Motorists Helping Motorists: Wilson and AAA

Woodrow Wilson never had a driver’s license, but he loved cars. His favorite was his 1919 Pierce-Arrow limousine. Gifted to Staunton by Edith Wilson the year after her husband’s death, it is now lovingly maintained in working order by the WWPL. The Pierce-Arrow reflects the ways this man tasked with guiding a nation through a world war spent his leisure time. It was the 120th of its model (Series 51) manufactured by the Pierce-Arrow Motor Car Company of Buffalo, New York in the summer of 1919. Woodrow Wilson instantly became attached to the car, so much so that upon his departure from the White House in 1921 it was purchased for him by his friends. It was his primary mode of transportation until his death in 1924.

Pierce-Arrow Limousine

Unique to Woodrow Wilson’s presidential automotive fleet was an emblem proudly bolted to the grill, one which had never before been used by a president. A chrome oval containing three A’s, the ornament was the symbol for membership to the American Automobile Association. Its membership now reached 57 million, and Woodrow Wilson was the first president to join.

Established in 1902, the American Automotive Association or AAA began as a loosely networked organization of automobile clubs. Unlike the roadside assistance by telephone and monthly magazine of today, AAA began as an association of drivers dedicated to lobbying for road improvements and assisting each other in need. With no hotline to call, an emblem on the front of one’s car indicated a dedication toward preserving the safety of roadway travel, a new frontier for the time. AAA also played a crucial role in the transition of roads in the United States from being designed for horses to automobiles.

In 1916, Woodrow Wilson made a major stride for motorists with the signing of a bill providing federal aid to highways around the country. Wilson was also featured in ads for AAA, extoling the benefits of membership. Displaying the AAA emblem on the front of his favorite car, Woodrow Wilson provided executive endorsement to sending America’s transportation network into the automotive age.

Learn more about the Pierce-Arrow limousine. We also have a video series on our YouTube channel as well!

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