1927 Hudson Model O Custom Roadster

The Hudson Motor Car Company was founded in 1909 by eight Detroit businessmen with the goal of producing a car that would sell for less than $1,000. The capital was contributed by Joseph L. Hudson, founder of Hudson's Department Store. In 1929, it was the third largest auto manufacturer, trailing only Ford and Chevrolet.

In 1954, Hudson was combined with Nash-Kelvinator to form American Motors. The last Hudson was produced in 1957.

The 1927 Hudson was significantly different than its predecessor. The redesigned car featured a higher radiator hood line and full crown fenders. The headlamps were now bullet-shaped. Thanks, in part, to 18-inch wheels, the 1927 Hudson had a lower, smarter profile. Additional news for 1927 included the retirement of the Super Six engine in favor of a new six-cylinder with F-head architecture displacing 288.5 cubic inches and offering 92 rated horsepower. Four-wheel brakes were new, along with a new rear suspension setup and new paint colors.

1927 Hudson models included the Series S resting on the 'short' 118.5-inch wheelbase chassis and the more expensive, top-level Series O riding on the 127 3/8-inch wheelbase. The Series S consisted of two body styles, and seven for the Series O, including five catalogued Custom bodies which were all built by Biddle and Smart of Amesbury, Massachusetts.

No car in the 1927 Hudson line-up looked sportier than the Super Six Custom roadster, which sold new for $1500. It is believed this roadster aluminum body was designed and built by the Walter M. Murphy Co. of Pasadena, California, and supplied by Biddle and Smart. They shipped over 400 bodies per week to Detroit. Previous to supplying bodies to Hudson, Biddle and Smart had supplied bodies for Rolls-Royce production in Springfield, Massachusetts.

This car was previously owned by Herbert Bell, whose other Hudsons were used in the movie 'Driving Miss Daisy.' He promised the car to a grandson who decided to sell it many years later, fulfilling the hopes of the current owner, Mr. Hostetler. He first saw this vehicle at the Herbert Bell Collection at Gainesville, Georgia, in the early 1980s. Mr. Hostetler purchased the Roadster during the late 2000s from Mr. Bell, who purchased the vehicle in 1981 from the Harrah Collection of Reno, Nevada, which had acquired it in 1964.

Mr. Hostetler entrusted the Roadster to LaVine Restorations in Nappanee, Indiana, where a complete, body-off-frame restoration was completed in 2012. It was then shown at the 2012 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, and Pebble Beach Tour. At the 2013 Concours d'Elegance of America at St. John's, Michigan, the Roadster was awarded Best in Class (Jazz Age 1915-1927). Other wins include the Technical Excellence Award at the 15th Annual Bay Harbor, Michigan Vintage Car and Boat Festival held in June 2013. Under AACA judging, the Roadster garnered National Award honors in 2012.

After its concours tour, the car was put on long-term display at the Gilmore Car Museum in Hickory Corners, Michigan.

The car is finished in maroon paint with gold body pinstriping and brown leather livery. Period accessories include correct headlamps, side lights built into each side of the windshield frame, a tail light, rear spare-tire assembly, a stanchion-type spotlight mounted on the driver's side running board, Pilot-Ray pivoting driving lights, Federal bumpers, a Boyce Moto-Meter atop the radiator, wind wings, and a stop light at the rear of the vehicle. It has original 19-inch wood-spoke wheels, original Hudson-scripted hubcaps, and newer period-style black wall tires.