1931 Hudson Series T Boat-Tailed Sport Roadster

Roy Chapin, Howard Coffin and Roscoe Jackson founded the Hudson Motor Car Company in Detroit during 1909. A short time later, and during that same year, the first automobiles were introduced. Most of the initial capital for the company was provided by J. L. Hudson, owner of Hudson's department stores and uncle to Roscoe Jackson's wife.

For 1931, Hudsons were offered on the short Series T chassis and long-wheelbase Series U with an array of 17 available body styles. Powered by the eight-cylinder engine debuting the previous year, Hudson once again was solely an eight-cylinder model line in 1931. Displacement now measured 233.7 cubic inches and offered 87 horsepower at 3,600 engine revolutions.

The Great Depression resulted in a reduction in sales at Hudson to levels not seen since the post-World War I recession.

Previous Hudson body styles included boattailed roadsters sporadically and offered in 1927 and 1929 on the Essex chassis, with the body style's construction attributed by some to Biddle and Smart. For 1931, an Essex boattail roadster was offered. By this point in history, Essex and Hudson shared bodies, so a Hudson boattail was created, this time with the bodies built by Murray. The 1931 boattail was rare and not even listed in the factory-issued sales literature that year. It is believed that just 12 examples were built, and as few as five are thought to remain in existence today.

The Hudson Speedster, with its boat-tail design, was cataloged as the Series T 2-Passenger Sport Roadster for 1931. Twelve Greater Eight chassis were sent to the Murray Body Co. in 1931 to receive the boat-tail body. Power was from an 87-horsepower straight-8 engine.

In 1954, the Hudson Motor Company was merged with Nash-Kelvinator to create American Motors. The 1955 Hudsons had Nash bodies, with the Wasp and Hornet models retaining Hudson's six-cylinder engines. The last Hudson automobiles were built in 1957.

This 1931 Hudson Sport Roadster is one of five known to survive. It is one of 49 vehicles included in a 2007 donation by Eldon and Edna Hostetier to the Town of Shipshewana, Indiana, for the purpose of establishing the Hostetler's Hudson Auto Museum facility in that community.

This car was purchased by Mr. Hostetler in June of 1990. Period accessories include a pair of Trippe Safety Lights, a chrome grille stone guard, chrome hood-vent doors, twin side-mounted spare wheels and tires with chrome covers and chrome side view mirrors, a stanchion-mounted spot atop the driver's side running board including a smaller lamp on the cross-brace with the car's body, floral-etched wind wings, a well-fitted black folding top, upholstered rumble seat, spotlight, and more.

By Daniel Vaughan | Jan 2019