1916 Hudson Series H Super Six

A Saturday Evening Post advertisement published June 19, 1909, spurred demand for the new Hudson Motor Car, rewarding it with the most-successful new entry to date in America's automotive industry. The company was organized on February 24th, 1909, and its name 'Hudson' was after investor Joseph L. Hudson, proprietor of Detroit's Hudson Department Store and uncle to Roscoe Jackson's wife. Roscoe B. Jackson was one of the industry veterans who helped ensure Hudson's success, along with Roy D. Chapin, Howard E. Coffin, and George W. Dunham. The first Hudson was completed in early July 1909, built at the defunct Northern car and the former Aerocar plant in Detroit. By the close of that first year, over 1,100 Hudson vehicles had been built.

The earliest Hudson models were known as the Model 20, so-named in recognition of its rated power output from the 198 cubic-inch Buda side-valve inline four-cylinder engine. Its wheelbase measured 100 inches and was suspended by leaf springs and a semi-floating rear axle. Stopping power was courtesy of two-wheel rear mechanical brakes (contracting band and expanding shoes on rear wheel drums). The triangular badge on its radiator signified 'Performance, Service and Value' according to Hudson's advertising. The Model 33 was introduced in October 1910 and came powered by a Continental-supplied engine featuring 'monobloc' architecture. To meet the strong demand, Hudsons were now exclusively powered by Continental engines, prompting Continental to build a new factory in Detroit to produce them. The Model 33 was named after its actual horsepower measured on a brake rather than its ALAM calculated horsepower (which was 25.6hp). Both the cylinder head and block of the engine were cast together with a 4-inch stroke and a 4.5-inch bore, resulting in the 226 cubic-inch displacement size. The three-speed transmission was mounted in unit with the engine and clutch. The suspension was comprised of semi-elliptical leaf springs at the front and 3/4-elliptical leaf springs at the rear.

The Model 33 was offered in five body styles, all resting atop a 114.25-inch wheelbase chassis. It was superseded by the longer wheelbase Model 37 powered by a Continental-built four-cylinder 37hp engine displacing 280.6 cubic inches. Among the amenities were an electric starter, lights, a clock, a speedometer, a 'Rain Vision' windshield, and detachable wheel rims. The Model 37 was the last Hudson to be equipped with Continental L-Head four-cylinder engines.

The Model Six-54 rested on a 135-inch wheelbase and was powered by a 421 cubic-inch inline six-cylinder engine, cast in pairs, with a self-starter, and producing 55 horsepower. It was also Hudson's first left-hand-drive model. The Model Six-40 had a 123-inch wheelbase and was equipped with a 288.5 cubic-inch inline-six with 42 horsepower (29.4 N.A.C.C. rating).

The Model 6-54 wore a new honeycomb radiator and smoother radiator and hood line. There was a higher headlamp tie-bar, a new non-folding two-piece windshield (open cars had a pivoting upper portion), a new electric horn, and repositioned control pedals with the gas pedal now between the brake and clutch pedals. A shorter turning radius was courtesy of the newly tapered frame and a new tubular driveshaft reducing driveline mass.

The Model Six-54's successor was the Super Six of 1916, the basis for the company's models for over a decade, was dimensionally smaller in nearly every way but more powerful.

1916 Hudson Models
Hudson offered the Model Six-40 Series G-Six and the Super Six Series H for 1916, both were similarly priced. The Six-40 was priced from $1,350 to $2,450 and offered in seven body styles with two- and four-door configurations with seating from three to seven passengers. Its six-cylinder engine displaces 288.5 cubic inches and produced 42 horsepower (N.A.C.C. HP 29.4), and rested on a 123-inch wheelbase.

The Super Six had a 125.5-inch wheelbase and was powered by a 289 CID inline-6 with 76 horsepower at 2,450 RPM, the first Hudson-built engine. It had mechanical valve lifters, a Hudson-built side draft carburetor, four main bearing crankshafts fitted with eight counterweights, and a high compression ratio of 5.0:1. Both the Six-40 and the Super Six were paired with a three-speed sliding gear transmission with a wet clutch, shaft drive, and two-wheel mechanical brakes.

The Hudson Super Six was in production through 1926.

The two-door roadster and seven-passenger phaeton were priced at $1,375, the cabriolet at $1,675, the four-passenger phaeton at $1,750, and the seven-passenger touring sedan at $1,900. The limousine, limousine landaulet, town car, and town car landaulet all had seating for seven passengers and were priced at $2,500 for the town car and limousine and $2,750 for the other two.

by Daniel Vaughan | Jun 2022