The Hudson Motor Car Company: Do You Display The Innovative 1948 Hudson On Your O Gauge Layout?

Not only Hudson's I have Tuckers on the layout!!!

In my world Tucker lived!!! But I have a spot for Hudson's......my best buddy and his Dad are among THE Hudson experts in the world. So if I didn't have them on the layout.....they'd let me know!!! 

Buddy's 49 convertible......

A bit pricey, but here is a link to a die cast model of a 1948 Hudson:

       http://www.eautomobilia.com/pr...1948-NEO-143-Diecast

Here's a photo of a 1949 die cast Ford Convertible:

       http://passiondiecast.com/en/m...ord-convertible.html

Contrast this to a 1951 Chevy with the old style design:

       http://www.nicecardiecast.com/...1952-convertible.cfm

Here's a 1950 Cadillac Convertible:

       http://www.diecastmodelswholes...r-by-road-signature/

Here's a picture of a 1950 Plymouth the article that is titled: "Solid but outdated: Plymouth 1950 to 1954."       

       http://www.allpar.com/old/buyers-guide/ply-1950s.html

"But, I was wrong.  It was actually the 1948 Hudson Motor Car Co., that introduced the modern car."

Not sure about that comment... The Packard Motor Car company was rivaled to be the first true American Modern Car...

Packard had quite a few modern appliances that introduced on their vehicles...

Like Air Conditioning, The Modern Steering Wheel,  and the almighty 12 cylinder engine...

Well I am biased, they were a tank in the late 40's  but talk about luxury!

My favorite was this one:  The 48 Super 8 Convertible!

Gotta love those original "High End" Packards.  The Packard was the pinnacle of luxury,  until the line was cheapened by consolidations with competitors from the low price market.

My maternal uncle spent his life working at Packard  - Zio Joe, or, Uncle Joe.  He convinced my father to buy a dark blue lower end Packard in the 50's, but, by then the low end line had been compromised by cheapening, much like many Lionel products in the 1960's.

Thanks for the AWESOME pic!!!

Since this layout is dated Sept. 30, 1940, only a 1937 Hudson Terraplane is parked on the street.  I am a fan of "orphan" cars, the dozens of makes made in America 1925-1935, so forthcoming Graham's and as many as they produce of Nash's, Lafayettes, weWillys, etc. will be found here. There is a 1930 Hudson roadster available from Brooklin, but not likely to be found in small ranch and mining towns. My long since retired dentist drove a Hudson stepdown convertible in college, and was trying to get one professionally restored, last l heard.

Hudson's were a great car. The parking brake cable was connected to the foot brake pedal,and when properly adjusted,would stop the car if you had a hydraulic brake failure and the foot brake went beyond the halfway point. The big 6 cylinder was a high nickel cast iron and was very seldom cracked around the valve seats

Studebaker and Kaiser/Frasier introduced new car designs for the 1947 model year. "First by far with a post war car" was Studebaker's advertising motto.

RoyBoy posted:

Studebaker and Kaiser/Frasier introduced new car designs for the 1947 model year. "First by far with a post war car" was Studebaker's advertising motto.

Interestingly, President Lincoln drove a Studebaker!!!  

Studebaker was a HUGE manufacturer/fabricator of carriages, even in the 1800's.  Billy Durant, the creator of General Motors, also transitioned from the carriage business -- makes sense; horse-drawn carriages to horseless carriages.

The nascent auto industry was "stuck" in the mode of using tremendous amounts of wood in the manufacturing of the early automobiles.  Henry Ford, an early and ardent recycler, was distressed by the enormous amount of wood  waste product from his manufacturing facilities.  Kingsford Charcoal was the result.  

In a similar vein, General Motors needed more expertise in metal working to further develop the automobile, and hired an expert from the locomotive business to accomplish this goal - Walter P. Chrysler!!  

As stated at Britannica.com:

"Chrysler did not enter the automobile business until he was 36 years old, when he met Charles Nash, president of General Motors (GM). At the time, Chrysler was earning $12,000 a year at the American Locomotive Company, but Nash persuaded him to join GM as the manager of the Buick plant in Flint, Mich., for only half that amount. In the years to come, Chrysler would completely revolutionize Buick’s manufacturing system, introducing assembly-line processes pioneered by Henry Ford and more than tripling production."

Chrysler left ALCO to join GM. Chrysler, who reached the level of Vice President at GM, later became fed up with Billy Durant at GM.  Chrysler corporation was the result.

People did buy and drive Studebakers and Kaisers. I remember through the 40's and 50's there were many Studebakers on the road, and l liked the Lark. My grandfather's best buddy from the L&N shops showed up in a Kaiser at the farm gate, and my grandfather, a "Chevie Man" from the 1920's, was not impressed. I can't remember if it had painted vs. chrome bumpers, but it was a special, trimless bargain model. My grandmother's brother was a telegrapher in Mich. who drove Hudsons and swore by them until he got one of the last ones with the unperfected Packard V-8.

"Chrysler left ALCO to join GM."

Looking back at this comment today, it just sounds so wrong.

J Daddy posted:

"Chrysler left ALCO to join GM."

Looking back at this comment today, it just sounds so wrong.

J Daddy, you're right, His move to GM was probably a big loss for ALCO.

But, Walter P. Chrysler left ALCO to join GM for only half of the salary.  Chrysler thought the future was in the nascent automobile industry, and jumped at the chance to join GM and help revolutionize the auto industry with his considerable skills at metal fabricating.   Chrysler did well: he built a skyscraper in New York with his name on it, The Chrysler Building!

I rode from Los Angles to WV twice in the back of a Studebaker Lark Wagon. It replaced a 57 Rambler of Dad's. So I too have a spot for orphan cars....to this day. 

Having been a mechanic and working on cars from 1937 to present I think many orphan cars were better than the mainstream cars. They were run by geniuses that could not tie their shoes.  Kinda like Beta was much better than VHS but who won?? 

Checking a 1937 Hudson after engine rebuild.....one fantastic engineered car.

AMCDave posted:

 

Having been a mechanic and working on cars from 1937 to present I think many orphan cars were better than the mainstream cars. They were run by geniuses that could not tie their shoes...  

Checking a 1937 Hudson after engine rebuild.....one fantastic engineered car.

Thanks for the great pics!  Gorgeous cars!   Do you have some vintage models on your layout? BTW, what is an "orphan car"?  Sounds like something I wanted to do when my '69 Mach I was giving me trouble: Create an Orphan car...

Orphan car is one manufactured by a company no longer with us!!! 

I have a bunch of cars ready for my cities....but they are still in planning stage....sorry for OT stuff! 

Please note: Oldsmobile, Pontiac, Saturn, Plymouth, and Mercury are now orphan cars. I see them still on the street.

clorado hirailer posted:

Please note: Oldsmobile, Pontiac, Saturn, Plymouth, and Mercury are now orphan cars. I see them still on the street.

Agreed....orphan does not mean old!!!! My buddy with the world class Hudson's does not own a trailer........when they leave the house it's under their own power......so you can see orphans of any age on the street. 

AMCDave posted:

clorado hirailer posted:

Please note: Oldsmobile, Pontiac, Saturn, Plymouth, and Mercury are now orphan cars. I see them still on the street.

Agreed....orphan does not mean old!!!! My buddy with the world class Hudson's does not own a trailer........when they leave the house it's under their own power......so you can see orphans of any age on the street. 

AMCDave posted:

Orphan car is one manufactured by a company no longer with us!!! 

I have a bunch of cars ready for my cities....but they are still in planning stage....sorry for OT stuff! 

Dave,

I couldn't enjoy your posts, or the other posts on this thread any more, and they aren't off topic at all.  In this regard, George Brown's Product reviews in OGR are among my favorite articles, both for the reviews, and, for the detailed "Real Trains" analysis that precede's each specific product review.  This topic is about "Real Cars", their parentage, history, evolution etc., and, how the development of these automobiles parallels certain developments in railroading.  It's also about sharing information, and enjoying the fellowship of other Forum members like you.  Finally, I'm not "possessive" of any thread that I might start, and just enjoy the cordial and informative discussion.  And, I thoroughly enjoy your auto  history and pictures.  I'd love to have 1/48 models of them on my layout.  Here in the Detroit  area, the vintage cars on my layout spark as much discussion among baby boomers as the trains and their magnificent sound systems.  The more that I learn about those cars, and their histories, the more fun it is to run the layout and talk with my contemporary visitors.

More pix please!! !

Since I model 1946-48 steam era, I would display them.    I have cars pre-dating up to that time frame on the layout.

colorado hirailer posted:

Please note: Oldsmobile, Pontiac, Saturn, Plymouth, and Mercury are now orphan cars. I see them still on the street.

Would a Packard that was really a rebadged Studebaker be considered an orphan car?  

The following would be a fun car in 1/48 scale for  a transition era layout -- or, just as a conversation piece on the layout  - Sort of makes the 1958 Edsel look attractive by comparison!  

Packard and Studebaker, in any of their forms, is an orphan. Doesn't Brooklin, not cheap but can sometimes be bought used off the net, make that Packardbaker?

I might be biased, but Hudson and Studebaker made some pretty sweet rides just after the war. 

Here are some 1:43 cars I got in. For more info email is in my profile.

Bob

1950 Nash Ambassador.

1949 Dodge Coronet Woody.

1951 Studebaker Champion.

1954 Packard Pacific.

1948 Chevy Fleetline Aerosedan.

Those late 40's Hudsons tore up the stock car racetracks.  I owned a 1950 Studebaker Commander Starlight Coupe (245ci 6-cylinder, 102HP@3200RRM, 4-3/4" stroke, overdrive) & upon graduation bought new a 1962 Studebaker Gran Turismo (289ci 210HP, OD).  Problems with Studebakers was rust, especially in the pillar between fron frnder and front door.  I have a whole bunch of Studebaker shop manuals, as we had many in the family

Hudson cars won most of the early NASCAR races from 1952 until 1954. As stated above I have a buddy that's the Hudson expert. And some of the work  have done in the plastic model industry was creating these kits from Moebius Models....

Thanks for the great pix.  I had no idea that the Hudsons were such track stars!  I'll definitely have to find a good book about Hudson Motor Co. and its history 

I have a warm place in my heart for the late 40's and early 50's Packards.  We had a dark blue '52 Packard since an uncle worked at Packard.  It was a low end model and not my father's favorite car.  I also love the 50's era Studebakers, many of which were designed by Raymond Loewy (GG-I) and his design studio.  My favorite Studebaker is the Avanti ("forward" in Italian).  As to Loewy's influence:

"Egbert's star car was the Avanti. With Stevens updating higher-volume models, Egbert recruited flamboyant Raymond Loewy, a world-famous industrial designer who had considerable auto design experience. Loewy had come up with the startling, slick 1953 Studebaker coupe--arguably the best-styled American car of the 1950s....

The Loewy group gathered in Palm Springs on March 19, 1961. It rapidly developed a clay scale model of the Avanti, which Loewy rushed to Studebaker's headquarters. Egbert wasn't a "car guy," but knew a winner when he saw one. He was delighted with the car, and Studebaker's board approved its construction just five weeks after Loewy's team began work on it. No major American automaker had ever done a car so quickly."

       http://www.danjedlicka.com/cla...udebaker_avanti.html

The Avanti came out at roughly the same time as the 1963 Corvette Sting Ray -- my all time favorite car. Hard to believe, but the Avanti was still being built in the early 1970's in South Bend, Indiana, while I was attending Notre Dame.

       My wife wants some ideas for Christmas, so, I will definitely be searching for some of these innovative and historical vehicles in a 1/48 size for the layout.

This post makes me smile. Back when the first Pixar's Cars came out my parents took my sister and I to see it. When we had to turn back from a camping trip due to rain and flooding up at my Grandparents camp in New York State. When I saw Doc Hudson I was in awe. I started collecting anything Doc Hudson related from the die cast models and other items. The reason why I was so into Hudson's was my Great-grandfather used to work as a service tech for Hudson Motors at a local auto repair shop.

He owned several Hudson Hornets and some other cars. Until the city where they lived told him to clean up the yard and the cars were moved to my Grandparent's farm. The cars were parked in the woods on the property the farm. Sadly the cars were damaged by fallen trees and people trespassing. They were to far gone to be restored. When my Grandfather passed away in 2004 my Dad had no choice but to scrap the cars. We had one literally split in half when dragging it out of the woods.

However, I was perhaps smart in some ways and was able to save a Hornet emblem off one car and the ID tag out of the door jam of another. I remembered my Grandmother telling me about when her father worked on Hudson's and how she had one as her first car. I asked her what color and she replied “black” she said she wished it had been blue like her sister's Hudson but she said it was a good car just never liked the color too much.

When I was exploring an old shed next to my Grandparents house I came across several wooden cases. In the cases were a bunch of old car magazines ranging from the 1920's til the early sixties. The magazines were my Great-grandfathers. My Mom's Father was able to sell they magazines online for my Grandmother. She was able to put the money into somethings she wanted. Though my Mom's Mother said why don’t you sell the Hudson Manuals and I said no way. Along with the magazines I noticed a box in a corner buried under junk. I opened it and got a shock that even today gives me goosebumps. In the box were my Great-grandfather's Hudson Motors service tech manuals.

There were other stuff he had when working on his training as a mechanic in the box as well. Surprisingly I found an old photograph of a group of men dressed in shop coats, standing behind a bench with a welcome Hudson Dealers banner in the background. I asked my Grandmother if by chance her father was in the photo. She took one look and laughed and said he was right in the front. That photo is now framed and hangs in my bedroom. Along with a shelf dedicated to my Hudson collection. I will add a Hudson to my layout if I find one I like or maybe I will just make a billboard or both.

The minor American makes interest me more than the products of the big three US automakers. My Mom's dad had a Hudson Terraplane when she was a kid. By Dad's dad drove a Rambler when I was little. My first car was an International Scout. Something about the underdog (also one of my favorite cartoons as a kid) making good. Too bad the automotive "Davids" weren't as successful against their giants as the David in the Bible.

Khayden93 posted:

This post makes me smile back when the first Pixar's Cars came out my parents took my sister and I to see it when we had to turn back from a camping trip due to rain and flooding up at my Grandparents camp in New York State...

Thanks for sharing the wonderful memories about your family and the Hudson Motor Company.  I suspect there will be a few Hudsons at the annual Woodward Dream Cruise next August in Michigan.

       https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodward_Dream_Cruise

I've never been in a Hudson automobile, and will have to check if one is displayed at The Henry Ford in Dearborn, MI.  

In addition to Hudson's Department Store in downtown Detroit on Woodward Ave., I have fond memories of attending a couple of the huge, nationally televised Thanksgiving Day Parades sponsored by Hudson's on Woodward Ave.

Took some photos of my collection somethings are not out since I have them put away.

Thanks for posting the excellent  pix, and the B&W photos.  That is really a sweet collection of original materials that you have, and the display is very appealing.

Interestingly, if you look at the Hudson Owner's Manual in the bottom photo, the company address is listed as "Detroit 14, Michigan".  The "14" is the number of the "Postal Zone" in the city of Detroit for (apparently) the Hudson Motor Company.  Many of us baby boomers will remember these two digit United States Postal Zones, which were replaced by the five digit "Zip Codes" in 1967.  The area in Detroit where I grew up was, "Detroit 24, Michigan".  This became, "Detroit 48224"  when the zip codes were introduced.  In this regard, it would be interesting to look at the old Lionel addresses for the product produced in New York.   I suspect that there would be a two digit postal code listed in New York for Lionel.

Note also the service information for the "Hydra-Matic Transmission".  Many boomers will remember that automatic transmissions were a pricey accessory for most cars.  It was generally a big deal for many of us to have a car with "power steering, power brakes, and automatic transmission."!

Maybe you'll want to send in the Warranty Registration for that Hudson Auto Radio -- before it's too late!

Khayden93 posted:

This post makes me smile back when the first Pixar's Cars came out my parents took my sister and I to see it when we had to turn back from a camping trip due to rain and flooding up at my Grandparents camp in New York State. When I saw Doc Hudson I was in awe. I started collecting anything Doc Hudson related the die cast models and other items. The reason why I was so into Hudson's was my Great-grandfather used to work as a service tech for Hudson Motors at a local auto repair shop. He owned several Hudson Hornets and some other cars until the city where they lived told him to clean up the yard and the cars were moved to my Grandparent's farm and parked around the farm. Sadly the cars were damaged by falling trees and were to far gone to be restored. When my Grandfather passed away my Dad had no choice but to scrap the cars, we had one literly split in half when dragging it out of the woods. However, I was perhaps smart in some ways and was able to save a Hornet emblem off one car and the ID tag out of the door jam of one before they were scraped. I remembered my Grandmother telling me about when her father worked on Hudson's and how she had one as her first car I asked her what color and she replied “black” she said she wished it had been blue like her sister's Hudson but she said it was a good car just never liked the color too much. When I was exploring an old shed next to the house I came across several wooden cases in them was a bunch of old car magazines ranging from the 1920's til the early sixties my Mom's father was able to sell this online for my Grandmother and she was able to put the money into somethings she wanted. Though my Mom's mother said why dont you sell the Hudson Manuals and I said no way. Along with the magazines I noticed a box in a cornor buried under somethings. I opened it and got a shock that even today gives me goosebumps. In the box were my Great-grandfather's Hudson Motors service tech manuals and other stuff he had when working on his training as a mechanic. Surprisingly I found an old photograph of a group of men dressed in shop coats. Standing behind a bench with a welcome Hudson Dealers banner in the background. I asked my Grandmother if by chance her father was in the photo. She took one look and laughed and said he was right in the front. That photo is now framed and hangs in my bedroom along with a shelf dedicated to my Hudson collection. I will add a Hudson to my layout if I find one I like or maybe I will just make a billboard or both.

Nice story, but your font and grammar makes it difficult to  read.

Alan

Khayden93, I too thoroughly enjoyed your post, and appreciate the significance of your family history with the Hudson Motor Company.  Your photos are awesome!  

Below are eye-popping photos of vintage, brightly colored Hudsons, and, a detailed history of The Hudson Motor Co.  Check out the stunning, detailed hood ornaments in the Hudson photos below.  It is my specific recollection that a principal designer of the famous EMD FT's, and F3's, was one of GM's lead automotive designers -- with a speciality in designing the hood ornaments for many GM cars of the era.  Hence, the classic nose on the F3's!!:

       http://www.allpar.com/cars/adopted/hudson-1936.html

Here is a photo of a beautiful, 1953 Hudson Hornet, in the style that helped revolutionize automotive design.  Note that the car is located at The Walter P. Chrysler Museum.  I wonder if there are any of the ALCO steamers that Chrysler helped design featured at the Museum (I doubt it!).  The Museum is located at the Chrysler headquarters in Auburn Hills, Michigan:

       http://www.allpar.com/cars/adopted/hudson-1936.html

Here are some additional photos.   The first large photo should be of the beautiful 50's era Lionel Layout at Hudson's, which was kindly posted earlier in this thread.  There are also a series of photos  of the Detroit Hudson's, a downtown landmark for about three-quarters of a century.   

       http://historicdetroit.org/gal...nt-store-old-photos/

I hope that representatives of the die cast auto manufacturing industry produce some of the gorgeous models in 1/43 (1/48!) scale for our layouts.  It's clear that I'll have to do some additional searches for currently available models.  (A model of that gorgeous Tucker posted above will definitely be on my shopping list!!!)

In this regard, it looks like it's time to set up a display of cars in my train room, so that I can rotate the cars on my layout for interest -- mine, and my guests!

ajzend posted:

Khayden93 posted:

This post makes me smile back when the first Pixar's Cars came out my parents took my sister and I to see it when we had to turn back from a camping trip due to rain and flooding up at my Grandparents camp in New York State. When I saw Doc Hudson I was in awe. I started collecting anything Doc Hudson related the die cast models and other items. The reason why I was so into Hudson's was my Great-grandfather used to work as a service tech for Hudson Motors at a local auto repair shop. He owned several Hudson Hornets and some other cars until the city where they lived told him to clean up the yard and the cars were moved to my Grandparent's farm and parked around the farm. Sadly the cars were damaged by falling trees and were to far gone to be restored. When my Grandfather passed away my Dad had no choice but to scrap the cars, we had one literly split in half when dragging it out of the woods. However, I was perhaps smart in some ways and was able to save a Hornet emblem off one car and the ID tag out of the door jam of one before they were scraped. I remembered my Grandmother telling me about when her father worked on Hudson's and how she had one as her first car I asked her what color and she replied “black” she said she wished it had been blue like her sister's Hudson but she said it was a good car just never liked the color too much. When I was exploring an old shed next to the house I came across several wooden cases in them was a bunch of old car magazines ranging from the 1920's til the early sixties my Mom's father was able to sell this online for my Grandmother and she was able to put the money into somethings she wanted. Though my Mom's mother said why dont you sell the Hudson Manuals and I said no way. Along with the magazines I noticed a box in a cornor buried under somethings. I opened it and got a shock that even today gives me goosebumps. In the box were my Great-grandfather's Hudson Motors service tech manuals and other stuff he had when working on his training as a mechanic. Surprisingly I found an old photograph of a group of men dressed in shop coats. Standing behind a bench with a welcome Hudson Dealers banner in the background. I asked my Grandmother if by chance her father was in the photo. She took one look and laughed and said he was right in the front. That photo is now framed and hangs in my bedroom along with a shelf dedicated to my Hudson collection. I will add a Hudson to my layout if I find one I like or maybe I will just make a billboard or both.

Nice story, but your font and grammar makes it difficult to  read.

 

This post makes me smile. Back when the first Pixar's Cars came out my parents took my sister and I to see it. When we had to turn back from a camping trip due to rain and flooding up at my Grandparents camp in New York State. When I saw Doc Hudson I was in awe. I started collecting anything Doc Hudson related from the die cast models and other items. The reason why I was so into Hudson's was my Great-grandfather used to work as a service tech for Hudson Motors at a local auto repair shop.

He owned several Hudson Hornets and some other cars. Until the city where they lived told him to clean up the yard and the cars were moved to my Grandparent's farm. The cars were parked in the woods on the property the farm. Sadly the cars were damaged by fallen trees and people trespassing. They were to far gone to be restored. When my Grandfather passed away in 2004 my Dad had no choice but to scrap the cars. We had one literally split in half when dragging it out of the woods.

However, I was perhaps smart in some ways and was able to save a Hornet emblem off one car and the ID tag out of the door jam of another. I remembered my Grandmother telling me about when her father worked on Hudson's and how she had one as her first car. I asked her what color and she replied “black” she said she wished it had been blue like her sister's Hudson but she said it was a good car just never liked the color too much.

When I was exploring an old shed next to my Grandparents house I came across several wooden cases. In the cases were a bunch of old car magazines ranging from the 1920's til the early sixties. The magazines were my Great-grandfathers. My Mom's Father was able to sell they magazines online for my Grandmother. She was able to put the money into somethings she wanted. Though my Mom's Mother said why don’t you sell the Hudson Manuals and I said no way. Along with the magazines I noticed a box in a corner buried under junk. I opened it and got a shock that even today gives me goosebumps. In the box were my Great-grandfather's Hudson Motors service tech manuals.

There were other stuff he had when working on his training as a mechanic in the box as well. Surprisingly I found an old photograph of a group of men dressed in shop coats, standing behind a bench with a welcome Hudson Dealers banner in the background. I asked my Grandmother if by chance her father was in the photo. She took one look and laughed and said he was right in the front. That photo is now framed and hangs in my bedroom. Along with a shelf dedicated to my Hudson collection. I will add a Hudson to my layout if I find one I like or maybe I will just make a billboard or both.

Nice Story!

http://www.gettyimages.com/pho...=mostpopular#license

Thanks Khayden93.  As BOBBYD says: "Nice Story!"  

I personally think that your story is a wonderful recitation that demonstrates a strong family bond coupled with a keen sense of automotive history -- as that history relates to your family.  The pride that your story displays is the stuff that many of us hope that our families can also experience as time passes.  Please continue to post in your own, very descriptive style. 

Forgot to post this. My Grandfather hunted for a long time for this Hudson ad got it one year for Christmas several years ago.

Great pic - thanks!  That's one of the best illustrations of that era Hudson that I have seen.  Note how much that Hudson ad looks like the catalog art that Lionel was producing at the time, and, into the early 1960's.  I wonder if that Hudson is a Sherman drawing, particularly since the Hudson department stores were huge Lionel customers. 

Paparazzi spotted a celebrity at the local diner...