1905 Peerless

edited by David Barth, 30 January 2009.
Courtesy The Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum in Cleveland, Ohio, USA. Photos were taken in January 2009.

Many early automobile manufacturers were the offspring of companies that may or may not have had something to do with transportation. Peerless began manufacturing clothes wringers, then switched to making bicycles, moved on to automobiles, and finally ended up brewing beer.

Peerless began making cars in 1901. By the time this car was built, the company had been in business for four years, and had earned a reputation for technically sound and stylish cars. By 1910, Peerless was the car for wealthy residents of Cleveland who lived along "Millionaire's Row," on Euclid Avenue. Peerless became one of the "Three P's" of elegant motoring: Packard, Pierce-Arrow, and Peerless.

This car was purchased in 1986 from a private collector who had done a complete restoration. The standard color of the 1905 Peerless was "Peerless Green," but other colors, such as this bright red paint, could be had by special order.

Model: 9, Touring
Body Style: 5-passenger touring "King of the Belgians"
Wheelbase: 102 inches
Brake Horsepower: 24
Displacement: 389.5 cubic inches
Cylinders: 4, in-line
Bore: 4 5/8 inches
Stroke: 5 1/2 inches
Manufacturer: Peerless Motor Car Company
Location: Cleveland, Ohio
Original Factory Price: $3,500 (with top and baskets)