Who doesn’t like Step-Down Hudsons? Nobody I know of. And while I do appreciate stock examples, with wide whites and a nice maroon or hunter-green paint job, this one is still pretty cool. But I do have a question…
What do you think Hudsons would have looked like had they survived into the ’70s? Something like this, perhaps–albeit with Moondust or Firemist paint, landau roof–and opera windows, of course.
Step down–into your Hudson Commodore Brougham–today!
“Rides like a Lincoln.”
Hard to tell from the picture, but those seats look to be spaced a bit further apart than in a modern Town Car.
This I am liking, as long as they actually lined up the driver seat and the steering wheel. Call me an SOB but I’ve wondered about the practicality of fitting various leather GM thrones with the integrated shoulder belt into various old cars that never had shoulder belts. Comfy seat and a small extra bit of safety.
It’s certainly possible. Difficulty will depend on how the seat base fits against the floorpan and where the attachment bolts will protrude through the floorpan. You’ll also want to reinforce the floorpan where the seat attaches, or in a serious accident the seat will just rip out of the floor.
What a neat looking vehicle and I wonder (with a bit of a humorous chuckle) how many more miles per gallon this Hudson gets with moon caps. Now call me a hypocrite, but I would not want to drive this vehicle around without safety belts even though they would not do much to save me in a collision. When I look around at cars (1930s-1940s) many of them have a “OOHHH S*IT!” rope on the rear of the front bench for those in the back to hold onto.
Just for you, this Hudson has been retrofitted with 3-point safety belts. Look at the B-pillar in the interior photo.
In the interior photo it looks like a one piece shoulder/lap belt is installed on the driver’s side.
People used to hang car blankets over the rope on the back of the front seat.
I guess the blanket would cushion you slightly in a collision, as well as keep you warm. 🙂
Edit: BOC beat me to the comment.
That rope, in a ’53 Bel Air, allowed grandma to annoy grandpa by talking right into his ear from the backseat.
Here’s a more true-to-the-original Wasp gold convertible with red top and interior.
(Spotted by my son at a place that works on old cars, almost under the Brooklyn Bridge on the Brooklyn side.)
And yes, the windshield header was really that thick; I checked on oldcarbrouchures.com.
That car would look sweet with a tan canvas top. The red, not so much.
Hudson and Studebaker both make me wonder. Don’t actually miss many of the other defunct brands. Olds and Plymouth did join that list.
I think Hudson would have been more plastic cladding and decals, like Pontiac. Now Nash – there is a make that had Brougham written all over it!
Iirc the late 40’s or early 50’s Nash brochures referred to the 2-door sedans as Broughams….