1949 Hudson Commodore Custom Convertible Brougham

In 1948, Hudson, one of the few independent automakers remaining in the late 1940s, introduced its post-war models featuring some of the hottest new ideas. A new Super Six engine purred under the hood, a hood was now attached to an all-new idea in auto construction. The 'unit-body' Hudson's had the lowest center of gravity of any American production car, achieved by suspending the floor pan from the bottom of the chassis frame. The resulting car had a lower profile than its competition and was dubbed the 'step-down,' since one stepped down into them when entering rather than up. With the lower center of gravity helping hug the road and the straight Six engine propelling the car along, Hudson outpaced many of its competitors in 1948 and 1949. An updated version of the new engine became well known on the NASCAR circuit with the Hudson Hornet was introduced in 1951 and went on to many victories.

Only minor changes were made to the 1949 model year, one that built on the success of the step-down models. The Brougham convertibles had been released late in 1948, so 1949 was their first full year of production. Fewer than 1300 of the Convertibles were made (half with the inline Six engine and half with Hudson's inline 8), so they remain rare today. This car has only undergone minor repairs and is in its original condition.

Collection of Bill Albright

Source - SDAM