A very young Jim Sandoro standing outdoors with a cap and coat in front of a wooden garage door with a lot of snow on the ground.

Museum
History

A Childhood Dream Realized

As a boy in the 1940s, museum co-founder, Jim Sandoro, would sneak into a neighbors’ garage where a Pierce-Arrow was kept. This started a lifelong quest to learn about and collect everything related to the company and its automobiles.

Later, Jim’s family moved closer to the shuttered Pierce-Arrow factory on Elmwood Ave, and he would roam the grounds searching for remnants of the great company. This passion never subsided as he grew up, and Jim and his wife, Mary Ann, spent years traveling the U.S. to expand their collection.

Museum Beginnings

A 1918 Pierce Arrow Seven Passenger touring car was one of the first that Jim brought back to Buffalo, followed by the 1903 Pierce Motorette. The rare 1909 Thomas Flyer was purchased before Mary Ann and Jim were able to furnish their own apartment.

Together, they founded The Buffalo Transportation Pierce-Arrow Museum in 1997 as a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization. Jim purchased properties in downtown Buffalo to house the collection, including what once was a Mack Truck showroom and repair shop, later to become the first section of the museum.

The collection represents a passion spanning more than 50 years and includes many automobiles that were once produced in Buffalo. It is considered by car enthusiasts as one of the most unique in the world.

Silver Pierce bike badge with large P in the middle of a decorative crest. The P has an Arrow through it and the words Tried and True.

Portrait of Jim and MaryAnn Sandoro, founders of the Buffalo Transportation Pierce Arrow Museum. The couple is standing in front of the Buffalo Filling Station exhibit.

Portait of Jim Sandor, founder of the Buffalo Transportation Pierce Arrow Museum.

About Jim Sandoro

Jim Sandoro has collected, restored, and dealt in automobiles, motorcycles, and collector vehicles since 1962, appraising thousands of vehicles for individuals, collectors, estates, corporations, and more. He has traveled extensively to consult and act as expert witness on vintage auto restorations, museum organization, court cases and disputes involving cars, auctions, and antique car-related issues. Jim celebrated his 80th birthday at the museum in September 2024 with wife Mary Ann and 300 friends.