Hudson Super Six

Last updated

Hudson Super Six
Hudson Super Six in Wuppertal, front view cropped.jpg
1948-1950 Hudson Super Six
Overview
Manufacturer Hudson Motor Car Company
Model years
  • 19161928
  • 1933
  • 19401942
  • 19461951
Assembly Detroit, MI, United States
Body and chassis
Class Full-size car
Layout FR layout
Chronology
Successor
  • Hudson Model R "Greater Hudson" (1929)
  • Hudson Wasp (1952)

The Hudson Super Six is an automobile that was first manufactured by the Hudson Motor Car Company of Detroit, Michigan in 1916. This initial model remained in production until 1928.

Contents

The nameplate was revived for a rebadged Essex for 1933 (single model year).

The model name returned from 1940 until 1951, aside from the suspension during World War II. The 1951s were called "Hudson Super Custom Six".

First generation (1916)

The first Hudson Super Six was introduced on 16 January 1916. Also known as the Series H, the Super Six was an early performance car. Its 288.5 cu in (4.7 L) inline-six developed 76 hp (57 kW), compared to the 40 hp (30 kW) of the equally dimensioned engine fitted to the contemporary Hudson Model Six-40. [1]

Before its introduction, Super Sixes made a series of speed runs on a track in Long Island, NY, followed by a new record transcontinental run (San Francisco to New York in 5 days, 3 hours, and 31 minutes - returning after an eight-hour break), a stock chassis speed record at Daytona Beach, a record at Pikes Peak, and the stock chassis 24-hour record at an average speed of 74.9 mph (120.5 km/h). The last record stood until 1931, when a Marmon took it. [1]

First retractable hardtop

A 1919 Super Six roadster was modified by inventor, Ben P. Ellerbeck, to demonstrate his retractable hardtop roof design. [2] Ellerbeck was granted a patent (No. 1,379,906) on 31 May 1921 and built several scale models to show at the 1922 Automobile Body Builders Exhibition in New York City. [3] Ellerbeck's "flip top' on the Hudson was operated a crank handle located at the rear of the passenger door. [4] When fully lowered, the roof was positioned behind the rear trunk and thus did not impede luggage capacity. [5] When raised, the front of the top went over the windshield giving the appearance of a large air scoop. [2]

Automobiles are significant to the context of John Steinbecks novel The Grapes of Wrath . Steinbeck wanted readers to understand class and social standing by including specific makes and models in the novel. [6] The make and condition of the cars are important to the people who took the journey to California as well as revealing a family's socioeconomic status. [7] In The Grapes of Wrath, the Joad family depends on a 1926 Hudson Super Six sedan converted into a truck. [8] It is now difficult for contemporary readers to place cars such as Hudson Super Six in a meaningful social context. [6]

In the 1940 filmatization, the car used is a 1926 Super Six. [9] This car was put into storage after filming ended. [10] After having been discovered in a dilapidated condition, it was converted into a Speedster in 2009. [11]


Second generation (1927)

For 1927, the Hudson Super Six received a complete redesign including a new F-head engine, 18-inch wood spoke wheels (rather than 21 inches), and four-wheel brakes. [12] The car was lower and generally more stylish, and power increased from 76 to 92 hp (57 to 69 kW). The lower-cost Model R utilized on a 118+12 in (3,010 mm) wheelbase, while that of the Model S was 127+38 in (3,240 mm) in length. Two standard bodies were available, a two-door Coach and a four-door Sedan. The Model O was also available with five different Custom body styles, made by Biddle and Smart of Massachusetts. [12] The engine was updated in July 1927, with a new manifold and a different head design, including the relocation of the spark plugs and intake valves. Hudson chose not to increase the claimed power, but many consider the stated output to be very conservative. [12]

In 1927, Essex also chose the Super Six label for their cars, while aligning their design with that of the larger Hudsons. [13] Essex kept calling their cars Super Sixes in 1928 and off and on until 1932. [14]

For 1928, the Model O and Model S continued with some styling changes, including a taller and slimmer radiator, larger, more oval headlights, and vertical louvers on the hood. Also new was a standard-bodied Coupe on the Model S chassis, as well as a Biddle and Smart-bodied roadster on the same short wheelbase. Murphy Body of Pasadena designed the custom bodies used on the Model O, although Hudson chose Biddle and Smart to build these designs. [15]

For 1929 the Super Six badge was dropped in favor of the "Greater Hudson" label, and for 1930 all Hudsons had eight-cylinder engines. The 1929 R and L models' wheelbases were stretched by about four inches, the wheels were changed to 19-inch wire wheels, but they carried over the Super Six engine as well as the Murphy-designed/Biddle and Smart-made bodies. [12]

Third generation (1933)

1933 Hudson Super-Six Pacemaker Sedan, a rebadged Essex sold for a single year 1933 Hudson sedan Hershey 2012 HET club.jpg
1933 Hudson Super-Six Pacemaker Sedan, a rebadged Essex sold for a single year

Hudson's lower-positioned sister brand Essex had been using the "Super Six" name since the 1928 model year. The fading Essex brand began in 1932 selling their cars as the "Greater Essex Super-Six," then the "Essex Super-Six Pacemaker", and finally as simply the "Essex Pacemaker." [14]

This car, largely unchanged, was also marketed as the Hudson Super-Six "Pacemaker" in 1933 only, in parallel with the lower-priced Essex-Terraplane, which was kept in production (minus the "Essex" moniker) for 1934. [16]

While the low-cost Essex-Terraplane utilized a 106 in (2,700 mm) wheelbase, the Series E Hudson Super-Six was 113 inches (2,900 mm). The 193.1 cu in (3.2 L) engine produced 73 or 80 hp (54 or 60 kW) depending on the compression ratio. [17]

Fourth generation (1940)

1947 Hudson Super Six convertible 1947 Hudson Super Six Convertible, front right (Hershey 2019).jpg
1947 Hudson Super Six convertible
1950 Hudson Super Six four-door sedan with right-hand-drive 1950 Hudson Super 6 Four-Door Sedan.jpg
1950 Hudson Super Six four-door sedan with right-hand-drive

For the 1940 model year, Hudson reintroduced the "Super Six" nameplate again. This time it sat on a six-cylinder version of the new Hudson Eight, sharing that car's 118 in (3,000 mm) wheelbase. This was five inches longer than that of the regular Hudson Six, which was available as either the Traveler or DeLuxe. The regular Six was called Series 40T and 40P respectively, whereas the Super Six was Series 41. The Super Six also received a larger, 212 cu in (3.5 L) engine with 102 hp (76 kW), ten more than the Hudson Six. This engine was also shared with the large Hudson Country Club Six, with its 125 in (3,200 mm) wheelbase, as well as the Hudson Big Boy series of commercial vehicles.

Body styles were initially a three-passenger Coupe or a five-passenger Victoria Coupe (sharing the same sheetmetal), continuing with a two- or four-door Touring Sedan, and culminating with a two-door Convertible Coupe as well as the two-door Convertible Sedan (seating five people).

Marking the period move towards envelope styling and away from separate fenders, all versions could be had with or without running boards at no extra cost. [18]

The 1941 model year brought a synchronized transmission and electrically controlled overdrive. [19]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ford Thunderbird</span> American car model

The Ford Thunderbird is a personal luxury car manufactured and marketed by Ford Motor Company for model years 1955 to 2005, with a hiatus from 1998–2001.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chevrolet Chevelle</span> Mid-sized automobile

The Chevrolet Chevelle is a mid-sized automobile that was produced by Chevrolet in three generations for the 1964 through 1977 model years. Part of the General Motors (GM) A-body platform, the Chevelle was one of Chevrolet's most successful nameplates. Body styles included coupes, sedans, convertibles, and station wagons. The "Super Sport" versions were produced through the 1973 model year and Lagunas from 1973 through to 1976.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buick Skylark</span> Series of passenger automobiles produced by Buick

The Buick Skylark is a passenger car formerly produced by Buick. The model was made in six production runs, during 46 years, over which the car's design varied dramatically due to changing technology, tastes, and new standards implemented over the years. It was named for the species of bird called skylark.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chevrolet Bel Air</span> American full-size automobile

The Chevrolet Bel Air is a full-size car produced by Chevrolet for the 1950–1981 model years. Initially, only the two-door hardtops in the Chevrolet model range were designated with the Bel Air name from 1950 to 1952. With the 1953 model year, the Bel Air name was changed from a designation for a unique body shape to a premium level of trim applied across a number of body styles. The Bel Air continued with various other trim level designations, and it had gone from a mid-level trim car to a budget fleet sedan when U.S. production ceased in 1975. Production continued in Canada, for its home market only, through the 1981 model year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Essex (automobile)</span> Defunct American motor vehicle manufacturer

The Essex was a brand of automobile produced by the Essex Motor Company between 1918 and 1922, and by Hudson Motor Car Company of Detroit, Michigan between 1922 and 1933.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pontiac Catalina</span> Motor vehicle

The Pontiac Catalina is a full-size automobile produced by Pontiac from 1950 to 1981. Initially, the name was a trim line on hardtop body styles, first appearing in the 1950 Chieftain Eight and DeLuxe Eight lines. In 1959, it became a separate model as the "entry-level" full-size Pontiac.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chrysler New Yorker</span> American automobile model (1940–1996)

The Chrysler New Yorker is an automobile model produced by Chrysler from 1940 until 1996, serving for several decades as either the brand's flagship model or as a junior sedan to the Chrysler Imperial, the latter during the years in which the Imperial name was used within the Chrysler lineup rather than as a standalone brand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buick Special</span> 20th Century entry-level luxury passenger car from Buick

The Buick Special was an automobile produced by Buick. It was usually Buick's lowest-priced model, starting out as a full-size car in 1936 and returning in 1961 as a mid-size. The Special was built for several decades and was offered as a coupe, sedan and later as a station wagon. When GM modernized their entry level products in the 1960s, the Special introduced the modern Buick V6 that became a core engine for GM for several decades and lived on in upgraded form until 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Terraplane</span> Motor vehicle

The Terraplane was a car brand and model built by the Hudson Motor Car Company of Detroit, Michigan, between 1932 and 1938. In its maiden year, the car was branded as the Essex-Terraplane; in 1934 the car became simply the Terraplane. They were inexpensive, yet powerful vehicles that were used in both town and country. The Terraplane name was used for both cars and trucks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dodge Coronet</span> American car model sold 1949–1959, 1965–1976

The Dodge Coronet is an automobile that was marketed by Dodge in seven generations, and shared nameplates with the same bodyshell with varying levels of equipment installed. Introduced as a full-size car in 1949, it was the division's highest trim line and moved to the lowest level starting in 1955 through 1959. The name was reintroduced on intermediate-sized models from the 1965 until 1976 model years. Muscle car versions were available starting in 1965 with the 383 and 426 wedge cu in Chrysler RB engine, followed in 1966 by the powerful 426 cu in Chrysler Hemi. Other performance models included the "Superbee", and featured, the 383 cu in Magnum, among other engine options. The nameplate "coronet" is a type of crown worn by royalty.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buick Roadmaster</span> Automobile

The Buick Roadmaster is an automobile built by Buick from 1936 until 1942, from 1946 until 1958, and then again from 1991 until 1996. Roadmasters produced between 1936 and 1958 were built on Buick's longest non-limousine wheelbase and shared their basic structure with the entry-level Cadillac Series 65, the Buick Limited, and after 1940, the Oldsmobile 98. Between 1946 and 1957, the Roadmaster served as Buick's flagship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plymouth Fury</span> Motor vehicle

The Plymouth Fury is a model of automobile that was produced by Plymouth from 1955 until 1989. It was introduced for the 1956 model year as a sub-series of the Plymouth Belvedere, becoming a separate series one level above the contemporary Belvedere for 1959. The Fury was a full-size car from 1959 until 1961, then a mid-size car from 1962 until 1964, again, a full-size car from 1965 through 1974, and again, a mid-size car from 1975 through 1978. From 1975 until 1977, the Fury was sold alongside the full-size Plymouth Gran Fury. In 1978, the B-body Fury was the largest Plymouth, and by 1979, there was no large Plymouth. This product gap was filled in 1980 with the R-body Gran Fury, followed by the M-body Fury in 1982. Production of the last V8, RWD Plymouth Fury ended at the Kenosha Main assembly plant in Kenosha, WI, on December 23, 1988. Unlike its sibling brand, Dodge, Plymouth would not live to see the resurgence of the large, V8/RWD sedan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mercury Park Lane</span> Motor vehicle

The Mercury Park Lane is a full-sized automobile that was produced by the Mercury division of Ford Motor Company. While not officially introduced as the replacement of the Mercury Turnpike Cruiser, the Park Lane became the flagship of the Mercury model line upon its introduction. The second-generation Park Lane was positioned above the Mercury Montclair.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ford Fairlane (Americas)</span> Motor vehicle

The Ford Fairlane is an automobile model that was sold between the 1955 and 1970 model years by Ford in North America. Taking its name from the Dearborn, Michigan estate of Henry Ford, the Fairlane nameplate was used for seven different generations of vehicles. Through its production, the model line would be marketed in a wide variety of body styles, including two-door and four-door sedans, two-door and four-door hardtops, station wagons, and both traditional and retractable-hardtop convertibles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dodge Polara</span> Motor vehicle

The Dodge Polara is an automobile introduced in the United States for the 1960 model year as Dodge's top-of-the-line full-size car. After the introduction of the Dodge Custom 880 in 1962, the Polara nameplate designated a step below the full-sized best-trimmed Dodge model; the Polara that year had been downsized to what was in effect intermediate, or mid-size status. In its various forms, the Polara name was used by Dodge until 1973, when its position in Dodge's line-up was replaced by the Dodge Monaco.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hudson Hornet</span> Full-sized automobile produced by Hudson and American Motors

The Hudson Hornet is a full-size car manufactured by Hudson Motor Car Company of Detroit, Michigan from 1951 until 1954, when Nash-Kelvinator and Hudson merged to form American Motors Corporation (AMC). Hudson automobiles continued to be marketed under the Hudson brand name through the 1957 model year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hudson Wasp</span> Full-sized automobile produced by Hudson and American Motors

The Hudson Wasp is an automobile built and marketed by the Hudson Motor Car Company of Detroit, Michigan, from the 1952 through the 1956 model years. After Hudson merged with Nash Motors, the Wasp was then built by American Motors Corporation in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and marketed under its Hudson marque for model years 1955 and 1956.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mercury Monterey</span> Series of full-size cars produced by Mercury (1952-1974)

The Mercury Monterey is a series of full-size cars that were manufactured and marketed by the Mercury division of Ford from 1950 to 1974. Deriving its name from Monterey Bay, the initial Mercury Monterey served as the top-of-the-line two-door sedan model for 1950 and 1951 to compete with the hardtop models of Oldsmobile and Buick. It came with a vinyl roof covering, upgraded upholstery, and other features. The hardtop was introduced for 1952. During its production, the Monterey would be offered in multiple body styles, ranging from coupes, convertibles, sedans, hardtops, and station wagons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hudson Utility Coupe</span> Motor vehicle

The Hudson Terraplane Utility Coupe is an automobile that was manufactured by Hudson Motor Car Company of Detroit, Michigan, between 1937 and 1942.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hudson Pacemaker</span> Motor vehicle

The Hudson Pacemaker is an automobile which was produced by the Hudson Motor Car Company in 1939 and for the 1950 through 1952 model years.

References

  1. 1 2 Kowalke, Ron, ed. (1999). Standard Catalog of Independents: The Struggle to Survive Among Giants. Iola, WI: Krause Publications. p.  49. ISBN   0-87341-569-8 . Retrieved 14 January 2024.
  2. 1 2 Gosden, W.E. (April 1979). "The first Fliptop? Ellerbeck had a Better Idea". Special Interest Autos. pp. 20–21.
  3. Creager, Reid (February 2022). "Going Like 100: the convertible celebrates a milestone birthday, all started by an uncelebrated inventor" (PDF). Inventors Digest. Vol. 38, no. 2. pp. 14–16. Retrieved 14 January 2024.
  4. "Hudson: First "Hardtop Convertible" Trendsetter". HET Club. 13 February 2012. Retrieved 15 January 2024.
  5. "Top Acrobatics: The Saga of the Disappearing Hardtop". velocetoday.com. 17 March 2015. Retrieved 14 January 2024.
  6. 1 2 Taalomi, Seena. "Luxury Cars · Automobiles in The Grapes of Wrath · Grapes of Wrath". grapesofwrath.sfsuenglishdh.net. Retrieved 14 January 2024.
  7. DeLucia, Laura (2014). "Positioning Steinbeck's Automobiles: Class and Cars in The Grapes of Wrath". The Steinbeck Review. 11 (2): 138–154. doi:10.5325/steinbeckreview.11.2.0138 . Retrieved 14 January 2024 via JSTOR.
  8. Zwart, Elizabeth Clarkson (16 April 1939). ""The Grapes of Wrath" review". The Des Moines Register. p. 35. Retrieved 14 January 2024 via newspapers.com.
  9. "Hudson Super Six in "The Grapes of Wrath"". IMCDb.org. 1 September 2007. Retrieved 14 January 2024.
  10. Edsall, Larry (31 January 2010). "'The Grapes of Wrath' Car Gets a Redo". The New York Times. Retrieved 14 January 2024.
  11. Edsall, Larry (28 January 2010). "'Grapes of Wrath' Speedster: A Bit of History and Whimsy". Wheels Blog. Retrieved 14 January 2024.
  12. 1 2 3 4 Standard Catalog of Independents, pp. 53-54
  13. Standard Catalog of Independents, p. 84
  14. 1 2 Standard Catalog of Independents, p. 86
  15. "1929 Hudson Model L Club Sedan by Biddle and Smart" (Auction Description). Hershey, PA: RM Auctions/Sothebys. October 2011. Archived from the original on 18 October 2017.
  16. Donnelly, Jim (September 2005). "Rolling Sculpture – 1942 Hudson Super Six Wagon". Hemmings Classic Car. Archived from the original on 25 October 2019.
  17. Standard Catalog of Independents, p. 56
  18. 1940 Hudson: A New Low Cost for Luxury (PDF) (Sales Brochure), Hudson Motor Car Company, 1939, pp. 10–13, Form No. 612-A
  19. https://archive.org/details/sim_consumer-reports_1941-02_6_2/page/40/mode/2up Consumers Union Reports, Vol. 6, Iss. 2, February 1941, p. 41

Source: Slauson, H.W.; Greene, Howard (1926). "Leading American Motor Cars". Everyman's Guide to Motor Efficiency. New York: Leslie-Judge.