I checked the White Peerless I have, and it came with the shorter White needle (Boye 12). I don't know if it will sew with that needle though. Someone could have bought the machine years ago and bought a needle they though would fit - and never got it to sew.
And it's also possible that when it was reconditioned to electric, the shop that did that may have adjusted the needle bar to take the shorter needle. Though I've seen some that if you lower the needle bar, the needle clamp will contact the foot when the foot is raised.