1912 Hudson Model 33 Mile-A-Minute Roadster

Hudson built a factory-issue speedster named the Mile-A-Minute Roadster that was essentially a stripped-down stock car with fully exposed bucket seats and a large fuel tank but with basic road-going necessities as running boards and fenders. For competitive events, these items were easily removed. Mercer, Stutz, and several other automakers built similar pre-World War I speedsters, usually in limited quantities and for brief periods of time.

A larger and more powerful Hudson model arrived in 1911, dubbed the Model 33, and continued into 1912. The Mile-A-Minute Roadster and several other styles were added in the second year.

The mono-bloc four-cylinder engine displaced 226 cubic inches and produced 33 horsepower. The three-speed sliding gear transmission was operated via gear change levers located outside the frame. A 100-mph speedometer was standard on the Mile-A-Minute, and the large fuel tank located behind the seats could accommodate 30 gallons of gas and 10 gallons of oil.

It is believed that this Mile-A-Minute is the 73rd car to have been built. It was retrieved from a barn in New York state by H. Pierson Mapes in the late 1940s. It was restored for Mr. Mapes by Joseph Murchio who the cast brass plaque on its firewall proclaims was 'America's Foremost Authority on Antique Automobiles.'

It is believed that Mr. Mapes sold this vehicle at a public auction conducted by Sotheby's in the late 1950s or early 1960s. Ownership passed from Mapes to Egbert Beney of Syosset, New York at around that time. In 1987, the car was acquired by another individual who passed it to his son in 2003. The Clem and Mary Lange Collection acquired it in 2009 from Bonhams' Greenwich Concours d'Elegance Auction.

The car wears a restoration that dates back to H. Pierson Mapes time. It is equipped with a period accessory monocle windshield, copies of the owner's manual, tools, and period jack.

By Daniel Vaughan | Jul 2021