Vehicle Description
Reimel Motor Cars is proud to offer this 1912 Hudson Model 33
'Mile-A-Minute' Roadster. Finished in a Red/Red Leather
interior.
This extremely rare Mile-A-Minute Roadster was retrieved from a
barn in New York state by H. Pierson Mapes in the late 1940s. H.
Pierson Mapes, was an early exponent of the car collecting movement
and father of Pierson G. Mapes, the well-known former president of
NBC. According to a cast brass plaque on its firewall, the car was
restored for H. Pierson Mapes by Joseph Murchio who the plaque
proclaims was 'America's Foremost Authority on Antique
Automobiles', another early prominent car collector, whose
automobile museum at Greenwood Lake, New York had opened in August
1945 and ran for more than two decades.
It is thought that Pierson Mapes sold the 'Mile-a-Minute' at a
public auction conducted by Sotheby's in the late 1950s or early
1960s, though the precise date of this is unconfirmed. However, it
is known that the car passed from Mapes to Egbert Beney of Syosset,
New York at around that time, the penultimate owner's father bought
the Hudson in 1987, passing it to his son in 2003. Over the course
of its 30-year family ownership, the Hudson was shown at a few
regional car gatherings. It was acquired by the Clem and Mary Lange
Collection from Bonhams' 2009 Greenwich Concours d'Elegance Auction
and has been sparingly shown and driven since then.
The restoration of the car still dates back to H. Pierson Mapes's
time, giving the car a reassuring air of authenticity as well as an
appealing patina of age. It is appropriately equipped with a period
accessory monocle windshield (not photo'd), copies of the owner's
manual, tools and a period jack.
The model was designated by a 23,000 series, which this car
naturally fits into, presumably as the 73rd car to have been built.
Today, very few of these cars survive, one can be seen in The
Simeone Foundation Museum in Philadelphia, while others are as far
afield as in the UK and Germany.
The Hudson Mile-A-Minute Roadster is a wonderful example of an
early factory-issue speedster. In true period racecar fashion, it
is a stripped-down stock car, carrying two fully exposed bucket
seats in place of heavier bodywork, along with a large fuel tank
mounted on the frame behind the seats. Unlike "real" racecars, the
speedster has fenders and running boards, necessities on muddy
roads of the time. These could be easily removed for competitive
events.
First-generation Stutz Bearcats and Mercer Raceabouts have become
iconic pre-World War I speedsters. However, several automakers
offered factory-built speedsters during the 1910-1914 period.
Production, though, was always extremely limited. Offered for just
one season, the Hudson Mile-A-Minute Roadster is one of the most
desirable factory speedsters of its era. The name underscores the
performance potential of this ready-for-action model...60 miles per
hour was "flying" in 1912!
In 1911, Hudson introduced its larger and more powerful Model 33,
which would be offered through 1912. Several new styles, including
the Mile-A-Minute Roadster, were added in the second year and
amazingly Model 33 production for 1912 would total 5,708. It is
safe to assume that production of these sporting Speedsters would
have accounted for only a fraction of this being offered in that
production year.
The Mile-A-Minute's radiator is set back several inches, compared
to other Model 33s. Its engine is a standard 33-hp Model 33
mono-bloc four-cylinder, displacing 226 cubic inches. Gear change
levers for the three-speed sliding gear transmission are mounted
outside the frame. A 100-mph speedometer was standard on this
high-performance model. The large tank behind the seats
accommodates 30 gallons of gas and 10 gallons of oil.
Please reach out to us for more info, photos and Videos. Contact
links on our website. www.reimelmotorcars.com
