Just like the one Morgan Freeman drove in Driving Miss. Daisy. Author photo
Even with all the car shows we attend every year, there really aren't too many Hudsons on display. It's kind of surprising, considering how nice those cars were, how well they performed, and how big a part they've played in history, racing, and pop culture.
Most people today are at least somewhat aware of Hudsons from the movies. Morgan Freeman proudly drove a nice burgundy sedan in Driving Miss. Daisy. And Paul Newman voiced the surly ex-racecar "Doc Hudson" in the Pixar animated hit Cars.
Hudson's racing success has also been pretty well chronicled in old NASCAR films. The low, step-down designs of the 1950s, paired with potent "7-X" racing six-cylinder engines, made the Hornet one of the most feared competitors on the track. NASCAR legends like Herb Thomas, Marshall Teague, and Dick Rathmann were dominant forces in racings most important stock car series.
Hudson logo. Author photo
This weekend, the Mo-Kan Hudson Club sponsored the 2010 Big Country Hudson-Essex-Terraplane Regional Meet here in Kansas City, and it was a chance to see a great sample of these underappreciated cars all in one place.
These owners really made the rounds, too. Hudsons toured Kansas Speedway. They were on display on the lawn at the Liberty Memorial. The gathered at car cruises. And they met up for some good times and camaraderie at their home base, the Doubletree Hotel in Overland Park.
One of the most unusual cars at the Hudson meet wasn't a Hudson at all. The long, elegant black beauty was called a Railton. These 1930s cars had Hudson running gear and chassis components underneath. But a hand-formed aluminum body was crafted above. The level of quality of the Railton rivaled what you might see in a Rolls Royce, which seems appropriate, because they were sold to British elite. Only 1379 Railtons were built between 1933 and 1940, and their rarity, combined with the fact that they were mostly right-hand-drive cars meant for Europe, means that there aren't many chances to see them tooling through Kansas City.
Hudson made some pretty interesting cars through the years. You may even see something you don't remember in the slideshow below.
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Comments
The 7X engines were NOT V-8s - they were 308 cubic inch flathead straight six-cylinder engines.
Also, not all Railtons were RHD cars. In addition, the only people in Europe that drive on the "wrong" side of the road are the Brits and the Irish!!! ALL of the rest of the European Continent drives as we in the US do - on the right side of the road with the steering wheel on the left.
Thanks, Patrick. Sounds like you know your Hudsons!
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