Picture Characteristic: 1947 Hudson Collection 178 Pickup | The Every day Drive | Shopper Information® The Every day Drive

The Hudson Tremendous Six, launched in 1916, had the trade’s first counterbalanced crankshaft that allowed greater revving and established Hudson as a efficiency automobile that set many pace information, together with runs at Pikes Peak and Daytona Seaside. Within the Twenties, Essex, Hudson’s lower-price companion make, accelerated the acceptance of closed automobiles. Earlier than the Essex coach a sedan usually price 40 to 50 % greater than an open automobile. The coach price as little as $100 greater than the Essex touring automobile. Because of booming Essex gross sales and powerful Tremendous Six demand, the corporate reached the number-three spot in gross sales 3 times within the late Twenties. 

With wholesome automobile gross sales, there was little incentive to enter the truck market, and Hudson was quick on money even in increase occasions. But Hudson launched a line of vehicles beneath the Dover identify for 1929. Dovers had been primarily based on the Essex chassis, and the identify modified to Essex for 1930. Because the Essex identify transitioned to Terraplane within the Thirties, so did the truck badges. A truck didn’t put on the Hudson nameplate till 1939. Hudson struggled within the Nice Despair and had little capital to dedicate to vehicles. In a few years, truck manufacturing floundered within the tons of. 

Hudson automobiles had new styling for 1941 and the pickup (“pick-up” in Hudson adverts) shared a lot of their sheetmetal and chassis. Resulting from its car-based roots, the inventory Hudson truck appeared as if it had been chopped by a customizer. 

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Like different makes, Hudson’s postwar automobiles and vehicles had been a continuation of prewar designs. The 1946-47 automobiles obtained a brand new concave grille and the vehicles adopted go well with. Whereas the 1941-1942 Hudson vehicles provided ½-ton and ¾-ton “Large Boy” variations, solely the latter returned after the struggle—minus the Large Boy identify. This truck rode on a 128-inch wheelbase and had Hudson’s impartial entrance suspension. 

The postwar vehicles gained a 212-cubic-inch 102-horsepower L-head six that was greater than the prewar engine. Whereas most makes had adopted totally pressurized lubrication, Hudson retained a splash system. One other uncommon Hudson characteristic was a cork-faced clutch working in oil. Despite their uncommon specs, each engine and clutch had a repute for reliability.  

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Within the postwar vendor’s market, Hudson bought 3104 pickups for ’46 and 2917 for ’47—much better than the 812 and 67 vehicles for ’41 and ’42, respectively. Then Hudson launched its revolutionary “Step-down” automobiles for 1948. Though a prototype pickup was constructed, Hudson by no means bought one other truck after 1947.

This ’47 Collection 178 pickup has been owned by Perry Spring of Ontario, California, since 1984. Spring restored the truck however put in a 262-inch six from a later Hudson. It has the usual three-speed guide transmission with column shift and an non-obligatory overdrive. Spring says the pickup “drives just about like a automobile.” Hudson used 13-leaf springs within the rear, however Spring eliminated two leaves for a greater journey. Whereas most restored vehicles stay a straightforward life, this one has hauled a great deal of as much as 1.5 tons. 

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