1915 Hudson Boattail Speedster
Vin: C-10591
Highlights:
Technical Specification:
Imagine careening down the road at speeds up to 75 mph from Maine to Florida. That isn’t too hard to believe. Now picture your car with an open cockpit and without a windshield. How about the car’s wheels are wooden and the engine and frame are from before the Roaring 20s. Sound impossible? Well, this car did it…four times!
Black Horse Garage is proud to represent this 1915 Hudson Boattail Speedster!
The Great Race is all about the journey. It’s not about hitting the finish line first, it’s about following precise instructions to arrive at a specific time. Black Horse Garage founder Frank Buonanno built and raced this Hudson under all those conditions. It is a car that was a passion project for him and it stemmed from one of the premier trained automotive minds – his own!
This 1915 Hudson is built on an original frame with original suspension, engine, rear end, and pneumatic carburetor. The elongated boattail body was fabricated to look like the Hudson two-seater racecars of yesteryear.
The straight-6 engine was completely worked over. A new crankshaft was machined out of a solid billet. Re-designed connecting rods and specially made pistons and valves were also installed. That along with the Ford 3-speed manual transmission with overdrive gets the car to a safe operating speed of 75 mph.
The work and improvements that Mr. Buonanno performed on the car was all done with the intent of reliability. A complete oiling system was installed, as were swing-arm shock absorbers, drum brakes on the front wheels, a double radiator system (an aluminum radiator is behind the original with an electric cooling fan), an electric fuel pump, hand-made exhaust and header system with a muffler built in, an electric starter, and the steering box bearings were replaced with roll and ball bearings. It also has a complete fuse box and adjustable controls for mixture and spark. These controls are aircraft style.
This Hudson is not only reliable, it also looks good! It has been freshly painted in a classic yellow-crème color and also has a painted racing number 3 on the radiator and three locations on the body. It has the original wooden steering wheel and nickel-plated shifter. On the hood is a genuine and original Boyce MotoMeter. There is a storage compartment on the rear passenger side. It comes with a tonneau cover and even has a mini electric fridge mounted behind the navigator’s seat.
This is a car that must be seen in person to feel the full scope of the automobile passion that was meticulously put into it. If you would like to make an appointment to view this 1915 Hudson Boattail Speedster, please call of text 203-947-5293 or send an email to [email protected].
