Essex

US, 1906

Essex Motor Car Co, Boston Mass.

This Essex was a steamer with a single-acting, 4-cylinder engine. Cylinders were of 82,5mm bore and 101,5mm stroke. Poppet valves were used. The Essex side-entrance tonneau was similar in appearance to the French Serpolet.

US, 1918 – 1932

Hudson Motor Car Co, Detroit, Mich.

The Essex, introduced as a low-priced line at $1.595 by Hudson in 1918, featured a 2.9-litre ioe 4-cylinder engine developing 55bhp, which gave the Essex a top speed of 60mph in standard form. The Essex was recognizable by its angular lines and radiator shutters and the very cheap coach (2-door-sedan) available at $1295 in 1922 made the Essex car a best-seller. In 1924 the Essex rapid four was supplanted by a 2.1-litre side-valve six, later enlarged to 2.5-litres. This Essex model pushed Hudson sales up to over 300.000 in 1929, in which year the company ranked third in the USA with 6.6 per cent of total registrations. Four-wheel brakes were an optional extra in 1927, and standard in 1928. The Essex was equally popular in Britain as the cheapest form of multi-cylinder motoring available – costing £250 from 1927 to 1929 and £235 in 1930, when the new 18.2hp Essex Challenger with ribbon radiator and 6-bhp engine was introduced. In 1931 the Essex car sold for a mere £185. In 1932 the Essex grew up into a 3.2-litre car with V radiator, detachable wire hweels, free wheel and Startix automatic starter, but it was supplanted the following season by the Terraplane.

Source: Georgano, encyclopedia of motorcar; GMN, MCS
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