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
The information is written with the greatest of care. However, if you have any suggested amendments please contact us at office@prewarcar.com

DeSoto

US, 1913 – 1916

DeSoto Motro Car Co, Auburn, Ind.

The DeSoto appears to have succeeded the Zimmerman. This was a large car with a 55hp, 6-cylinder engine, which was furnished with a compressed-air starter. The DeSoto model Six-55 five-seater touring car sold for $2185.

US, 1928 – 1960

Chrysler Motors Corp, Detroit, Mich.

The DeSoto was launched in 1928 as a 3.2-litre side valve six to compete with Oldsmobile, Pontiac and the cheaper Nashes. Styling and general design of the DeSoto were in line with the 1929 Chryslers, and at $885 for a DeSoto sedan 90.000 were sold in the first twelve months. A 3.4-litre straight-8 DeSoto on a 9ft 6in wheelbase was announced for 1930 as the world’s cheapest 8-cylinder car. However, DeSoto suffered badly in the Depression, and in 1932, when flexible rubber engine mountings and free wheels were made available, sales dropped to 26.000 DeSoto cars.
The DeSoto disappeared from the British market about this time, though certain ‘Chrysler’ models listed in England (the Mortlake, Croydon, and some of the Richmonds) were in fact DeSoto cars in all but name. A 6-cylinder version of Chrysler’s advanced unitary-construction Airflow, the SE-type with a 4-litre engine, was brought out in 1934, but was an unsuccessful as its bigger sister. Later DeSotos followed regular Chrysler lines closely though in later years there was a tendency for DeSoto to move into a higher price class than Dodge; by 1952 DeSotos started $300 higher than the companion make.
By 1939 the DeSoto cars for sale were being made with independent front suspension, hypoid back axles and column change. There was a choice at DeSoto of two 6-cylinder engines and three wheelbase lengths, the longest of these being reserved for seven-seater bodywork – DeSoto continued to offer a really roomy family car right up to 1954. A 4-speed semi-automatic Vacumatic transmission became an option in 1941, but DeSoto’s big post-war change of models did not take place until 1952, when the division followed Chrysler’s lead in adopting the oversquare ohv V8; the DeSoto version was of 4½-litre capcity and developed 16-bhp. With the advent of Chrysler’s ‘flight sweep’ styling in 1955, the side-valve sixes were dropped and the standard engine in a DeSoto was now a 4.8-litre eight, giving 185bhp in Firedome guise, and 200bhp in Fireflite form. Though this redesigning saved Chrysler sales generally, the slump in the medium-price class had an adverse effect on DeSoto and in 1959 the DeSoto division was merged with Plymouth. Last of the DeSotos were the 1961 models, unitary-construction cars with a choice of three engines: Plymouth’s 145bhp ohv ‘slant six’ as used in the Valiant, and V8s of 230 and 265bhp, the two former only in Canadian DeSotos. Production of DeSoto cars ceased in November 1960 after only a few had been delivered.

Source: Georgano, encyclopedia of motorcar; MCS
The information is written with the greatest of care. However, if you have any suggested amendments please contact us at office@prewarcar.com