Hudson

US, 1901 – 1902

Beau-Chamberlain Manufacturing Co, Hudson, Mich.

The first car to bear the name Hudson was a light steamer with a vertical 2-cylinder engine, single chain drive and tiller steering. This Hudson car bore no relationship to the later Hudson car.

US, 1909 – 1957

(1) Hudson Motor Car Co., Detroit, Mich., 1909 – 1954

(2) American Motors Corp., Kenosha, Wisc., 1954 – 1957

The Hudson car was created by Roy D. Chapin, and financed by J.L. Hudson, head of Detroit’s famous department store of that name. The first product was a 20hp 4-cylinder Hudson car of conventional design, capable of 50mph, of which 4.000 Hudson cars were sold in its first season. These fours, one of which was entered in the 1914 Tourist Trophy were first supplemented and then supplanted by a 6-cylinder line. The first of these Hudson cars was the heavy (3.696lb) and fairly expensive $2.350) Hudson Model 54 with a 4-speed overdrive gearbox, but the 4½-litre Hudson Super Six of 1916, with its high-compression sv engine, really made the Hudson company’s name, and marked the first of a line of engines of this type which lasted almost to the end of Hudson car production, giving generous outputs while still burning commercial-grade petrol. A Hudson Super Six made the first two-way transcontinental trip – New York to San Fransisco and back – in 1916; Ira Vail took 9th place with a Hudson car in the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race in 1919, and this Hudson car formed the backbone of New Zealand’s ‘service car’ network in the 1920s.

Though Hudson’s booming sales in the 1920s were largely due to the inexpensive companion make the Essex, the Hudson car company also pioneered modestly-priced closed Hudson cars, and in 1922 their ‘coach’ (a 2-door saloon) sold for only $100 more than a tourer. Until 1929, the Hudson Super Six remained the staple Hudson car model, and during its last three years of production the Hudson car was powered by a 4.7-litre ioe unit derived from the original Essex Four of 1918. In 1930 this Hudson car was replaced by a 3½-litre straight-8, later increased to 4.168cc in 1932 – this tough and well-liked unit remained in production until 1952, and powered such Anglo-Americans as the Railton and Brough Superior. These firms also used Hudson’s 3½-litre six.

The 1930s were less facrouable to Hudson cars, except in Britain, where the breed’s popularity warranted the manufacture of a small-bore 2.7-litre ‘export’ six rated at only 16.9hp, which was still being made for Hudson cars in 1940. The regular Hudson Six was a bigger machine of 3.455cc and was offered with independent front suspension in 1934 and 1935; in the latter year Electric Hand gear change became available on Hudson cars. Fencer’s mask radiator grilles followed in 1936, and steering-column change in 1939. The first post-war Hudson cars were a continuation of the 1942 models, but 1948 brought the revolutionary Hudson Step-Down series with the Hudson car company’s high-compression sv in-line engines. These low-built Hudson cars had unitary construction of chassis and body, rear wheels mounted inside the chassis frame, and coil-spring independent front suspension. The 5-litre 145bhp 6-cylinder Hudson Hornet engine introduced for 1951, proved a great success in stock-car events, but before this the Hudson car company had reached its post-war sales peak, with nearly 145.000 Hudson cars delivered in 1950. Competition in the medium-price bracket was too strong, and Hudson’s venture in the compact car market in 1953, with the 3.3-litre 6-cylinder Hudson Jet at $1.833 (this was also the first Hudson to abandon the wet-plate clutch) was not successful.

In 1954 Hudson amalgamated with Nash to form the American Motors Corporation. Though all production was transferred from Detroit to Kenosha, and the Hudson car range now shared its utinized hulls with the bigger Nash models, sales did not prosper. These last Hudson cars had initially the old sv 6-cylinder units or Packard-built V8s, while both Nash’s Rambler and the Austin-built Metropolitan were sold by Hudson agents. The Hudson car name was dropped at the end of the 1957 season.

Source: Georgano, encyclopedia of motorcar; GNG, MCS

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

Lea-Francis

GB, 1904 – 1906; 1920 – 1935; 1937 – 1953; 1960

(1) Lea & Francis Ltd, Coventry, Warwickshire, 1904 – 1935

(2) Lea-Francis Cars Ltd, Coventry, Warwickshire, 1937 – 1960

Lea Francis started as bicycle manufacturers, like so many car makers, but unlike most of the rest, never went over permanently and consistently to Lea Francis cars. These Lea Francis cars appeared in fits and starts. The first appeared in 1904, in the shape of a 15hp Lea Francis car with a 3-cylinder horizontal engine, the oddest feature of which was its connecting rods over 3ft long. In the same year, however, Lea Francis stopped making their cars, and Singer the Cycle Company began building Lea Francis cars under licence and under the Singer name. R.H. Lea had in fact worked for Singer before branching out on his own. Thus began another famous car name. Lea Francis made motor cycles from 1911, and they concentrated on these until 1920. In that year two Lea Francis cars reappeared beside the motorcycles; assembled 4-cylinder touring Lea Francis cars of 11.9 and 13.9hp. Few of either were made. Then, late in 1922, the Lea Francis car company found its feet at last, with an equally conventional assembled light Lea Francis car. This Lea Francis car had a 1.074cc 4-cylinder sv engine of 8.9hp by Coventry-Simplex, replaced in the following year by a 10hp Meadows unit of 1¼ litres with overhead valves. A Lea Francis car with 7hp Bradshaw flat-twin engine came to nothing. There were 3 forward speeds and quarter-elliptic springs at both ends. The 10hp Lea Francis car was very popular, and was made until 1928. Like other Lea Francise cars to come, it was well made, dependable, and lively. The great moment came for the Lea Francis cars in the very important RAC Small Car Trials of 1924, in which the Lea Francis car made the best all-round performance. During 1925 a wider family market was sought with the 12/22hp J-type Lea Francis car. This Lea Francis car had a longer wheelbase, allowing more spacious bodies, front-wheel brakes, a 1½-litre 4EC Meadows engine to cope with the weight and a 4-speed gearbox. For the sake of comfort, semi-elliptic springs were substituted at the rear on the P-type Lea Francis car introduced for 1928, which also had a plate clutch and 4ED meadows engine.

The Lea Francis car firm’s first serious sports car was the L-type with 4ED engine, announced for 1925. The Lea Francis 12/40hp was one of the best assembled cars in Britain, and appealed more widely than the light Lea Francis cars. It was, indeed, current until the second cessation of car production in 1935. However, Lea Francis also made some more ponderous, less lively Lea Francis cars, without the same degree of success. From 1925 until 1929, the Lea Francis range duplicated some of the heavy 6-cylinder machines offered by Vulcan of Southport, with whom Lea Francis cars had been associated since 1922. The 18hp Lea Francis car was a 2¼-litre car with cantilever rear springs and overhead worm drive. This Lea Francis car was succeeded by A.O. Lord’s Type T, with its advanced but unreliable Lea Francis LFS-type, double ohc engine of 1.7-litres. There was also, in 1928, a 2-litre six Lea Francis car. These Vulcan/ Lea Francis cars ended with the demise of the Vulcan. However, an excellent Lea Francis car with a six was at last introduced for 1931: the Lea Francis Ace of Spades model, with their own 2-litre, single ohc engine. This Lea Francis car continued alongside the old 12/40hp until 1935, together with a new 18hp Lea Francis car, which was a 2¼-litre enlargement of the Lea Francis Ace of Spades. However, a really powerful Lea Francis car was also listed from 1928. This Lea Francis Hyper Sports was a quite different car, with its heavily-modified, Cozette-supercharged Meadows 1½-litre engine, low build and raked radiator. The sports-racing two-seater Lea Francis car could attain 90mph, though a coupé and a short open tourer could also be had by those who did not intend to enter competitions. The Lea Francis Hyper Sports won the 1928 Ulster Trophy race.

A new company introduced two entirely new Lea Francis cars for 1938. These Lea Francis cars were designed by Hugh Rose, who had been responsible for the Riley Nine engine and, like the Riley, had 4-cylinder power units with push-rod overhead valves operated by two high camshafts. The Lea Francis car had ceased to be an entirely assembled car. A 12hp and a 14hp Lea Francis car were available, with cubic capacities of 1½ and 1.6-litres. Both had a 4-speed synchromesh gearbox. A sports version of the 1½-litre Lea Francis car was also sold, thus maintaining the old tradition. These two ‘Leafs’ were good cars, and as they were new, up-to-date Lea Francis carmodels, they could be continued after World War 2. Most of those built in this period were Lea Francis Fourteens, which were heavier but had a bigger bore and a capacity of 1.8-litres. A tuned sports Lea Francis car of the 14hp arrived for 1948. At the end of that year, an export version of the 14hp Lea Francis car, with torsion-bar independent front suspension, was shown and this suspension was adopted for both the 14hp and for the new 18hp, with a 2½-litre engine, in 1950. The sports model of the 18hp Lea Francis car was a fine car, with 100bhp available. The Lea Francis cars for 1953 had hydraulic brakes, but that was the last year in which the Lea Francis car appeared as a competitive production car. By mid-1952, output had fallen to six Lea Francis cars a week. An expensive car of specialist appeal,  the post-war years were too hard for it. In 1960 a few prototypes of a new sports Lea Francis car, the Leaf-Lynx, were made, but it never reached production. The power unit of this Lea Francis car was a 2½-litre Ford Zephyr, there was independent front suspension and disc brakes were supplied, but the car was ill-favoured and ill received. No better luck attented the Lea Francis carfirm’s attempt to make the Nobel bubble-car.

Source: Georgano, encyclopedia of motorcar; TRN

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