1928 Hudson Model O Town Car

When new, this one-off Murphy-bodied Town Car is believed to be the most expensive Hudson ever. The Murphy Coachbuilders of Pasadena, California, were commissioned to create the custom coachwork for Mrs. Maribel Schumacher, the wife of Mr. Frederick William Schumacher of Columbus, Ohio. At the time, Mrs. Schumacher's brother was a Hudson Motor Car Company official at the time. Mr. Schumacher agreed to buy the Hudson chassis but had it shipped to the Walter M. Murphy Body Company in Pasadena, California, to be fitted with a body. The Model O chassis had a 136-inch wheelbase length, and its bodywork was completed at a cost of $13,500. It is titled as a 1938 model vehicle, however, the serial number of the Series O chassis indicates a late-1947 build date.

This Hudson Town Car has an uncluttered appearance with a covered spare wheel and tire mounted at the car's rear. Trim work included a single nickel-plated beltline trim strip running the length of the car. There are a set of Mahogany running boards with see-through mud scrapers, a revised isosceles (rather than the customary equilateral item) Hudson 'triangle' emblem on the radiator, radiator shutters manually controlled by a ratcheted pull lever on the engine-turned dash panel, and a Hudson 'winged god' radiator mascot on the taller-than-standard radiator shell. There are chrome wire wheels, white sidewall tires, Trippe Safety Lights, cowl lamps, a damascened (engine-turned) dashboard, door-panel storage pockets, a passenger-to-chauffeur speak, and original-appearing or older restored black leather upholstery inside the chauffeur's compartment. Front door handles are only found inside the chauffeur's area. Only the rear passenger compartment is heated by way of a 'Tropic-Aire' heater with dashboard control. The sliding glass division window offers its rear occupants privacy when needed, along with fully curtained rear windows and the built-in blind rear quarters. There is a padded rear roof, landau irons, wire wheels, and Mahogany strips covering the fuel tank. The rear passenger compartment includes twin folding jump seats and large round courtesy lights featuring etched images of gaily dancing figures.

The Schumachers used the Hudson Town Car mainly for short distances in the Columbus vicinity, accumulating approximately 25,000 miles during their ownership. After the death of Mr. Schumacher in 1957, his chauffeur of 60 years, Mr. Frank Hartigan, had the car placed on blocks and stored it briefly unit it was acquired from the Schumacher estate by fellow Columbus resident Jack Smith, reportedly for just a few hundred dollars. The next owner was H-E-T Club member Carl Horton of Indianapolis, who in turn sold it at the 1975 Labor Day weekend auction in Auburn, Indiana, to Oklahoma City resident C.A. Leslie. In June 2004, Eldon Hostetler purchased the Hudson Town Car at auction in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

By Daniel Vaughan | Jan 2019