Hudson

US, 1909 – 1957

(1) Hudson Motor Car Co., Detroit, Mich., 1909 – 1954

(2) American Motors Corp., Kenosha, Wisc., 1954 – 1957

The Hudson car was created by Roy D. Chapin, and financed by J.L. Hudson, head of Detroit’s famous department store of that name. The first product was a 20hp 4-cylinder Hudson car of conventional design, capable of 50mph, of which 4.000 Hudson cars were sold in its first season. These fours, one of which was entered in the 1914 Tourist Trophy were first supplemented and then supplanted by a 6-cylinder line. The first of these Hudson cars was the heavy (3.696lb) and fairly expensive $2.350) Hudson Model 54 with a 4-speed overdrive gearbox, but the 4½-litre Hudson Super Six of 1916, with its high-compression sv engine, really made the Hudson company’s name, and marked the first of a line of engines of this type which lasted almost to the end of Hudson car production, giving generous outputs while still burning commercial-grade petrol. A Hudson Super Six made the first two-way transcontinental trip – New York to San Fransisco and back – in 1916; Ira Vail took 9th place with a Hudson car in the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race in 1919, and this Hudson car formed the backbone of New Zealand’s ‘service car’ network in the 1920s.

Though Hudson’s booming sales in the 1920s were largely due to the inexpensive companion make the Essex, the Hudson car company also pioneered modestly-priced closed Hudson cars, and in 1922 their ‘coach’ (a 2-door saloon) sold for only $100 more than a tourer. Until 1929, the Hudson Super Six remained the staple Hudson car model, and during its last three years of production the Hudson car was powered by a 4.7-litre ioe unit derived from the original Essex Four of 1918. In 1930 this Hudson car was replaced by a 3½-litre straight-8, later increased to 4.168cc in 1932 – this tough and well-liked unit remained in production until 1952, and powered such Anglo-Americans as the Railton and Brough Superior. These firms also used Hudson’s 3½-litre six.

The 1930s were less facrouable to Hudson cars, except in Britain, where the breed’s popularity warranted the manufacture of a small-bore 2.7-litre ‘export’ six rated at only 16.9hp, which was still being made for Hudson cars in 1940. The regular Hudson Six was a bigger machine of 3.455cc and was offered with independent front suspension in 1934 and 1935; in the latter year Electric Hand gear change became available on Hudson cars. Fencer’s mask radiator grilles followed in 1936, and steering-column change in 1939. The first post-war Hudson cars were a continuation of the 1942 models, but 1948 brought the revolutionary Hudson Step-Down series with the Hudson car company’s high-compression sv in-line engines. These low-built Hudson cars had unitary construction of chassis and body, rear wheels mounted inside the chassis frame, and coil-spring independent front suspension. The 5-litre 145bhp 6-cylinder Hudson Hornet engine introduced for 1951, proved a great success in stock-car events, but before this the Hudson car company had reached its post-war sales peak, with nearly 145.000 Hudson cars delivered in 1950. Competition in the medium-price bracket was too strong, and Hudson’s venture in the compact car market in 1953, with the 3.3-litre 6-cylinder Hudson Jet at $1.833 (this was also the first Hudson to abandon the wet-plate clutch) was not successful.

In 1954 Hudson amalgamated with Nash to form the American Motors Corporation. Though all production was transferred from Detroit to Kenosha, and the Hudson car range now shared its utinized hulls with the bigger Nash models, sales did not prosper. These last Hudson cars had initially the old sv 6-cylinder units or Packard-built V8s, while both Nash’s Rambler and the Austin-built Metropolitan were sold by Hudson agents. The Hudson car name was dropped at the end of the 1957 season.

Source: Georgano, encyclopedia of motorcar; GNG, MCS

The information is written with the greatest of care. However, if you have any suggested amendments please contact us at office@postwarclassic.com

Kaiser

US, 1946 – 1954

(1) Kaiser-Frazer Corporation, Willow Run, Mich., 1946 – 1953

(2) Kaiser-Willys Sales Corp, Toledo, Ohio, 1954

The Kaiser car was the most successful post-war ‘invasion’ of the American automobile industry, the creation of a combine headed by shipbuilder Henry J. Kaiser and Jospeh W. Frazer of Graham-Paige. Howard Darrin styled the original prototype Kaiser car, but it was much revised by KF Styling under Robert Cadwallader. Frazer had rented, and KF later bought, the huge Willow Run plant built by Henry Ford for wartime manufacture of the B24 Liberator bomber. Early plans called for a low-medium-priced Kaiser car and a more expensive ‘custom’ Frazer. The Kaiser car prototype shown to the public in 1946 displayed unit construction, torsion-bar suspension and front-wheel drive, and its (and Frazer’s) new straight-through side styling set a trend on Kaiser cars that all the industry would follow. Complications and costs precluded these mechanical ideas from the production Kaiser Special, however, which had conventional box-section frame, hypoid rear drive and coil-spring independent rear suspension. The engine of the Kaiser car was an improvement on the pre-World War 2 Continental design, a sv 6-cylinder 3.7-litre unit developing 100bhp. This Kaiser car was gradually stepped up to 112, 118 and finally 140bhp in the supercharged Kaiser Manhattan for 1954 – 1955. But try as they might, the Kaiser car company could not permanently maintain their position, though they ranked eighth and built about 140.000 Kaiser cars during both 1947 and 1948, to lead all the other American independents including Studebaker, Hudson and Nash.

The Kaiser car is remembered for its novel ideas and innovations. Among these, along with the first through-fenderline for 1947, were the Kaiser Traveler and Kaiser Vagabond utility models that looked like sedans but opened up at the rear like station wagons, and these Kaiser cars had large flat beds created by drop-down seats; one of the first hardtops in the 1949 4-door Kaiser Virginian; the first (with Frazer) post-war 4-door convertible; the Kaiser Dragon line of luxuriously trimmed, padded-top sedans of 1951 – 1953; and of course the brilliant 1954 – 1955 line of Kaiser Manhattans and Kaiser Specials with concave grille designed by A.B. Grisinger and ‘safety-glo’ tail lights, styled by Herbert Weissinger, extending up along the rear fenders, along with Darrin’s novel sliding-door Kaiser Darrin roadster. The 1951 – 1955 ‘anatomic design’ Kaiser car was among the most inspired US sedan designs of the period.

Altogether Kaiser-Frazer produced over 747.000 cars and Kaiser-Willys combined for 25.000 more in 1954 – 1955. Of these, about 500.000 or more were Kaiser cars. The Kaiser car make was phased out in 1955, when only 260 Kaiser car left-overs were sold as 1955 models and 1.006 Manhattans were exported to Argentina, where they were soon to be manufactured as the ‘Kaiser Carabela’ from 1958 to 1962.

Source: Georgano, encyclopedia of motorcar; HON, RML

The information is written with the greatest of care. However, if you have any suggested amendments please contact us at office@postwarclassic.com