NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Hudson Motor Car Company

The Hudson Motor Car Company made Hudson brand automobiles in Detroit, Michigan, from 1909 to 1957. Image File history File links Hudsonemblem. ... Image File history File links Hudsonemblem. ... Hudson Motor Car, from 1914 magazine ad This image is in the public domain in the United States and possibly other jurisdictions. ... Hudson Motor Car, from 1914 magazine ad This image is in the public domain in the United States and possibly other jurisdictions. ... Image File history File links 1917 Hudson Phaeton at a rally in Slimbridge, Gloucestershire, England. ... Image File history File links 1917 Hudson Phaeton at a rally in Slimbridge, Gloucestershire, England. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Flag Seal Nickname: Motor City, Motown, D-Town, The D, The Renaissance City, Detroit Rock City Motto: Speramus Meliora; Resurget Cineribus (Latin for, We Hope For Better Things; It Shall Rise From the Ashes) Location Location in Wayne County, Michigan Coordinates: , Government Country State County United States Michigan Wayne County... 1909 (MCMIX) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... 1957 (MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The name "Hudson" came from J.L. Hudson, a Detroit department store entrepreneur and founder of Hudson's Department Store. Joseph Lowthian (J.L.) Hudson (b. ... Hudsons Department Store - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ...

The company had a number of firsts for the auto industry, these included the automobile self starter, dual brakes, the use of dashboard oil-pressure and generator warning lights, and the first balanced crankshaft, which allowed the Hudson straight-6 engine to work at a higher rotational speed while remaining smooth, developing more power than lower-revving engines. Most Hudsons until 1957 had straight-6 engines. The dual brake system used a secondary reservoir which was activated when the pedal travelled beyond the normal reach of the primary system, so was automatically called into play; a mechanical emergency brake was also used. Hudsons also used an oil bath and cork clutch mechanism which proved to be as durable as it was smooth. Image:Turbo starter. ... For other uses, see Brake (disambiguation). ... Crankshaft, pistons, and flywheel Continental engine marine crankshafts, 1942 For the comic strip about an old, curmudgeonly bus driver, see Crankshaft (comic strip). ... The straight-6 (also inline 6, I-6, or I6) is an internal combustion engine with six cylinders aligned in a single row. ...

At its peak in 1929, 300,000 cars were produced in one year (Hudson and Essex combined), including contributions from Hudson's other factories in Belgium and England. Hudson was the third largest U.S. car maker that year, after Ford Motor Company and Chevrolet.[1] 1929 (MCMXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Royal motto (French): Dieu et mon droit (Translated: God and my right) Englands location (dark green) within the United Kingdom (light green), with the Republic of Ireland (blue) to its west Languages English Capital London Largest city London Area â€“ Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 kmÂ² Population â€“mid-2004... The Ford Motor Company (usually called Ford; NYSE: F) is an American company with its global headquarters in Dearborn, Michigan, that manufactures automobiles and sells popular vehicles worldwide. ... Chevrolet (Shev-ro-LAY), or Chevy for short, is a brand of automobile, now a division of General Motors. ...

Essex & Terraplane

In 1919 Hudson introduced the Essex brand line of automobiles; the line was originally for budget minded buyers, designed to compete with Ford and Chevrolet, as opposed to the more up-scale Hudson line. The Essex found great success by offering one of the first affordable cars with an enclosed passenger compartment. 1919 (MCMXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... The Hudson Motor Car Company made Hudson brand automobiles in Detroit, Michigan, from 1909 to 1957. ... The Ford Motor Company (usually called Ford; NYSE: F) is an American company with its global headquarters in Dearborn, Michigan, that manufactures automobiles and sells popular vehicles worldwide. ... Chevrolet (Shev-ro-LAY), or Chevy for short, is a brand of automobile, now a division of General Motors. ...

In 1932 Hudson bagan the process of phasing out its Essex nameplate for the modern Terraplane brand name. For 1932 and 1933 the restyled cars were named Essex-Terraplane; from 1934 then as Terraplane, until 1938 when the name returned to Hudson. Hudson also began assembling cars in Canada, contracting Canada Top and Body to build the cars in their Tilbury, Ontario, plant. Hudson Terraplane logo. ...

An optional accessory on some 1933 Terraplane models was a steering column-mounted electric gear shift lever, known as the Electric Hand. This took the place of the floor-mounted shift lever, but was activated by similar clutch actions.

1936-1942

In 1936, Hudson revamped its cars, introducing a new "radial safety control" / "rhythmic ride" suspension which suspended the live front axle from two steel bars, as well as from leaf springs. Doing this allowed the use of longer, softer leaf springs ("rhythmic ride"), and prevented bumps and braking from moving the car off course. The 1936 Hudsons were also considerably larger inside than competitive cars - Hudson claimed a 145 cubic foot interior, comparing it to 121 feet in the "largest of other popular cars." (According to EPA measurements, the cavernous Chrysler LHS only reached 126 cubic feet.) With the optional bulging trunk lid, the Hudsons could store 21 cubic feet of luggage (the LHS, 19), though that might have been an optimistic measurement. The 1936 engines were powerful for the time, from 93 to 124 hp. 1937 Hudson Custom Eight. ... 1937 Hudson Custom Eight. ... A leaf spring is a simple form of spring, commonly used for the suspension in wheeled vehicles. ... EPA redirects here. ... The Chrysler LHS was a full-size, front wheel drive car based on Chryslers LH platform. ...

Hudson ceased auto production from 1942 until 1945 in order to manufacture war materials during World War II, including aircraft parts and naval engines. This article is about the year. ... 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1945 calendar). ... World War II is the current Good Article Collaboration of the week! Please help to improve this article to the highest of standards. ...

1946 - 1954

In 1948 the company launched their "step-down" bodies, which lasted through the 1954 model year. The term step-down referred to Hudson's placement of the passenger compartment down into the perimeter of the frame; riders stepped down into a floor that was surrounded by the perimeter of the car's frame. The result was not only a safer car, but greater passenger comfort as well, and in time almost all automakers would embrace it as a means of building bodies. Automotive writer and authority Richard Langworth has written glowingly of the early step-down models stating that "they're one of greatest" autos of the era in articles for Consumer Guide and Collectible Automobile. 1950 Hudson. ... 1950 Hudson. ... 1954 (MCMLIV) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The model year of a product is a number used to describe approximately when a product was produced. ... Richard M. Langworth (born 1941- ) is a Hopkinton, New Hampshire based author of books and magazine articles, specializing on automobile makes, brands and automobile manufacturers. ...

Hudson's strong, light-weight bodies, combined with its six-cylinder engine technology made the company's 1951-1954 Hornet an auto racing Champion, dominating NASCAR in 1951, 1952 and 1953. Later, these cars met with some success in drag racing, where their high power-to-weight ratio worked to their advantage. Advertisement for the 1954 Hudson Hornet The Hudson Hornet was an automobile produced by the Hudson Motor Car Company of Detroit, Michigan between 1951 and 1954. ... Auto racing (also known as automobile racing, autosport or motorsport) is a sport involving racing automobiles. ... The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) is the largest sanctioning body of motorsports in the United States. ... A European Top Alcohol Dragster at Santa Pod Raceway Front engine dragsters were popular in the 1960s and are still in competition today. ... Power-to-weight ratio is a measure commonly used when comparing various vehicles (or engines), including automobiles, motorcycles and aircraft. ...

Like many other smaller North American auto manufacturers, Hudson found it increasingly difficult to compete with the Big Three (Ford, GM and Chrysler) during the 1950s. Those large companies could afford constant development and styling changes, so that their cars looked fresh every year (even if less changed beneath the surface), whereas the smaller manufacturers could only afford gradual change. Hudson's once innovative "step-down" unit body construction, while sturdy and innovative, also made restyling complex and expensive. After the company's ill-fated Jet compact car line failed to capture buyers in its second straight year, Hudson was "acquired" by Nash Kelvinator (Makers of Nash and Rambler automobiles in 1954. The Ford Motor Company (usually called Ford; NYSE: F) is an American company with its global headquarters in Dearborn, Michigan, that manufactures automobiles and sells popular vehicles worldwide. ... General Motors Corporation (NYSE: GM), also known as GM, is an American automobile maker with worldwide operations and brands including Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, Holden, Hummer, Opel, Pontiac, Saturn, Saab and Vauxhall. ... The Chrysler Corporation was a United States-based automobile manufacturer that existed independently from 1925â€“1998. ... The 1950s were the decade that traditionally speaking, spanned the years 1950 through 1959. ... Also see: Kelvinator and American Motors Corporation Nash Motors was an automobile manufacturer based in Kenosha, Wisconsin in the United States from 1916 to 1938. ... The Nash Rambler was an American automobile produced by the Nash Motors division of Nash Kelvinator Corporation between 1950 and 1957. ...

1954-1957

On January 14, 1954, Hudson merged with Nash-Kelvinator Corporation to become American Motors. The Hudson factory in Detroit, Michigan was converted to military contract production at the end of the model year, and the remaining three years of Hudson production took place in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Image File history File links HudsonHollywood55. ... Image File history File links HudsonHollywood55. ... Image File history File links Hudson56brochure. ... Image File history File links Hudson56brochure. ... January 14 is the 14th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1954 (MCMLIV) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Kelvinator Appliance ad from 1951 Nash-Kelvinator Corporation was the result of a merger between Nash Motors and Kelvinator Appliance Company. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Motto: Speramus Meliora; Resurget Cineribus (We Hope For Better Things; It Shall Rise From the Ashes - this motto was adopted after the disastrous 1805 fire that devastated the city) Nickname: The Motor City and Motown Location in Wayne County, Michigan Founded Incorporated July 24, 1701 1815 County Wayne County Mayor... Official language(s) None (English, de-facto) Capital Lansing Largest city Detroit Area Ranked 11th - Total 97,990 sq mi (253,793 kmÂ²) - Width 239 miles (385 km) - Length 491 miles (790 km) - % water 41. ... Kenosha is a city in Kenosha County, Wisconsin. ...

For 1955, both Hudson and Nash senior models were built on a common body shell using styling themes by Pinin Farina, Edmund Anderson and Frank Spring. (Common-body shell production for competing makes of automobiles was a manufacturing technique used by the Big Three for decades.) Hudson dealers also sold Rambler and Metropolitan models under the Hudson brand, and Ramblers sold by Hudson dealers were badged as Hudson vehicles and received "H" symbols on fuel filler caps (and, in 1956, also on hubcaps). ... Sir Edmund Anderson (d. ...

For 1956, design of the senior Hudsons was given over to designer Richard Arbib, which resulted in the "V-Line" styling motif, a combination of “V” motifs that carried Hudson’s triangular corporate logo theme. Sales figures fell below 1955 figures. For 1957, Hudson dropped the shorter-wheelbased Wasp line, selling only the Hornet Custom and Super, which featured a lowered profile and slightly updated styling.

With a wider front track than Nash used, Hudson was the better handling car, and was powered by the famed 308 in³ Hornet Six with the optional high-compression cylinder head and dual-carburetor manifold ("Twin-H Power"). The Wasp used the 202 in³ L-head Jet Six engine and this model (in sedan version) was Hudson's top seller. For 1955, for the first time Hudson offered a V8 engine, a 360 in³ powerplant rated at 208 hp and built for Hudson and Nash by Packard. Packard red hexagon symbol made its debut in 1905, with the color red added in 1913 Packard was a United States based brand of luxury automobile built by the Packard Motors Company of Detroit,Michigan, and later by the Studebaker-Packard Corporation of South Bend, Indiana. ...

In 1955 and 1956, Rambler and Metropolitan models were sold under the Hudson brand, and Ramblers sold by Hudson dealers received "H" symbols on their fuel filler caps and also (in 1956 only) on the wheel covers.

The last Hudson rolled off the Kenosha assembly line on June 25, 1957. There were no ceremonies, because at that point there was still hope of continuing the Hudson and Nash names into the 1958 model year on the Rambler chassis as deluxe, longer-wheelbased senior models. One major trade magazine said that rumors of discontinuance were false and that the 1958 Hudsons and Nashes "would be big and smart". Image File history File links Hudson58prop. ... Image File history File links Hudson58prop. ... June 25 is the 176th day of the year (177th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 189 days remaining. ... 1957 (MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Factory styling photographs show designs for a 1958 Hudson (and Nash) line based on a longer-wheelbase 1958 Rambler. Front-end prototype photos show separate Hudson and Nash styling themes.

AMC President George W. Romney came to the conclusion that neither Hudson or Nash as brand names had as much positive market recognition as the successful Rambler. The decision to retire the Hudson (and Nash) brand names came so quickly that preproduction photographs of the eventual 1958 Rambler Ambassador show both Nash and Hudson badged and trimmed versions of the car. George Wilcken Romney (July 8, 1907â€“July 26, 1995) was chairman of the American Motors Corporation from 1954 to 1962 and was elected three times as the Republican Governor of Michigan from 1963 to 1969. ... Rambler logo, 1960s Rambler was an automobile brand name used by the Thomas B. Jeffery Company between 1900 and 1914, then by its successor, Nash Motors in 1950, and finally by Nashs successor, American Motors Corporation from 1954 to 1969. ...

Eventually, however, the Hudson design was chosen for the 1958 Rambler Ambassador. Hudson fans will note the triangular grille guard and 1957-like fender "gunsights" and the fast-selling 1958 Rambler Customs wore 1957 Hudson-styled front-fender trim.

In 1970 American Motors Corporation (AMC) revived the "Hornet" model name for its new series of compact cars. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

In 2006, Pixar featured the Fabulous Hudson Hornet as "Doc Hudson," a retired racing car, in its animated feature Cars (film). Pixar Animation Studios is an award-winning American computer animation studio based in Emeryville, California (USA). ... Winner Marshall Teague beside his Fabulous Hudson Hornet racecar at the Daytona Beach Road Course in 1952, courtesy Florida Photographic Collection The Fabulous Hudson Hornet was a famous NASCAR Grand National (now NEXTEL Cup) and AAA stockcar driven by Marshall Teague. ... Doctor Hudson is a character from Cars. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

See also

The following automobile manufacturers produce or have produced automobiles. ... Hudson Terraplane logo. ... The Hudson Motor Car Company made Hudson brand automobiles in Detroit, Michigan, from 1909 to 1957. ...

External links

Image File history File links Commons-logo. ... Wikimedia Commons logo by Reid Beels The Wikimedia Commons (also called Commons or Wikicommons) is a repository of free content images, sound and other multimedia files. ...

Categories: 1909 establishments | American Motors | Chrysler | Defunct motor vehicle manufacturers of the United States | Michigan Automakers 1959 Ambassador by Rambler Cross Country hardtop wagon The AMC Ambassador was an automobile produced by the American Motors Corporation (AMC) from 1958 until 1974. ... The Rambler Classic was an intermediate sized automobile that was built and sold by American Motors Corporation from 1961 to 1966. ... Cover of Motor Trend magazine, featuring 1965 Marlin The Marlin was a mid-sized fastback sporty car built by American Motors from 1965 to 1967. ... The original Rambler was an automobile produced of the Thomas B. Jeffery Company then by its successor, Nash-Kelvinator Corporation and finally, by its successor, American Motors Corporation (all in Kenosha, Wisconsin). ... The Rambler Rebel was an automobile was a product by the American Motors Corporation (AMC) of Kenosha, Wisconsin between 1957 and 1961. ... 1959 Ambassador by Rambler Cross Country hardtop wagon The AMC Ambassador was an automobile produced by the American Motors Corporation (AMC) from 1958 until 1974. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... AMC publicity image of its new model, the 1978 Concord. ... The AMC Eagle was produced by the former American Motors Corporation, introduced for the 1980 model year and based on the AMC Concord range. ... 1974 AMC Gremlin The AMC Gremlin was the first American subcompact car. ... 1970 AMC Hornet coupe The AMC Hornet was a compact automobile made by the American Motors Corporation (AMC) beginning with the 1970 model year and continuing through the 1977 model year. ... 1973 AMC Javelin AMX Pierre Cardin edition The AMC Javelin was a sporty coupe_type automobile in the pony car class built by American Motors Corporation between 1968 and 1974. ... Cover of Motor Trend magazine, featuring 1965 Marlin The Marlin was a mid-sized fastback sporty car built by American Motors from 1965 to 1967. ... An advertisement for the 1973 AMC Matador, promoting its roominess The AMC Matador was an intermediate size car built and sold by the American Motors Corporation (AMC) from 1971 to 1978. ... A late-1950s Metropolitan The Nash Metropolitan also sold as a Hudson when those two manufacturers merged to form American Motors Corporation, and later as a standalone marque during the Rambler years, is a subcompact car that sold between 1954 and 1962 to serve as a more socially responsible/non... AMC Pacer coupe The AMC Pacer was a two-door, compact car produced in the United States by the American Motors Corporation between 1975 and 1980, although design started in 1971. ... 1969 AMC Rebel sedan The AMC Rebel (known as the Rambler Rebel in 1967) was an intermediate car produced from 1967 to 1970. ... AMC Spirit For 1979, the Spirit took the place of the Gremlin. ... 1984 Renault Alliance The Renault Alliance was a compact automobile built and marketed in North America by the American Motors Corporation (AMC) through its partnership with its majority owner Renault between 1983 and 1987, when the Chrysler Corporation acquired AMC. The Alliance was based upon the Renault 9/11, but... The Renault 9 and Renault 11 were compact automobiles produced by the French car manufacturer Renault between 1982 and 1988. ... This page meets Wikipedias criteria for speedy deletion. ... Eagle Premier - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... The Chrysler Corporation is a United States-based automobile manufacturer, since 1998 merged with Daimler_Benz into DaimlerChrysler. ... Jeep is an automobile marque (and registered trademark) of DaimlerChrysler. ... Kelvinator Appliance ad from 1951 Kelvinator is an appliance company since 1994 owned by Electrolux of Sweden. ... Also see: Kelvinator and American Motors Corporation Nash Motors was an automobile manufacturer based in Kenosha, Wisconsin in the United States from 1916 to 1938. ... Kelvinator Appliance ad from 1951 Nash-Kelvinator Corporation was the result of a merger between Nash Motors and Kelvinator Appliance Company. ... Renault S.A. is a French vehicle manufacturer producing cars, vans, buses, tractors and trucks. ... Roy Abernethy (b. ... Abraham Edward (A.E.) Barit1 (b. ... Roy D. Chapin Jr. ... George Wilcken Romney (July 8, 1907â€“July 26, 1995) was chairman of the American Motors Corporation from 1954 to 1962 and was elected three times as the Republican Governor of Michigan from 1963 to 1969. ... Richard A. Teague was a principal designer for the American Motors company. ... George Walter Mason (b. ... Gerald C. Meyers is a well known industrialist, author, speaker, former Chairman of American Motors, active business consultant, and an expert in the field of Corporate Governance and Crisis Management in business. ...

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