1929 Hudson Model L

The Hudson Model L was available in five different body styles, all having four doors with seating ranging from four to seven passengers. All of the bodies were created by coachbuilder Biddle & Smart, rested on a wheelbase that measured 139 inches, and were powered by a six-cylinder engine offering 92 horsepower. The Hudson Company claimed to have a list of 64 improvements for 1929. Some of the more significant improvements were hydraulic, double-action shock absorbers and 'silenced roof construction.'

Hudson introduced its new 1929 models in January of that year, with the Model R using a 122.5-inch wheelbase while the Model L had a larger platform. The Murphy Coachbuilding firm had created designs for Hudson in previous years, and the body styles of 1928 were mostly carried over into 1929. The 288.6 cubic-inch F-head inline six-cylinder engine had mechanical valve lifters, four main bearings, a cast-iron block, and with a single downdraft carburetor, it developed 92 horsepower at 3,600 RPM (19.4 HP N.A.A.C.C. rating). It was backed by a three-speed manual transmission, and four-wheel Bendix mechanical drum brakes provided the stopping power. Standard equipment included five wire wheels, large diameter headlights, a higher radiator, rearview mirror, windshield wiper, electro-lock anti-theft device, and electric gas and oil gauge.

The most expensive body style in the Hudson model catalog for 1929 was the Sport Phaeton, priced from $2,200 and described as 'semi-custom' coachwork crafted by Biddle and Smart. Like many of Hudson's bodies, its styling was profoundly influenced by the company's collaboration with the renowned Murphy coachbuilding company of Pasadena, California, where eventual Hudson design head Frank Spring was employed. Other body styles in the Model L lineup included the club sedan priced at $1,850, the seven-passenger limousine at $2,100, the seven-passenger phaeton at $1,600, and the seven-passenger sedan at $2,000.

The company produced 71,179 vehicles during the 1929 calendar year, an all-time record for the Hudson marque, earning it third place in the sales ranking.

by Dan Vaughan

Sedan by Biddle and Smart

In 1909, J.L Hudson and Roy D. Chapin formed the Hudson Motor Car Company. Their idea was to build a low-priced car for under $1000. The resulting new Hudson 'Twenty' was one of the first low-priced cars on the American market and very successful, with more than 4,000 sold the first year. Their peak was in 1929, with 300,962 cars produced by Hudson and its lower-priced companion car, Essex, allowing Hudson to finish third in sales among American nameplates, just behind Ford and Chevrolet.

The Hudson Model L was powered by a straight six-cylinder engine and given a wheelbase that measured 139 inches. This car has a custom body built by coachbuilder Biddle & Smart. It was originally owned by Roy Chapin, one of the founders of the Hudson Motor Car Company.

Club Sedan by Biddle and Smart
Chassis number: 43839

The Hudson Motor Car Company commissioned a series of prototype cars from the Walter M. Murphy Company in 1927. The cars were to be designed using Murphy's thin-pillar construction technique, a style adapted from the coachbuilding firm Gangloff by Murphy general manager Frank Spring. Murphy delivered six cars to Detroit, a landau sedan, a victoria, a seven-passenger sedan, a convertible coupe, a convertible sedan, and a fixed-head coupe. Hudson's management was impressed, but Murphy was unable to produce the vehicles in the quantities that Hudson was requesting. The prototype cars were sent to the Amesbury, Massachusetts coachbuilders Biddle and Smart, which had been building closed cars for Hudson since 1923.

The closed Murphy styles, with the exception of the coupe, were put into production on Hudson's 1928 Model O chassis, which was the longer of two wheelbases. For 1929, the Murphy-designed cars were carried over, with the victoria and landau sedan resting on the short Model R chassis. The seven-passenger sedan rested on the new, extended wheelbase Model L line, along with the seven-passenger limousine and a club sedan.

Sadly, the new styles were short-lived for several reasons, perhaps worst of all was the impending Great Depression. Biddle and Smart was in dire straits, and Hudson declined to renew their contract for 1930, transferring all body construction to Detroit. By September 1931, Frank Spring left the struggling Murphy company to become Hudson's first 'style engineer.'

This vehicle is a Murphy-designed club sedan. It was acquired by the present owner in 1994 from the Mel Sothan of Garden Grove, California, who discovered it on a farm in Washington State in the 1950s. The car, in need of a restoration, was treated to a four-year, ground-up restoration. Upon completion, it made its debut at the Salt Lake City Pioneer Day parade in July 1997.

In 2011, this vehicle was offered for sale at the Hershey Auction presented by RM Auctions. It was estimated to sell for $70,000 - $90,000. As bidding came to a close, the vehicle had been sold for $77,000, including the buyer's premium.

by Dan Vaughan

Club Sedan by Biddle and Smart
Chassis number: May be 44383

The new 1929 Hudsons, introduced in January, consisted of the Model R resting on a 122.5-inch wheelbase and the Model L with a 139-inch wheelbase chassis. Including Essex and Commercial-vehicle shipments, 1929 was one of Hudson's most successful years, with shipments of 71,179 vehicles recorded. Over 60 improvements were made for the 1929 Hudsons, and the bodies were now four inches longer than before, offering greater interior room for the occupants. In the front was a larger windshield of shatterproof glass.

Hudson had worked with the Murphy Coachbuilding firm and Biddle and Smart in the past. The Murphy-designed body styles of 1928 were mostly carried over into 1929. Much like the rest of the economy, Biddle and Smart was in dire straits by 1929, and Hudson declined renewal of its contract for 1930, transferring all body construction to Detroit. The following year, in September, Murphy's Frank Spring left to join Hudson as their first 'style engineer,' a position he would hold for the next quarter of a century.

This example is a Model L with Murphy-designed, Biddle and Smart-built Club Sedan coachwork. It was acquired by the Hostetlers in 1993 from Peter Booz of California, who had acquired it in 1988. Mr. Hostetler commissioned the Appenzeller Brothers of Milford, Indiana, to totally restore the car in 1999, with the work completed in 2000. It has two-tone paintwork, Pilot-Ray driving lights, a chrome grill guard, dual side-mounted spares with chrome side view mirrors, chrome wire wheels mounting white sidewall tires, and a rear luggage trunk. The engine is a 288.6 cubic-inch F-head inline six-cylinder engine with a single downdraft carburetor. There is a three-speed manual transmission and four-wheel Bendix mechanical drum brakes.

by Dan Vaughan

Sport Phaeton by Biddle and Smart
Chassis number: 44383 - Possibly

The 1929 Hudson Series L rested on a 139-inch wheelbase while the company's other model, the Series R, had a 122.5-inch platform. Both came equipped with Hudson's inline six, a 288.5 cubic-inch F-head unit with overhead intake valves developing 92 rated brake horsepower at 3,200 engine revolutions. The engine's crankshaft was carefully balanced by a patented series of precision-engineered counterweights, offering smooth power delivery. With the addition of lightweight bodywork, they were among the fastest cars available at the time.

This particular example is a Hudson Series L Dual Cowl Sport Phaeton with a base price of $2,200. Its 'semi-custom' coachwork was crafted by Biddle and Smart with a design influenced by Hudson's collaboration with the Murphy coachbuilding company of Pasadena, California.

It is believed that this is one of as few as 17 examples produced, and just seven remain today with this body style. It was acquired by the Hostetler collection in late October 1992 via Jack Miller, the last active Hudson dealer. It remained in the collection for several years before Pat and Jan Appenzeller of Milford, Indiana, were commissioned to give it a restoration. The work was completed in 2002.

This car is finished in yellow and orange paintwork. Period accessories include Pilot-Ray pivoting driving lights, a grille stone guard, a stanchion-mounted spotlight affixed to the driver's side, dual side-mounted spares with canvas covers and side view mirrors, cowl lamps, a tan canvas folding top and side curtains and, of course, dual folding windscreens and flip-up rear cowl. Additional extras include twin folding tray tables in the rear passenger compartment and a jeweler's quality instrument panel.

by Dan Vaughan

Sport Phaeton by Biddle and Smart
Chassis number: 44383 - Possibly

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. Hudson's niece was married to Roscoe Jackson, treasurer of the new company. Hudson had its best year ever in 1929, producing 71,179 cars, propelling the company to #3 in sales among U.S. manufacturers. Its most expensive offering was this sport phaeton with coachwork by Biddle & Smart designed in collaboration with Walter Murphy & Co. This car is one of just 17 produced and, according to the owner, one of 7 remaining. It is presented in the same color combination as the car featured in a March 1929 Saturday Evening Post advertisement.

Sport Phaeton by Biddle and Smart
Chassis number: 45326
Engine number: 604317

The 1929 Hudson Model L Greater Special Six holds the distinction of the companies longest and heaviest model ever produced, with a wheelbase size of 139 inches, a 288 cubic-inch straight six engine, and equipped with four-wheel Steeldraulic rakes. The aluminum bodies were built by Biddle & Smart of Amesbury, Massachusetts, including approximately 17 examples of the Dual-Cowl Sport Phaeton.

This particular Greater Special Six was given a restoration several years ago and finished in its current color combination of dark sapphire and pale blue with a brown leather interior and tan cloth top. It was once part of the collection of John Soneff, proprietor of Soneff's Master Garage in Denver, Colorado.

by Dan Vaughan