Saed News: The ceremonial car was loaded onto a ship to be sent to Tehran for the use of Reza Shah. Today, this ceremonial car, along with several other valuable vehicles, is displayed at the Museum of Historical Cars in Iran.
According to the social service of Saed News, quoting Hamshahri Online, the Pierce-Arrow Model A is a custom-made limousine manufactured by the Pierce-Arrow company, which was known for producing luxurious and expensive cars in the United States. The Model A is a seven-passenger limousine and is considered the largest and most powerful car produced by Pierce-Arrow in 1930 (1309 in the Persian calendar). The driver's compartment of the vehicle is completely separated from the back passengers, making it one of the first limousines to be built in this manner.
The version in Iran, which you can see in the following images, is custom-made. Colonel Reza Qoli Khossrowi, the head of the Pahlavi Bank at the time and the exclusive representative for importing Pierce-Arrow vehicles to Iran, ordered the Model A for Reza Shah, the first Pahlavi monarch, in 1309 Persian calendar.
According to BBC, the average price of luxury Pierce-Arrow cars during those years was around $25,000. According to Curtis Powell, a member of the Pierce-Arrow Enthusiasts Association in the U.S., "Reza Shah Pahlavi was the customer for the most expensive car ever made by the company." The purchase of this car cost $30,000, which is approximately equivalent to $490,000 today.
The New York Times at the time referred to this car as "the most lavish mount of the Peacock Throne rulers in history." The newspaper stated that Reza Shah was seeking a distinctive car to use for official ceremonies. The Iranian royal court approached the Pierce-Arrow dealership in Tehran to order the ceremonial vehicle Reza Shah desired.
According to Powell, some of the features of the car, mentioned in remaining documents, include:
Gold plating on all the bronze fittings, such as door handles, window frames, lamp frames, and bumpers.
Upholstery made from fine silk.
High-quality Russian wool carpeting.
The two Pahlavi crowns, with green jewels on them, were placed on the doors of the car, and the Pahlavi royal emblem was engraved on the seats. Two other golden crowns were mounted on the top of the front lamp frames. The car’s fittings were all gold-plated.
The New York Times reported that the ashtray inside the car's cabin was entirely made of gold, with several diamond stones placed on it.
Additionally, Curtis Powell mentions another alteration to the appearance of this vehicle. According to him, in the pictures of Reza Shah’s car in the U.S., a spare wheel was not mounted on the running board, while in the images taken in Tehran, a spare wheel is visible.
Powell also mentions that before ordering Reza Shah’s ceremonial car, the royal court had purchased another Pierce-Arrow vehicle. He believes that, for some reason, the running board from that vehicle was later used in the ceremonial car.
Reza Shah’s Limousine is Now Displayed at the Museum of Historical Cars in Iran
Pierce-Arrow was often referred to as the "Rolls-Royce of American automotive manufacturing" before World War II. Between 1909 and 1936, every U.S. president traveled in cars produced by this company.
Eleven years after the ceremonial Pierce-Arrow car was transferred to Tehran, with the Allies' invasion of Iran, Reza Shah was deposed from the throne. However, the car’s mission didn’t end there, as Mohammad Reza Pahlavi continued to use it for official ceremonies during the early years of his reign.
In the years following the Revolution, this car, along with several other historical vehicles from the Pahlavi era, was handed over to the Foundation of the Oppressed. It has been displayed several times and is currently on display along with several other valuable cars at the Museum of Historical Cars in Iran, which opened in November of this year.
