From 1909 to 1913, the Pierce Cycle Company, makers of this magnificent 1912 Pierce Four, produced two of America’s most unique motorcycle models from its factory in Buffalo, New York. The brand’s roots stretch back to America’s Reconstruction Era and the founding of the George Norman Pierce Manufacturing Company in 1878, makers of various household goods, bicycles and early steam-powered vehicles. By 1901, the first gasoline-powered Pierce automobile rolled onto the streets of Buffalo, followed three years later by the Pierce Great Arrow in 1904. With the Arrow’s success, a new company was created along with a new factory in 1906, leaving George Pierce’s son, Percy, to take over the bicycle division and original factory. Following a trip to Europe, Percy returned to Buffalo with a Belgian-made FN (Fabrique Nationale) motorcycle, a spindly 4-cylinder unlike anything offered in the U.S. at the time. Using the FN as a starting point, the Pierce Four, the first of America’s mighty “Fours,” debuted in 1909. Though similar to the FN’s overall approach, the Pierce Four featured several novel engineering solutions, many of which came from early automotive developments such as a T-head design inline-4, cam-driven intake, an external flywheel and an enclosed shaft drive. Perhaps most notable, however, was the oversized 3.5-inch frame tubing used to fabricate the Pierce’s chassis and utilized to hold the gasoline and oil internally. In 1909, only a clutch-less, single-speed Four was offered, joined in 1910 by a 2-speed transmission as well as a similarly- styled single-cylinder model. Dazzling in maroon paint and nickel-plated highlights, this rare and comprehensively restored 1912 Pierce Four features a 43 CI (696cc) inline 4-cylinder engine and a 2-speed transmission. Still, such a unique and refined machine came at a high cost, with experts often citing that the Pierce Four cost more to build than the company could sell it for. In 1914, Percy Pierce built two improved models, one Four and the other a single to display at the Chicago Motorcycle Show. Still, he could not resume production given the company’s financial difficulties, making the 1914 pair the last Pierce motorcycles ever built. In 1918, the owners of Emblem Motorcycles acquired Pierce and continued to manufacture Pierce brand bicycles, making this beautiful 1912 Pierce Four one of the few that remain today. F100.1 1912 PIERCE FOUR
