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Automotive Lifestyle
VINTAGE: Eccentric 1919 Pierce-Arrow With Celebrity Buzz At Barrett-Jackson
The coachbuilt classic was created for silent-film star ‘Fatty’ Arbuckle by a young Harley Earl, and was once owned by a Barrett-Jackson founder.
Fatty Arbuckle’s 1919 Pierce-Arrow is as flamboyant as the early film comedian was. (Photo: Barrett-Jackson)
There are many famous names connected with the wildly unique 1919 Pierce-Arrow 66 A-4 touring car (Lot #5028) being offered by Barrett-Jackson in the Scottsdale auction’s Salon Collection.
The rare Pierce-Arrow Model 66 was originally built for the famous silent-movie comedian Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle for the then-princely sum of $32,000, and it remains one of the best-known surviving examples of the luxury automaker’s special cars.
Arbuckle was a bigger-than-life figure in Hollywood’s early days, and this glorious Pierce with its purple-blue body and all-white balloon tires is a good reflection of the film star’s eccentric character.
The A-4 chassis of Pierce-Arrow’s top model was delivered in 1918 for custom coachwork to Don Lea Coach & Bodyworks in Los Angeles, Calif., which specialized in building cars for special clients, such as famous movie stars. There, the design project was led by none other than Harley Earl, who went on to become one of the most acclaimed automobile designers in history, particularly for leading General Motors’ first styling division.
This is one of the last Model 66 A-4 Pierce-Arrows made, of which only seven survive today. It’s powered by a massive 825cid six-cylinder engine.
Another famous name was added in 1976 when Tom Barrett of Scottsdale, who founded the Barrett-Jackson auction in 1971 with his collector-car partner Russ Jackson, acquired the Pierce-Arrow in original condition. In 1982, another well-known figure in collector-car circles, Don Williams, took possession of the Pierce-Arrow, and it became part of his Blackhawk Collection in Danville, Calif., until 2006.
Pierce-Arrow began producing automobiles in 1903, and its upscale products were a luxurious status symbol through the 1930s, notably owned by many Hollywood film stars (Charlie Chaplin famously drove one), wealthy industrialists and far-flung figures of royalty. The Buffalo, New York, automaker became a victim of the Great Depression, as did many other luxury marques, and closed its doors in 1938.
This very special 1919 Pierce-Arrow remains a unique piece of automotive history, evocative of the era just after World War I that kicked off the Roaring ’20s, one of the most colorful decades in American folklore. The celebrity connections are rich and meaningful, and the car’s class victory at a recent Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance upholds its own claim to stardom.
Bob Golfen, Automotive Editor for SPEED.com, is a veteran auto writer based in Phoenix, Arizona, with a passion for collector cars, car culture and the automotive lifestyle. SPEED.com fans can email Bob Golfen at
The rare Pierce-Arrow Model 66 was originally built for the famous silent-movie comedian Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle for the then-princely sum of $32,000, and it remains one of the best-known surviving examples of the luxury automaker’s special cars.
Arbuckle was a bigger-than-life figure in Hollywood’s early days, and this glorious Pierce with its purple-blue body and all-white balloon tires is a good reflection of the film star’s eccentric character.
The A-4 chassis of Pierce-Arrow’s top model was delivered in 1918 for custom coachwork to Don Lea Coach & Bodyworks in Los Angeles, Calif., which specialized in building cars for special clients, such as famous movie stars. There, the design project was led by none other than Harley Earl, who went on to become one of the most acclaimed automobile designers in history, particularly for leading General Motors’ first styling division.
This is one of the last Model 66 A-4 Pierce-Arrows made, of which only seven survive today. It’s powered by a massive 825cid six-cylinder engine.
Another famous name was added in 1976 when Tom Barrett of Scottsdale, who founded the Barrett-Jackson auction in 1971 with his collector-car partner Russ Jackson, acquired the Pierce-Arrow in original condition. In 1982, another well-known figure in collector-car circles, Don Williams, took possession of the Pierce-Arrow, and it became part of his Blackhawk Collection in Danville, Calif., until 2006.
Pierce-Arrow began producing automobiles in 1903, and its upscale products were a luxurious status symbol through the 1930s, notably owned by many Hollywood film stars (Charlie Chaplin famously drove one), wealthy industrialists and far-flung figures of royalty. The Buffalo, New York, automaker became a victim of the Great Depression, as did many other luxury marques, and closed its doors in 1938.
This very special 1919 Pierce-Arrow remains a unique piece of automotive history, evocative of the era just after World War I that kicked off the Roaring ’20s, one of the most colorful decades in American folklore. The celebrity connections are rich and meaningful, and the car’s class victory at a recent Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance upholds its own claim to stardom.
Bob Golfen, Automotive Editor for SPEED.com, is a veteran auto writer based in Phoenix, Arizona, with a passion for collector cars, car culture and the automotive lifestyle. SPEED.com fans can email Bob Golfen at
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