'48 Hudson Listed as One of Eighteen Most Innovative

Jon B

Hemmings Classic Car, in its September issue, lists the 18 most innovative American cars ever built. The 1948 Hudson is one of them, chosen for its innovative unit body, a concept which was then unusual but is now standard.

53jetman

I'm wondering why they did not include the 1916 Hudson Super Six with the 1st dynamically balanced engine - I would think that would be pretty important to the auto industry.

StillOutThere

And why not the '32 Essex Terraplane with its unit-body engineering (the real introduction of the engineering for Monobilt (unibody) '48 Hudsons, including the addition of the X-member to the frame which had flared lightening holes (like an airframe) and this is the introduction of the high chrome alloy block for Hudson Motors and I believe the industry, and the coupes convertibles and roadsters were the first in the US industry with an enclosed gas filler (behind a door in left rear of body), and of course all 1932 Hudson products introduced "tell-tale" dash warning lights (which were denigrated by the public's term "idiot lights") where you are FAR more likely to notice a bright red jewel glowing on your dash for temp or electric problems than you are to note a gauge needle having moved.

Alas the poor forgotten Terraplane. We hardly knew ye.

Editing to add a correction: the high chrome alloy block came to Hudson and Terraplane in 1934: http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1917&dat=19340808&id=sxsqAAAAIBAJ&sjid=XYYFAAAAIBAJ&pg=580,4161174

50C8DAN

We can't forget idiot lights!

Aaron D. IL

You mean "Teleflash" lights? LOL Like Americans would've adopted that name.