The Speedabout had a boat-tail body by Biddle & Smart, a Massachusetts-based coachbuilder that supplied Hudson with low-volume special bodies. The Speedabout was the least expensive of all 1927 Essex models, selling for $700. Though they were a great value, very few Speedabouts were sold.
For 1929, Essex's total production was just under a quarter-million. In 1932, the company introduced the unit-engineered Essex Terraplane (a favorite of Amelia Earhart). By 1933, the Essex name was retired and the car became simply the Terraplane.