Arrow" by Marc Ralston, A.S. Barnes & Co., Inc., San Diego, CA, c. 1980, pages 64, 230
- "Pierce-Arrow, The Golden Age" by Marc Ralston, Jostens Publications, Clarksville, TE, c. 1984, pages 33, 35
Last of the Miniature Tonneaus, Pierce-Arrow will remove the body style from its 1912 line. The Miniature Tonneau is not dissimilar from a Model 36-UU Touring, and often uses a chassis of the same wheelbase. The main difference appears to be the accentuated bulkhead on the Miniature Tonneau, whereas Touring models use a broad, flat bulkhead. Pierce-Arrow also prioritized front row doors and updated windscreens on the Touring models, though a number of updates and design cues appear to have pollinated this particular car.
Last of the Victorians, the horse-and-buggy Victoria top seen on this 1911 model will also disappear from the catalogue. The style is wholly antiquated, even by period standards, if not a lingering homage to the French automobile. Of course Pierce-Arrow owed its development to early De Dion exercises, and first patterned the Model 15-J after Renault. But no need to court old sentiments, even for a staunchly conservative firm such as Pierce-Arrow. The way forward is closed cars—the Brougham, Landau, Landaulet, and Suburban. In comparison, the Miniature Tonneau is a high-spirit car, less practical than the Touring model, and just about out of time.
Motor: 4,916 cc (300 cubic inch) straight 6-cylinder in three cast iron blocks
Valvetrain: T-head, single-plug
Power: 36 rated hp @ 1,700 rpm
Drivetrain: floor-shift, four-speed selective sliding-gear manual transmission, rear-wheel drive
Front Suspension: I-beam axle, semi-elliptic leaf springs
Rear Suspension: torsion rods, three-quarter elliptic leaf springs
Architecture: cast-alloy body on pressed manganese steel frame
Kerb Weight: 1,533.1 kg (3,380 lbs)
Wheelbase: 3,175 mm (125 inches)
Etymology:
The 'UU' designation follows an odd alphanumeric system that began in 1901. Pierce developed the Model 30-U from 1908 to 1909, of which few seem to have survived. The 'U' likely followed in succession after 'Q,' 'S', and 'T' had been assigned to other platforms in the same production series. The subsequent development of the Model 36 brought about the revised 'UU' designation to replace the Model 30-U, doubling the letter as was Pierce-Arrow custom. In the present day, the Model 36-UU is prevalent, so one naturally wonders where the 'UU' came from for want of knowing (or ever seeing) a Model 30-U. We therefore assume the sequence makes sense in full, and that the alphanumeric designations match a chronology known by the engineers at the factory. But the sequence is difficult to follow without a comprehensive data sheet. And for that matter, Pierce-Arrow skipped the letter 'R.'
The miniature tonneau (sometimes toy tonneau) is a diminutive of the touring car. 'Tonneau' is French carriage-speak for an open passenger compartment, and translates to 'barrel' in English. The term is proper old and will disappear from the Pierce-Arrow catalogue in 1912. While the coachwork generally resembles a touring car, the bulkhead shape is rounded, whereas Touring models are squared off and flattened. We include 'Victoria' in the name as a nod to the hood, which is a remnant of the carriage trade, and not long for the automotive world.
Figures:
In 1911, Pierce-Arrow built 1,000 units of the Model 36-UU.
Barrel-Bodied: Exit the Edwardian Barrel, End of the Victorian Hood
The tonneau moniker refers to an antique passenger compartment, often detachable in very early automobile. In these later brass era cars, Pierce-Arrow distinguishes the style by the head-on shape of the passenger compartment. In the case of this Model 36-UU, four doors would seem to create a touring car, but the tall, curved bulkhead suggests otherwise. The proportions on this 1911 car are even exagerated somewhat, as the bulkhead rises well above the sill and drops down in a steep slope to the narrow bonnet. Contemporary touring cars use a broad, flattened bulkhead with rounded corners.
1911 is the final year for the Miniature Tonneau body, an option specific to the Model 36-UU; later survivors of any type with a Victorian hood are unlikely. When so equipped from the factory, the Miniature Tonneau often did without a windscreen or front doors. The addition of both to this car suggests it might as well be a proper Touring model, as the Victoria's disappearance from the 1912 line seems to confirm. Note that the landau irons are painted to match the body, which is Pierce-Arrow custom for the Victoria hood.
Running Gear: Surprisingly Modern Updates for a 1911 Pierce-Arrow
Just as the front doors nod toward 1912 updates, the rear fender shape of this 1911 model is also a 1912 design. Nearly all 1910-1911 models use the straight fly-away rear fender design seen on the other 1910 cars in this portfolio, sometimes adding a slight pitch. However, this car's curlicue rear fender is identical to the 1912 cars, which means either the shape changed during restoration, or the car represents one of the earliest applications of the design.
Last Updated: Feb 11, 2024
