1931 Hudson Series T

The Hudson Series T, also known as the Greater Eight, rode on a wheelbase size that measured 119 inches for 1931. They received minor styling changes over the prior year, with the grille inserts, headlights, and fenders being one of the more visual and modern changes. The bumpers, hubcaps, running boards, and much of the exterior hardware were restyled for 1931.

Hudson had earned a reputation for being the 'World's Largest Builder of Six-Cylinder Cars.' This reputation began in 1913 and would continue for the following two decades. By the late 1920s, the cylinder wars had escalated, and Hudson was in need of change. For 1930, Hudson readied a straight eight. It was derived from the companion make Essex Six, and was smaller in displacement and down on power than the old Super Six. Its main advantage was being 500 pounds lighter, which gave it better performance than the unit it replaced.

By the start of the 1930s, Essex and Hudson were sharing bodies. Essex had offered boattails in 1927 and 1929 and again in 1931. The boattails were built by Murray. There were so few boattail bodies that bore the Hudson name that they did not even make the sales literature.

by Dan Vaughan

Boat-Tailed Sport Roadster by Murray
Chassis number: 924094

Roy Chapin, Howard Coffin and Roscoe Jackson founded the Hudson Motor Car Company in Detroit during 1909. A short time later, and during that same year, the first automobiles were introduced. Most of the initial capital for the company was provided by J. L. Hudson, owner of Hudson's department stores and uncle to Roscoe Jackson's wife.

For 1931, Hudsons were offered on the short Series T chassis and long-wheelbase Series U with an array of 17 available body styles. Powered by the eight-cylinder engine debuting the previous year, Hudson once again was solely an eight-cylinder model line in 1931. Displacement now measured 233.7 cubic inches and offered 87 horsepower at 3,600 engine revolutions.

The Great Depression resulted in a reduction in sales at Hudson to levels not seen since the post-World War I recession.

Previous Hudson body styles included boattailed roadsters sporadically and offered in 1927 and 1929 on the Essex chassis, with the body style's construction attributed by some to Biddle and Smart. For 1931, an Essex boattail roadster was offered. By this point in history, Essex and Hudson shared bodies, so a Hudson boattail was created, this time with the bodies built by Murray. The 1931 boattail was rare and not even listed in the factory-issued sales literature that year. It is believed that just 12 examples were built, and as few as five are thought to remain in existence today.

The Hudson Speedster, with its boat-tail design, was cataloged as the Series T 2-Passenger Sport Roadster for 1931. Twelve Greater Eight chassis were sent to the Murray Body Co. in 1931 to receive the boat-tail body. Power was from an 87-horsepower straight-8 engine.

In 1954, the Hudson Motor Company was merged with Nash-Kelvinator to create American Motors. The 1955 Hudsons had Nash bodies, with the Wasp and Hornet models retaining Hudson's six-cylinder engines. The last Hudson automobiles were built in 1957.

This 1931 Hudson Sport Roadster is one of five known to survive. It is one of 49 vehicles included in a 2007 donation by Eldon and Edna Hostetier to the Town of Shipshewana, Indiana, for the purpose of establishing the Hostetler's Hudson Auto Museum facility in that community.

This car was purchased by Mr. Hostetler in June of 1990. Period accessories include a pair of Trippe Safety Lights, a chrome grille stone guard, chrome hood-vent doors, twin side-mounted spare wheels and tires with chrome covers and chrome side view mirrors, a stanchion-mounted spot atop the driver's side running board including a smaller lamp on the cross-brace with the car's body, floral-etched wind wings, a well-fitted black folding top, upholstered rumble seat, spotlight, and more.

by Dan Vaughan

Boat-Tailed Sport Roadster by Murray
Chassis number: 925232

Hudson introduced a straight eight in 1930. It was derived from the companion make Essex Six, and it had a smaller displacement and less power than the old Super Six. With the new Great Eight being 500 pounds lighter, the new model saw a performance improvement. The following year, the engine was given a wider bore, higher compression, and an increase in power. The name was upgraded to 'Greater Eight.' Two wheelbase sizes continued to be offered; a shorter Series T measuring 119 inches and the longer, top-of-the-line Series U which had a 126-inch platform.

The boat-tailed roadsters offered by Hudson were not available every year. In 1927 and 1929, there were Essex boat-tails. It re-appeared in 1931. By this point in history, Hudson and Essex shared bodies, so a Hudson boat-tail was created, with the bodies built by Murray. Ray Dietrich was under the employment of Murray during this time, and it is believed the Hudson boat-tail speedster, with its convertible top design and steeply raked windshield, was among his achievements.

This 1931 Hudson Greater Eight Boat-Tailed Sport Roadster was purchased from the William F. Harrah Collection in the 1980s by Mr. Rose of Nebraska. The car wears an older restoration. It is believed Mr. Rose later sold the car to a collector in Gordonsville, Virginia, where it stayed for many years until sold by the owner's estate to a collector in Meriden, Connecticut.

In 2011, this car was offered for sale at the Hershey, PA, presented by RM Auctions. It was estimated to sell for $100,000 - $125,000. As bidding came to a close, the car had been sold for $72,500, inclusive of the buyer's premium.

by Dan Vaughan

Boat-Tailed Sport Roadster by Murray

Hudson Motor Company was formed in the very early days of automobiles. A group of businessmen headed by Roy D. Chapin, Sr., who had worked with Ransom Olds, named the new car company after its main financial backer, J.L. Hudson, founder of the Hudson department store chain. Both the motorcar company and the department stores were Detroit mainstays for the first half of the century. The car company continued producing innovative and beautiful cars until 1954, when a merger with Nash-Kelvinator formed the new American Motors.

The 1931 Hudson Boattail Speedster with body by Murray represents the apex of the company's products. Built as a limited edition of fewer than ten cars, only 5 to 7 are believed to exist today. The Boattail Speedster was intended to compete with the coveted Auburn Boattail Speedster, a sporting luxury car designed by Ray Dietrich, who had also designed bodies for Murray about that time. The car features a small rumble seat, dual side mounts, and a radically raked windscreen. With a lightweight body and Great Eight engine, it will do 90 MPH.

This particular car spent time in Denmark, probably during World War II, and found its way back to the United States in the 1950s, where it remained in storage until the 1990s. The current owner bought it and rebuilt the motor leaving the rest of the car in its original condition.

Coupe
Chassis number: 918936

In 1940, the Hudson Motor Car Company moved into the luxury market by introducing the 'Great Eight' line. A year later, Hudson introduced the 'Greater Eight' line of premium models. The Greater Eight Series T cars featured a 233.7-cu. in. straight-eight engine mounted in a 119-in. wheelbase chassis. Body styles included a four-door sedan, a roadster, and a two-door coupe.

This particular Series T Coupe spent approximately 25 years in the private collection of an individual near Trenton, Ontario, Canada. The current owner acquired the car about a decade ago from the estate. The upholstery was redone approximately five years ago, and an electric fuel pump was also installed at that time. In 2015, the fenders were repainted, and minor repairs were performed on the instrumentation and horn in 2017.

by Dan Vaughan

Boat-Tailed Sport Roadster by Murray
Chassis number: 927280

This boat-tail Hudson was given a restoration by a former owner. It was purchased by Dr. Atwood from a Canadian collector in November of 1984. While in her care, she gave the car another restoration by John Sanders' Antique Auto Restoration in Rockford.

In 1985, the car earned another AACA National First, followed by a Grand National First in 1986 at Asheville, North Carolina.

The car is painted in orange paint, with brown fenders and a tan canvas top. The interior and rumble seat are upholstered in brown leather. The chassis is painted gloss black. In the engine bay is a 233.7 cubic-inch L-head inline eight-cylinder engine that offers 87 horsepower. There is a three-speed manual transmission and four-wheel mechanical brakes.

In 2009, this Super Bearcat was offered for sale at the Automobiles of Arizona auction presented by RM Auctions. The lot was estimated to sell for $110,000 - $150,000 and offered without reserve. As bidding came to a close, the lot had been sold for $110,000, including the buyer's premium.

by Dan Vaughan

Boat-Tailed Sport Roadster by Murray

The Hudson automobile was not named for any of the company's founders but for the man who put up the money - Joseph L. Hudson, owner of Hudson department stores and a prosperous Detroit merchant. All four principals worked for Oldsmobile, including Roy D. Chapin, Howard Coffin, and Frederick Benzer. Initially, the company was allied with Chalmers-Detroit, but Hudson soon became independent while introducing its first car in 1909. Hudson merged with Nash-Kelvinator in 1954 to form American Motors, and production was transferred from Detroit to Kenosha, Wisconsin. Ironically, the Hudson and Nash names were gone by 1957 as the firm concentrated on compact cars under the Rambler label.

The Model T119, or Greater Eight boattail speedster, was a one-year-only vehicle produced by Hudson. Bodies were designed by Ray Dietrich and fabricated by Murray. It is thought that just ten were produced. This example was restored in 2018 almost entirely by graduates of McPherson College's Automotive Restoration program.

Boat-Tailed Sport Roadster by Murray
Chassis number: 924469
Engine number: 45937

Joseph L Hudson provided the financial backing for a group of experienced ex-Olds Motor Works employees to embark on a new automobile manufacturing venture. In return, the new company was called the American Hudson Motor Car Company. It was incorporated in February 1909, and they built their first car in July of that same year. Within 12 months, they had sold approximately 4,000 units, which was the industry's best first-year sales record to date. By 1915, they sold nearly 12,900 cars which were approximately 1,000 less than Chevrolet. By 1916, no fewer than 25,772 Hudson automobiles were sold. Part of that success was the introduction of the 'Super Six' in January of 1919, with its performance proven by a series of high-speed demonstration runs made on Long Island in December 1915. The side-valve engine produced 76 horsepower, which was far superior to the performance offered by many of its six-cylinder rivals.

Production of the Hudson Super Six continued until 1926, when it was replaced by an 'F-Head' (inlet over exhaust) design. The F-Head continued through 1930 when Hudson introduced an inline 'Greater Eight.' The eight-cylinder engine, Hudon's only straight-eight, displaced 234 cubic inches and would remain in production up to 1952.

In its debut year, the Great Eight was offered in two wheelbase lengths of 119 inches for the Model T and 126 inches for the Model U.

This example wears a boat-tailed Roadster body that was first introduced on Hudon's lower tire brand, Essex, in 1927. Introduced to the Hudson line in 1929, it was not offered every year. By 1931, both Essex and Hudson shared bodies, thus, both lines had the taper-tailed body style as part of their lineup. The design is believed to have been penned by Ray Dietrich of Murray Design and featured a steeply swept windscreen, a convertible top, and a sporty stance.

This particular is a well-optioned example that was given a comprehensive restoration performed during 2007 and 2008. By 2010, the car was part of the late Robert L. Byers and was subsequently shown on serval occasions, including the Concours d'Elegance of the Eastern United States.

This Hudson is finished in red with Burgundy-painted fenders and accents and a Burgundy interior. It rides on whitewall tires mounted on Burgundy wire wheels.

by Dan Vaughan