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Road Trip: 1926

        Promoters of a proposed "national highway" that would traverse the continent via Washington from New York to Southern California.
Circa 1926. "Mrs. J.A. Whitcomb (Official Car, Lee Highway Association, Cross Continent Trip, at White House)." National Photo glass negative. View full size.

        Promoters of a proposed "national highway" that would traverse the continent via Washington from New York to Southern California.

Circa 1926. "Mrs. J.A. Whitcomb (Official Car, Lee Highway Association, Cross Continent Trip, at White House)." National Photo glass negative. View full size.

 

On Shorpy:
Today’s Top 5

Great automobile!

My Dad had a 1920's Pierce Arrow in that era, and said it was one of the finest cars he ever owned.

As TomVet mentioned the unpaved roads, Dad told of an emergency trip he made with it, from Chicago to Owensboro, KY, averaging over 60 MPH. Likely impossible on today's highways!

DaveB

My Dad, the Bootlegger

Around the time of this picture, or a little after, my step-father was employed as a chauffer for S. Hallack Dupont. Being a wealthy and important businessman, Mr Dupont needed to keep a well stocked bar to entertain his wealthy and important guests and business associates. Because Prohibition was the law at the time, this entailed dispatching Dad to Canada in his Pierce Arrow to acquire the supplies .

There were no U.S. highways along the route Dad took. For long portions of the trip the roads were unpaved. Dad said the Pierce was a great automobile for the purpose and he never had any troubles along the way.

Needless to say, he did not make this particular journey with flags flying or a sign on the door!

End of an era

These were the years in which the state highway engineers were having national conventions, to assign numbers to routes, among other things. This prospect filled the grassroots highway associations, including the Lee Highway Association, with dread. After all of their effort to assign character to each named highway, how could the state officials reduce that to a mere number? How sterile and impersonal!

Get your kicks on the National Old Trails Road?

Jefferson Highway revisited?

Pierce

They couldn't have chosen a better car than a Pierce Arrow. It, along with Packard and Peerless were the Three "P"s of fine American cars

Four-wheeled magnificence

What a magnificent automobile! Someone figure out what it is. Rickenbacker maybe? Pierce Arrow with those blended-in headlights?

Pierce-Arrow

Re the fender mounted headlights. Also can see the arrow on the hub cap. One of the classiest names from an era of classics!

1926 Pierce model 80?

Those bumpers look as if they’re up to the task they were called to. I’m betting the only plastic in this beauty is the steering wheel and gearshift grip (Bakelite?).

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