Pierce Four wins prestigious award
Built in the early 1900s, the Pierce Four was America's first four-cylinder motorcycle and recently won the big prize at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este
One of the most prestigious historic vehicle competitions on the calendar is the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este, held every year in April/May on Lake Como in Italy where classic cars and motorcycles vie for the best of show awards.
Cutting to the chase, the humble American-built Four Pierce made by the Pierce-Arrow Motor Car Company in the early 1900s was awarded the Best of Show, Concours d'Elegance
Powered by a four-cylinder engine with a shaft drive (and a pair of pedals as backup should the compact fuel tank run dry), the vintage motorcycle was built by the New York-based Pierce-Arrow in 1909, and was based on the Belgian-designed FN motorcycle.
As the first four-cylinder motorcycle to be built in America, the Pierce Four motorcycle remains highly sought after and this particular model is well deserving of the jury-voted best of show award.
The Pierce Four had a top speed of 97km/h and a power output of roughly four horsepwer (3kW), and probably wasn't easy to control - check out the wildly backswept handlebars.
Based around a reinforced tri-tube frame, the Pierce Four ended production in 1913 and was originally suggested by the owner's son, Percy Pierce, who had a keen interest in the burgeoning motorcycle scene.
The Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este has been running since 1929, and more can be found at the official website: Concorsod'EleganzaVilladEste.com.
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