FThe Pierce-Racine Company entered the rapidly evolving American automobile industry in 1904, establishing its operations in Racine, Wisconsin. Founder Andrew J. Pierce, formerly the engine superintendent at the Racine Hardware Company, brought hands-on experience designing and building engines for agricultural and industrial use. He applied that mechanical expertise directly to automobile production, helping Pierce-Racine gain early traction during the pioneering years of the auto industry.

As demand for automobiles increased, the company expanded. In 1909, Pierce reorganized the business with financial support from influential local investors, many of whom also held significant stakes in the J.I. Case Threshing Machine Company. The restructuring led to a new identity: the Pierce Motor Company. Despite early success, market pressures and growing competition slowed sales, and in 1911, Case purchased Pierce Motor Company, absorbing its assets into a new automotive venture under the Case name.

This exceptionally rare 1907 Pierce-Racine Model D represents the company’s brief but important legacy and is widely believed to be the only surviving Pierce-Racine automobile. In the early 1930s, the Pacific Automobile Rental Company of Los Angeles, California, acquired the vehicle. Specializing in supplying period-correct automobiles to the motion picture industry, the company likely featured this Model D in numerous films during Hollywood’s early studio era.

The Pierce-Racine continued its cinematic career for decades until the rental company closed in the 1980s, when its collection was sold at auction. Today, this Model D stands as a rare and tangible link between early American automotive innovation, industrial manufacturing history, and the golden age of Hollywood filmmaking.