1912 Hudson Model 33

The 1912 Hudson 33 'Mile-a-Minute' Roadster was faster than its '60-mph' name implied. It was a very advanced vehicle though minimalistic in design. It had a 100-mph Warner Auto-meter, Demountable rims with an extra rim in the back, lamps, Prest-O-Lite tank, and luggage carriers. It had a thirty-gallon fuel tank and an additional tank for 10 gallons of oil. It was very well balanced and could travel the roads and raceways in better form than most other vehicles.

It was a dual-purpose vehicle with both road and racing in mind. It had quick-fill oil and gas filler caps. For intense racing situations, the fenders could be removed to reduce weight even further.

Other Model 33 body styles included a 3-door tourer, limousine, coupe, commercial roadster, and a 3- and 5-passenger torpedo. Prices ranged from $1,600 to $2,750. Power was from a 226 cubic-inch, mono-bloc four-cylinder engine with a Stromberg carburetor and 33 horsepower. The Model 33 was the only model offered by Hudson for 1912, as the Model had been dropped. Since it was the sole model in the lineup, its list of body styles grew from four to seven. Although no major styling or mechanical changes were introduced, a Disco self-starter became standard equipment. It was built by the Disco Company of Grand Rapids, Michigan.

The Hudson Motor Car Company of Detroit, Michigan, began producing vehicles in 1910 and would remain in production until 1954. Their first vehicles had a 20-horsepower, four-cylinder engine that promised speeds of 50 MPH. During their first year, around 4,000 examples were sold. The four-cylinder engine would remain in the Hudson line-up until 1916, when it was dropped in favor of a one-model policy. Their sole offering had a 4730cc Super-Six engine.

The company was started by Roy D. Chapin with financial backing from J.L. Hudson, head of Detroit's famous department store that bore the same name.

by Daniel Vaughan | Jul 2008