Peerless
V-16 prototype

Why it matters

The Peerless V-16 prototype was the Cleveland maker's last attempt to revive its luxury business with a technically advanced, aluminium-bodied car. Peerless was one of very few marques to build a sixteen-cylinder car, joining Cadillac and Marmon, and the sedan was the final vehicle the company produced.

How rare is it?

Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.

Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.

Production

Every figure says what it counts.

Independent counts (e.g. engine and colour) are never combined into a calculated figure. Surviving examples are never presented as original production.

History

Company president James Bohannon commissioned the car in an effort to revitalise Peerless sales during the Depression. The main designer was 22-year-old Franklin Hershey. The body was built of aluminium supplied by ALCOA by Murphy in Pasadena, California, as a four-door, five-passenger sedan on a 145-inch wheelbase, powered by a 464.6 cu in V-16 of nearly 175 hp. Other body styles were also drawn.

Four chassis were driven to Murphy to be bodied; the source says two had aluminium frames, one a V-12 engine and three the V-16. Production stopped before coupe versions were finished, and the company turned to beer production.

Technical specifications

Engine

Transmission & drivetrain

Chassis, body & dimensions

Performance

“Not yet verified” means no source has been checked for that value yet. Nothing is estimated to fill a gap.

Identification guide

How to tell an original from a replica or later conversion.

Features recorded by the source: a Murphy-built aluminium four-door sedan body for five passengers, a 145 in wheelbase, a 464.6 cu in V-16 with 83 mm bore and 89 mm stroke, and a large roof giving easy entry. Weight is listed as 4,000 lb.

Sources

Each number links to the exact facts it supports.

1. 1
   ClassicCars.com Journal – Peerless V16 prototype Level C

   • 1 completed V16 car ("Only one sedan ... was completed"; three engines built June 1931)

   Accessed 2026-11-12
2. 2
   1932 Peerless V-16 Prototype Specifications Level C Conceptcarz

   • V 16 ... Engine Location : Front
   • V 16
   • Bore : 3.3 in | 83 mm
   • Stroke : 3.5 in | 89 mm
   • Power : 173 HP
   • Drive Type : Rear Wheel
   • Wheelbase : 145.0 in
   • Height : 70.0 in
   • Weight : 4000 lbs

   Accessed 2026-11-13
3. 3
   1932 Peerless V16 Prototype Level C Conceptcarz (article by Daniel Vaughan, Apr 2006)

   • 464.6 cubic-inch V-16 engine
   • The body is constructed of aluminum which was provided by ALCOA

   Accessed 2026-11-13