5. Pierce Arrow
One of the most famous, forgotten and long-gone American luxury brands is Pierce-Arrow. The company started as truck and engine manufacturer in Buffalo, New York in 1901. However, Pierce-Arrow soon moved to luxury models with great success. Right from the start, the company developed a specific style of its cars with flowing lines, headlights in the front fenders and some wild color choices.
Along with Cadillac, Lincoln, Packard and Duesenberg, Pierce-Arrow was representing the American automobile industry in the best possible way. They even exported their cars to Europe. The style of Pierce-Arrow was always somewhat different than their competitors. They were also more artistic, so the cars were favorites of musicians and movie stars of the era.
But, the Great Depression of the late 20’s and early 30’s killed the brand, so this legendary company ceased to exist in 1938. A small, independent company like this couldn’t survive a big recession, so the end of the 30’s marked the end of the road for Pierce Arrow.