1936 Terraplane Series 61 Commercial Express Cab Truck

Hudson Motor Car Company was formed in 1909 by Detroit department store magnate J.L. Hudson and Roy D. Chapin to build a 'for under $1000.' The result was one of the first low-priced cars on the American market and very successful, with more than 4,000 sold the first year. At its peak in 1929, 300,962 cars were produced by Hudson and its lower-priced companion car, Essex, allowing Hudson to finish third in sales among American nameplates, just behind Ford and Chevrolet. During the depression, Hudson began to phase out the Essex in favor of the Terraplane brand. Amelia Earhart served as spokesperson for the new brand.

The 1936 Terraplane and Hudson models were offered with a column-mounted electro-mechanical shifter called the Electric Hand which replaced the floor shift. The pedal clutch was still required.

This Terraplane truck was used on a dairy farm hauling milk cans, followed by service at an upstate New York garage. It was discovered in the basement of a house where it had been stored. It underwent a three-and-a-half-year restoration with parts very difficult to find due to its rarity. Only a handful of these Terraplane trucks are known to survive.