Vehicle Description
The Hudson Motor Car Company is perhaps best known among
enthusiasts for the iconic "Fabulous Hudson Hornet" racers that
were produced from 1951-1954, but of course Hudson's roots go all
the way back to the dawn of the Automotive industry. Hudson got its
name from its first financial backer, J.L. Hudson of Hudson's
Department Store fame. The initial goal of this new car builder was
to produce a quality car that cost under $1000. The first Hudson
Model 20 rolled out of the Detroit plant in July of 1909, and in
1910, 4,500 units found buyers - a remarkable achievement for the
first full year of production. Hudson enjoyed steady volume sales
through the 1920's, but was hit hard by the Great Depression. Sales
ebbed and flowed over the years, but their earlier successes were
never repeated. Despite it being best known for car production,
Hudson also had a long history of building light-duty trucks for
the consumer market. In typical Hudson fashion, their trucks were
unconventional, stylish and innovative. In the early 30s, Hudson
had converted a number of unsold coupes into dealer-service
vehicles by removing the trunk lid and installing a small bed in
its place. The idea spawned the "Utility Coupe" of 1937; a
typically swoopy Hudson coupe that concealed a sliding utility bed
in the trunk. For the truncated 1942 model year, the Utility Coupe
was replaced with the Cab-Pickup, a car-like pickup that utilized
automobile sheet metal up front with a pickup bed in the rear. The
obvious advantages over a more conventional pickup were the lower
ride height for easy driving, as well as lighter weight and
car-like handling. It was also quite stylish, and would make a bold
statement for businesses using a Hudson truck for commercial
purposes. In 1946, the Cab-Pickup was joined by the 128" wheelbase
Big Boy, a � ton version with Hudson Business Coupe sheetmetal.
Motivation came from Hudson's legendary L-head six-cylinder
engines, best known for dominating the early days of stock car
racing. Through the years, Hudson Big Boy pickups have gained a
loyal following thanks to their rarity, uniquely stylish looks and
exceptional performance. This outstanding 1947 Hudson Big Boy
pickup has been restored and mildly, yet tastefully hot-rodded to a
period-appropriate look. The Hudson Big Boy provides a fantastic
base for such a hot rod, thanks to the factory chopped-top look,
long swoopy fenders and low ride height. This particular example
exhibits good panel fit and very attractive black paintwork with
subtle dark red and gold accents. Is sits low, riding on classic
red-painted steel wheels with Hudson dog-dish hubcaps, red-striped
beauty rings and wide-whitewall tires. Dual sidemount spares are
affixed to the bed, just behind the cab. The original Hudson chrome
trim on the body is in excellent condition and the intricate grille
features a pair of period correct amber fog lights. The oak bed
floor planks have been restored and refinished to a high gloss
shine. The truck sits just a bit lower than stock with a slight
nose-down rake, and in combination with the original accessory sun
visor, it makes a dramatic visual statement particularly in
profile. From every angle, this Hudson truck just oozes cool. As
with the exterior, the interior is executed in a subtle and
restrained manner with high quality fit and finish. The custom
upholstery work was performed by John Espinoza of California,
renowned master trimmer for the late Boyd Coddington. The seats and
door panels are covered in custom stitched tan upholstery, accented
with lovely oatmeal squareweave carpet bound in tan. A black
painted dash is accented with original gold metallic inserts,
striped in red as original. Wonderful original gauges remain intact
as well as the original clock in the glovebox. But the highlight of
the interior is undoubtedly the fabulous art-deco styled Hudson
radio in the center of the dash, which has been restored back to
operating condition. The original steering wheel has been restored,
and the front vent windows feature cool red inserts. As with any
hot rod, what's under the hood matters and in this case it is
Hudson's 308 cubic inch inline six. While the uninitiated might
scoff at the idea of a six-cylinder hot rod, Hudson's six was a
fantastic engine - smooth, powerful and immensely strong. Of
course, things have not been left totally stock; in this case the
original 262 cubic inch engine was replaced with Hudson's more
powerful 308 cubic inch six, which could develop upwards of 170
horsepower and 260 ft-lbs of torque. It has been upgraded with 12V
electrics and a period appropriate, factory Hudson Twin-H Power
intake; a factory dual carburetor setup that first appeared as an
over-the-counter dealer option in 1951. With its dual Carter WA1
carburetors and signature individual air-cleaners painted lurid
red, the Twin-H Power setup was proven on the street and the track,
giving the Hudson Hornet racers the power to match their handling
in the early days of Nascar Grand National racing. The engine is
painted in signature Hudson gold with correctly detailed air
cleaners and a matching red fan shroud, striped to complement the
Twin-H logos. Mated column-shifted automatic transmission this Big
Boy has plenty of "go". Hudson was never a large volume producer,
and their pickups often served hard lives in commercial duty, so
surviving examples are coveted by enthusiast. This fabulous truck
has an outstanding look; built to a high standard of quality
without ever feeling over-restored or clinical. The upgrades are
subtle, well-judged and period appropriate, making this a fantastic
choice for cruises, hot-rod tours or maybe even weekend runs to the
garden center. We can almost guarantee you won't see another one
like it.
