Mar 11

Coachbuilt Peerless

This topic is for Peerless automobiles with coachbuilt bodies.

Originally posted by Paul Konrad on the AACA forum. A Paul-Ostruk Peerless from Nov 1923 issue of Town and Country Magazine.

Mar 11, 2026

Post your reply…

Replies (10)

· Mar 13

I have been keeping track of all the companies making bodies for Peerless on a thread on the AACA Peerless Forum. I read last week that 38 coachbuilders have bodied Duesenbergs(Update: West Peterson says 29 for the Model "J"). Peerless' list reached 55 a couple of years ago. Packard may have had the most body suppliers, 40 or 50 last time I heard, when you consider their 60 years of manufacture. My Grandfather Brown owned an 8-door 1941 Packard Clipper with body by Fitzjohn. Cadillac & LaSalle have used about 270 coachbuilders along the way.

Here's a European coachbuilder A.J. discovered to have "clothed" Peerlesses about 1930 {quote directly from the AACA Peerless Forum thread on Peerless Coachbuilders}, he saw it on coachbuild.com:
"De Ley, Holland...cabriolet or convertible victoria coachwork exhibited at 1930 Amsterdam Autosalon"

(edited)

· Mar 13

@Peerless28 I remember that photo. When I have nothing to do I will move some of them over here. The Europeans loved their double thick victoria bodies.

· Mar 23

1910 Model 27 Peerless. Body by Brewster

· Mar 27

Body by Royal Motor Body Company.

(edited)

· Mar 27

Body by Judkins.

· Mar 28

List of Peeress Coachbuilders
Some custom, some batch custom, some medium production levels (over 100 orders)
1. Austin of England
2. S.S. Albright
3. Bela Body Co. (Massachusetts)
4. Belvalette & Co, France
5. Biddle & Smart
6. Brewster (Long Island City, NY)
7. Brooks-Ostruk
8. Brown (Cleveland, OH)(hearse & ambulance bodies in teens & 20s)
9. Brunn (Buffalo, NY)
10. Budd (1923 Limousine photo in Standad Catalog)
11. Croal & Croal
12. James Cunningham (built custom bodies for Peerless 1909-12)
13. De Ley of Holland
14.A.T. Demarest (in 1923 they built LeBaron-designed Sporting Roadsters, & there was a 1923 Demarest-Peerless Town Car at the Chicago Auto Salon)
15. Denison Body(1219-29 Main Street, Buffalo, NY)
16. J.J. Derham (phillyhistoryblog.org 9/29/17)
17. Fisher
18. Gotfredson
19. Gustafason
20. Hayes Body Corp., Grand Rapids, MI
21. Healey & Co., NY
22. Holcker Manufacturing Co., K.C., MO (built Peerless hearse bodies 'till early 20s).
23. Hume Body Corp., Boston, MA
24. Humer-Binder Co., NY, NY
25. J.M. Coachbuilders, New Jersey(mentioned p. 133, PEERLESS AUTOMOBILES IN THE BRASS ERA: 1900-1915)
26. Judkins, Merrimac, MA
27. C.P. Kimball
28. Theodore Kundtz Co., Cleveland, OH
29. Lang body Co., 1915-1919(Auto. Manuf. of Cleveland & Ohio, p. 17)
30. Leahy Coach Works, Schaumburg, IL
31. LeBaron (pic of LeBaron Sedan on Peerless Chassis in Motor Age, page 12, 12/14/22)
32. Meritas Fabric Body Corp., Los Angeles, CA
33. Merrimac Body Co.
34. A.J. Miller (the only known surviving Peerless professional car reported to be bodied by them)
35. Moore & Munger
36. Motor Coach Works, Toronto, Canada
37. Mullins, Salem, OH
38. Murphy, Pasadena,CA
39. Murray
40. Paul Ostruk
41. Peerless Body, Cleveland, OH
42. Pullman, Chicago, IL (one 1924 Peerless has been found with a Pullman body)
43. Quinby, Newark, NJ
44. Raulang, Cleveland, OH
45. Rollston
46. Royal Motor Body Co., NY
47. Rubay, Cleveland, OH
48. Charles Schutte Body Co., Lancaster, PA
49. C.T. Silver
50. Springfield
51. W.F. Stewart Co
52. Walker-LaGrande
53. Weymann (photo of 1931 Limousine in Standard Catalog)
54. Willoughby Coach
55. C.R. Wilson

(edited)

· Mar 28

We will have to see how many of these we can find photos of.

· May 15

Sidney S. Albright, Sacramento coachbuilder 1909-1939. See coachbuilt.com. Small firm probably most active 1917-1925. Most work on commercial bodies, some custom bodies for nearby luxury car dealers, and a few hearses. Used bake-oven paint processes.
Model "56" Peerless, year unknown.

(edited)

· May 15

@Peerless28 I thought I had heard of all of them, but this is a new one, and in business until 1939???

· May 16

The chances of a Peerless being found with an S.S. Albright coachbuilder's tag are slim, but Peerless seems to have attracted more of those firms than anyone(55 if my tally is accurate). Peerless cars (and trucks) were always available chassis-only.

(edited)