Continental straight-8 as a cost-saving measure. However, the Great Depression that began in 1929 greatly reduced the sales of luxury automobiles. Peerless stripped down its production and attempted to market one line of vehicles to wealthy Americans who were not affected by the depression. In 1930–31, Peerless commissioned Murphy Body Works to design what the company envisioned as its 1933 model. The task was assigned to a young Frank Hershey, who produced a remarkably clean, elegant vehicle. A single V16-engined 1931 Peerless was finished in June 1931, the last Peerless ever produced. Peerless remained an idle business until the end of Prohibition in 1933 allowed the manufacture of alcohol. Peerless then revamped its factory and gained a license to brew beer under the Carling Black Label and Red Cap ale brands from the Brewing Corporation of Canada. Hershey's single prototype V-16 remained in the Peerless factory until the end of World War II and it is now owned by the Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum. The following Peerless vehicles are deemed "classic cars" by the Classic Car Club of America (CCCA): 1925 Series 67; 1926 – 1928 Series 69; 1929 Model Eight-125; 1930-1 Custom 8 and the 1932 Deluxe Custom 8. Gallery of selected models References External links Peerless Limousine 1908: A non-technical Description of its usefulness - 18-page sales catalog The New Peerless 6-80 sales catalog (c.1927) Peerless Automobiles at Concceptcarz Peerless Motor Car Co. entry from the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History The Frederic W. Goudy Collection at the Library of Congress contains illustrated advertising posters for the Peerless Motor Company. Tank Chats #26 Peerless Armoured Car Tank Chats #26 Peerless Armoured Car. All There Is to Know The 1919 Peerless Armoured Car Motor vehicle manufacturers based in Ohio Defunct motor vehicle manufacturers of the United States Historic American Engineering Record in Ohio Manufacturing companies based in Cleveland Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 1900 Vehicle manufacturing companies disestablished in 1931 1900 establishments in Ohio 1931 disestablishments in Ohio Defunct companies based in Cleveland Defunct manufacturing companies based in Ohio Luxury motor vehicle manufacturers Luxury vehicles Veteran vehicles Brass Era vehicles Vintage vehicles 1900s cars 1910s cars 1920s cars 1930s cars Pre-war vehicles Cars introduced in 1900